Academy trust with 10 per cent-plus topslice bids to close town’s only sixth form

Unity Schools Partnership, which until last September was headed by the man now overseeing academies for the DfE, is proposing to close Felixstowe School’s sixth form for new entrants in September.

A multi-academy trust, which has been charging its schools more than 10 per cent of their core budgets in centralised fees, is bidding to close the only post-16 education provision in a town with a population of 25,000.

Unity Schools Partnership, which until last September was headed by the man who currently oversees academies across England for the Department for Education, is proposing to close the only sixth form serving the port town of Felixstowe in Suffolk, with no year 12 admissions from September.

The National Education Union, which is raising concerns about the plans, has described the move as “unthinkable” for a town of this size, arguing that it raises further questions about the ability of multi-academy trusts to take decisions in the interest of entire communities.

The union is also pointing to the size of Unity’s topslice, which it says could be reduced to sector-average figures to allow the sixth form to continue.

Unity has been approached for comment. It told the BBC earlier this year that it was considering what was in the best interests of the school and its pupils.