Parents, teachers and concerned members of the community gathered at Okehampton College yesterday, (Wednesday, June 18) to discuss the future of the sixth form.

It was announced last week that due to only nine pupils signing up for the sixth form next year, changes to the school may have to be made to make Okehampton College financially viable.

At the drop in session yesterday evening, the public were asked for feedback on what they think would be best for the school through speaking to the school staff and writing comments on papers placed on tables around the Octagon Theatre.

Gareth Smith, principal of Okehampton College, said: “We’re here this evening to gather feedback from the community. We have four options: Continuing the sixth form as usual with a small number of students; only offering level two qualifications such as GCSE retakes; only offering a small number of A-level options and the full closure of the sixth form.”

There were worries from parents that keeping the sixth form open but with limited options would mean that pupils would have to pick A-level subjects that they weren’t passionate about or that they weren’t as good at.

April Stevens, a previous Okehampton College sixth form student, said: “It would be so sad to close the sixth form, it adds to the community in ways the DMAT may not consider. I teach at a local dance school and our young people who chose to or feel like they have to attend higher education further away can’t come back in time for classes, so they go elsewhere. That means that local clubs and activity groups have less numbers which will put a strain on the community.”

Concerned parents at the drop in spoke to the principal of Okehampton College Gareth Smith and Rachel Shaw, the CEO of Dartmoor Academy Trust (DMAT) about how closing the sixth form may mean that some pupils will struggle to afford train fares to Exeter College.

Due to the lack of affordable housing in Okehampton, fewer families are moving to the area which means less pupils are enrolling into higher education at the school.

National shortages in computer science, maths, and foreign language teachers add to the challenge. The school says it is working to reduce teaching outside subject specialisms and is actively recruiting maths specialists.

The newly-elected county councillor for Okehampton, James Grainger (Reform UK) was also in attendance and speaking to parents about their thoughts.

In a statement, Dartmoor Academy Trust (DMAT) who run Okehampton College along with Tavistock College and Holsworthy Community College, said: “Our sixth form students have an excellent 16-18 experience, taught by experienced teachers with excellent subject knowledge in an environment that provides outstanding pastoral care and guidance. However, in recent years, with the expansion of Exeter College offering a broader range of qualifications and the opening of the train line to Exeter, the number of students opting to attend Okehampton Sixth Form has fallen significantly. Currently, we have 48 students in Year 12 and 42 in Year 13, with average class sizes of 6.7 students.”

It is unconfirmed when the future of Okehampton College sixth form will be announced.