Number of A-Level students justifies need for Rochdale sixth form college

The number of A-Level students in Rochdale is falling, showing the need for a new Rochdale Sixth-Form Centre. Students from across the borough celebrated today, Thursday 16 August, as they received their A-Level results but Rochdale Council’s Executive Director for children, schools and families has said that the number of students justifies the need for a specialised Sixth Form Centre in the town.

Executive Director Terry Piggott said: “The results are slightly down on last year overall but better than those of 2005. The number of candidates has fallen in school sixth form’s which underlines the need for a sixth form centre in the borough as proposed.”

Rochdale remains well below the national average in terms of A-Level achievement and many local students choose to study for A-Levels at schools or colleges outside the borough, particularly in Oldham and Bury at the specific Sixth Form Colleges located there.

Plans to build a new Sixth Form college in Rochdale are underway after the Learning and Skills Council approved the application to build the £15 million college in May this year. The College will eventually accommodate up to 1,000 A-Level students when it is opened alongside the River Roch in the town centre, next to the current Hopwood Hall College Campus on College Road.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Alan Taylor said: "We are working hard to make significant progress in improving educational attainment across the borough and the new sixth form college will ensure that our post-16 students have the very best opportunities available to them."

It is expected that the new sixth form college will first open its doors to students in September 2010.