Bungay High School have had to make the difficult decision. Due to the drop in enrollment numbers, they have made the difficult decision to close Year 12 for this academic year. Despite being reputed for offering a high standard education, it only had 19 lower sixth students registered for this coming term. The East Anglian Schools Trust made the declaration. Its focus is on making sure that the rest of the Year 13 cohort remain well-educated and not left behind.
In recent years, Bungay High School has witnessed a trend of increasingly smaller cohorts, resulting in a lack of sufficient students to offer a robust curriculum. To top it all off, the school’s sixth form provides an extremely well-rounded array of subjects to choose from. How about English, maths, science, drama, French, history, product design, art and philosophy. The Trust was struck by the small number of Year 12 students. More importantly, they decided that this would be damaging to the curriculum and the students’ learning experience.
“However, with only 19 students enrolled, the curriculum offer and learning opportunities would be too adversely affected to provide these students with the experience they require and deserve.” – The East Anglian Schools Trust
In spite of this disappointment, the Trust has promised to renew its commitment to all students who have been harmed. Most of those affected have already moved on to other local universities and sixth form colleges. The Trust is extremely disappointed by the announced cancellation. They contend that on all counts, this was the right decision taken to safeguard the students’ best interests.
“We are deeply saddened to have had to make this decision but have done so in the interests of our students,” – The East Anglian Schools Trust
Adrian Ramsay, the Green party MP for Waveney Valley, called the flooding at Bungay High School “terrible.” He even went so far as to contact the headteacher directly to seek clarification on how this came about. Finally, he wants to know what support mechanisms are in place for students and teachers impacted by this significant change.
“I have written to the headteacher to ask how this has happened and what support is in place for the students and teachers affected,” – Adrian Ramsay
“The focus has to now be on helping the students find suitable alternatives as speedily as possible.” – Adrian Ramsay
News and information about what’s happening is available on Bungay High School’s website, along with details of specific subjects that are available. Over the years, the school has experienced significant growth in post-16 provision and has consistently delivered quality education even after the negative impact of the past few years.
