3rd December 2009
Mr P Greenwood
Editor
The Craven Herald
38 High Street
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 1JU
Dear Mr Greenwood
Settle College welcomes the announcement of the Local Authority review of education in North Craven. It will provide an excellent opportunity for consideration of the ways in which the best possible education can be provided for all children in the area.
The position of the Sixth Form at Settle College requires some clarification. Along with many other small Sixth Forms across the country, the College faces the challenge of maintaining high quality provision in a broad range of subjects and so meeting the needs of as many young people as possible. We believe that the Sixth Form is going from strength to strength and more than meeting this challenge. Last year, our A2 students achieved a 99.04% pass rate. This was well above national averages and more than 50% gained passes at grades A and B. In addition, the College is able to provide a range of courses in 27 subjects including A-Level, BTEC, Open University Modules and the new AQA Baccalaureate.
In 2009, the LA has invested £250,000 in new facilities at the College, including a newly re-furbished Sixth Form Centre, a Post-16 Media Studies suite and a dance studio. Further developments, currently in the planning phase, include new facilities for Art, Design Technology and Drama.
The College is also embarking on an exciting new curriculum programme, which is enabling students to start GCSE (Level 2) courses from Year 9 onwards and some students are already taking AS courses in Year 11 with notable success. College students already have access to the new Diploma through our collaboration with the rest of Craven. We are currently bidding to lead on the delivery of the Creative and Media Diploma for the area from 2011. This bid is fully supported by the LA.
The Local Authority has made it very clear that it is absolutely committed to the preservation and continued development of Post-16 education in North Craven. It is important that, as the review progresses, parents and students are clear that whatever the outcome of the review, Post-16 provision in North Craven is secure.
Yours sincerely
Rosemary Rees William Bancroft
Chair of Governors Principal