Sixth form academisation - a second wave?

Following growing pressure from sixth form colleges and their representative body, the Sixth Form College Association (SFCA), it has been reported that the Government may be about to announce its intention to reopen the option of academisation.

It is not yet clear what will be provided by way of financial assistance to those colleges looking to convert, particularly given the closure of the government’s Restructuring Facility. What is highly likely, however, is that we will see the SFCA and others doing all they can to secure conversion funding for those sixth form colleges which choose to academise.

Ciara Campfield of national law firm Stone King, leading education law specialists, commented “If accurate, this news is a welcome development as it places the option of academisation back on the table, which then enables each sixth form college to make the decision which is right for that particular college and its students. However there are still barriers preventing catholic sixth form colleges and colleges with international students from converting. It will be interesting to see what the future is for these groups if they continue to be denied the same opportunities to determine their legal structure.”