Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

Infobox UK school
name = Shrewsbury Sixth Form College


size =
latitude = 52.7077
longitude = -2.7541
dms =
motto = "Live. Learn. Succeed. Progress."
motto_pl =
established = 1981
approx =
closed =
c_approx =
type = Sixth Form College
religion = Non-denominational
president =
head_label = Principal
head = Martin Ward
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chair_label =
chair =
founder =
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specialist =
street = Priory Road,
city = Shrewsbury,
county = Shropshire,
country = England flagicon|England
postcode = SY1 1RX
LEA = Shropshire
ofsted = 130800
staff = c.150 (8:1 student/staff ratio) [ [http://ssfc.ac.uk/?_id=614 SSFC ] ]
enrollment = c.1300
gender = Co-educational
lower_age = 16
upper_age =
houses =
colours = Blue, White, Black
color box|blue color box|white color box|black
publication =
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
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website = http://www.ssfc.ac.uk
website_name = ssfc.ac.uk

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College is a post-secondary co-educational sixth form college located in Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England. The college, which is commonly referred to as SSFC, currently has an enrolment of approximately 1,300 students [cite web |url=http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_06.pl?Mode=Z&No=8938600&Type=LA&Num=893&Phase=2&Year=06&Base=a |title= Department for Education page on the college|accessdate=2007-09-22] , generally ranging between the ages of 16-19. All students are full time as the adult section was closed in 2006, and most serve a two year term. The curriculum consists of AS and A2 levels. GCSE English and Maths can only be taken alongside an A level programme as resits. [cite web |url=http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/pdf/?inspectionNumber=299062&providerCategoryID=524288&fileName=\\school\\130\\c00_130800_20030919.pdf|title= Ofsted page on the college|accessdate=2007-09-22] The college has been consistently rated amongst the top 8 Sixth Form colleges in the country since its inception, has the best A-Level performance of any state-funded institution in Shropshire [cite web |url=http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/intro.htm|title= Save our Sixth Form |accessdate=2007-09-22] [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/893_alevel_lea.stm|title= BBC Education - Shropshire listings |accessdate=2007-09-22] , and has been awarded 'Beacon Status'. [ [http://www.qca.org.uk/14-19/6th-form-schools/index_1249.htm Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) - 14-19 Learning - 6th form schools - Curriculum planning - Timetabling ] ] The college's town centre campus includes several buildings of Grade II listed status. [ [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=457865 Detailed Record ] ]

Academic achievement

The college has been at the top of the sixth-form college league tables for both AS and A2 level results for many years. In 2006 AS level pass rates were at 92.5%, with 64% achieving grades A-C. For A2 level in the same period, pass levels were up to 99%, with 80% achieving A-C grades. [ [http://ssfc.ac.uk/docs/Personnel/SSFC%20Description%20Sept%2006.pdf SSFC.ac.uk: College profile] Retrieved on 02 February, 2008] . However in 2007 A2 level results were down with 97.87% as the pass rate, with 75.91% achieving a grade A - C.

Campus

The college is located in the town centre, in what was formerly the "Priory School for Boys" (hence the name of the admin building, "Priory House"), with 4 primary teaching sites located in the west of the town. The campus in its entirety occupies 8,616 m² [http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/savills.pdf] , and the main areas are:
*Main Building - A Grade II listed building, built in 1910, which caters to the subjects of Art, History, English (Language & Literature), Maths, Chemistry, Electronics, Physics, Philosophy & Religious Studies
**New Block - A building built at the end of Priory House to expand teaching space. Currently houses the Geography, Geology, Graphics, Textiles, Product Design and Politics teaching rooms. Opened circa 1991.
**Biology Block - has rooms primarily for Biology, but there's also music and performance studies teaching areas at the western end. Constructed circa 1950.
*Cirrus House - The top floor of this building is rented; the primary subjects taught in this building include Media Studies, Film Studies, Languages and General Studies. Opened in 2003.
*Learning Centre - A building located across Claremont Bank away from the main campus area; houses a study area for students with PC access available. Also houses teaching rooms for Economics, Leisure Studies, Computer Studies, ICT, Health & Social Care, Law, Accounting and Business Studies. Opened in 1999.
*Carnarvon Lane - this is a leased facility and is sometimes used for exams
*Dance Hall - this is a leased facility, used for exams and overspill from the Performance Studies and Music dept.Also, the 'temporary' huts, located west of Priory House, have become a rather permanent feature - used for Psychology and Classics.

tudents

The college has approximately 1,200 students, up from 650 in 1993. [http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/grimley.pdf] The college is the sixth form for the following schools: Sundorne, The Grange, The Wakeman, Priory, Meole Brace, Belvidere, Corbet, Mary Webb and Church Stretton. Students from outside the 'partner schools' (listed above) are also accepted; in 2005/2006, 25% of students were from non-partner schools. [http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/grimley.pdf] Students in Shropshire are additionally able to go to other sixth form colleges, which exist in Oswestry, Ludlow and Telford, however, Shrewsbury Sixth Form College has the best results of any state funded institution in ceremonial Shropshire, including the Telford & Wrekin, and is therefore popular with all students in the county. A-Level performance is comparable to the nearby independent fee-paying Shrewsbury School and Shrewsbury High School, resulting in a noticeable presence of previously independent school students at the college. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/893_alevel_lea.stm|title= BBC Education - Shropshire listings |accessdate=2007-09-22]

Co-Location to London Road

Recent proposals to co-locate the college with Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology, located on the edge of the town at London Road, have met with opposition. [cite web |url=http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/|title= Save our Sixth Form |accessdate=2007-09-22] The opposition to co-location is from a variety of sources, such as the student body, parents, and a percentage of staff at SSFC. [cite web|url=http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/facts.htm|title=Save our Sixth Form fact page|accessdate=2007-09-22] .

Views held against the co-location include benefits of remaining in a central location, transport issues, town centre economic impact and merger with Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology fears. 11 acres of the land at London Rd is already owned by the college. Views for the move however include that the move would allow the college to modernise and expand the teaching facilities, update science labs and provide performance/music areas designed for purpose as well as giving vitally required sports facilities. [cite web |url=http://shrewsburycolocation.co.uk|title= Shrewsbury Co-location website|accessdate=2007-09-22]

Opposition opinions to co-location have voiced concerns that many of the new facilities will have little improvement upon the present facilities already enjoyed.Fact|date=September 2007 It has been suggested by some students that the loss use of the town facilities may face extra journey time and possibly an inconvenience to travel to the new site.Fact|date=September 2007 Evidence to support this lack of support from students can be seen in a 2007 college poll which results found that only 3% of students at the sixth form supported the co-location. [cite web|url=http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/facts.htm|title=Save our Sixth Form fact page|accessdate=2007-09-22]

Members of staff at the college have also shown a opposition to the move. However, staff working at the college have signed a gag order resulting that they are not able to voice their personal opinions to the press and have subsequently been banned from attending any of any public meetings about the co-location. [cite web|url=http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/open_letter.htm|title=SSFC staff open letter against the co-location|accessdate=2007-09-22] Further, Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham borough, has voiced opposition to the move, and produced an article expressing his views on his website. [cite web|url=http://www.daniel4shrewsbury.co.uk/popups/article_template.php?dataID=1247|title=Daniel Kawczynski article on Co-location|accessdate=2007-09-22] In December 2007 students arranged an unofficial march against the co-location. Turnout was in the hundreds, and, supported by the Conservative MP for the borough, the students marched up Pride Hill, the major shopping thoroughfare, holding up placards with phrases such as 'Say no to Co-Lo' and 'Education not Co-Location'. The students expressed that the protest was in response to a repression of staff views, and threats towards students (allegedly suspension) [ [http://www.theshrewsburytimes.co.uk/2007/12/20 The Shrewsbury Times: Archive page for Thursday, 20 December 2007 ] ] which delayed and eventually postponed an official protest planned earlier in the year. [ [http://www.shropshirestar.com/2007/12/hundreds-pack-out-colleges-talks/ Protest over colleges plan: Shropshire Star ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/shropshire/7155202.stm BBC NEWS | England | Shropshire | Student protest at college move ] ]

The online petition against co-location was closed and submitted to Shropshire County Council in early 2008, with a total of 8,829 signatures. Presuming all of those who participated in the poll were from Shrewsbury, the number of signatures represents roughly 10% of the entire population of the town. [ [http://www.sos.sbwdesign.co.uk/intro.htm intro ] ]

External links

* [http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/schools.nsf/open/CBF37A42305CCE6280256FB6005BE698] - Shropshire County Council page on the College.
* [http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=summary&id=130800] - SSFC Ofsted report
* [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_06.pl?Mode=Z&No=8938600&Type=LA&Num=893&Phase=2&Year=06&Base=a] - Department for Education and Skills page on the college.

References