A CONSULTATION is under way on plans for a sixth form centre led by one of the Forest’s ‘outstanding’ schools.

Governors for the Mitcheldean secondary school claim in their consultation document that “it has been no secret that Dene Magna School has always expressed a desire to host A-Level teaching, and feedback from students and parents/carers on results day has only served to bolster this desire as we are constantly asked when we are getting a sixth form.

“As an outstanding school, we firmly believe that the high quality teaching and learning provided here will transition very well into the next phase of Key Stage Five teaching.”

The proposal would see Dene Magna’s A-level provision housed in the new Gloucestershire College campus building in the Northern Quarter at Cinderford and staffed by teachers from Dene Magna School.

Current sixth form provision is offered by Wyedean and Newent Schools in the Forest district, by Monmouth, Caldicot and Chepstow Schools in Monmouthshire and by John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye.

In April 2017, Gloucestershire College decided to end its A-level provision, leaving the central Forest area, which the document cites as “an area of high deprivation, poor transport links, low social mobility and high numbers of Pupil Premium and NEET students,” without provision and with public transport journey times of more than two hours to access provision.

The consultation is open until Friday, July 13, and consultation documents can be obtained from Julie Russell, clerk to governors at [email protected] or via www.denemagna.gloucs.sch.uk