Hellesdon and Taverham high schools to split joint Sixth Form

Ron Munson, head teacher at Taverham high school.Photo: Bill Smith (Image: Archant © 2012)

Hellesdon and Taverham high schools have been working together for a number of years with post-16 students completing courses across the two sites.

But now governors at the Taverham school have decided to withdraw from the partnership and concentrate on running their own sixth form provision.

Ron Munson, headteacher, said: 'This is a positive thing. Both schools have had really good Ofsteds and the sixth form has been praised. We're both getting so big now we can go it alone.'

Both schools will now run their own sixth forms which they say will continue to offer the same range of courses students currently access at the two sites.

Where particular subjects are not available, the schools will make use of existing link-ups which already see some pupils heading to different sixth forms and colleges around Norwich.

Teenagers in the current year 11 choosing to stay on will become Hellesdon Sixth Form or Taverham Sixth Form students while those already in year 12 will finish their studies as part of the partnership.

Gerry Batty, headteacher at Hellesdon High, said he saw the decision by the Taverham governors as a 'massive opportunity' to improve what was on offer to students.

He now plans to use the final half term of the summer as a 'roll over' period for students to prepare them for the next year of study. 'We couldn't do that before,' he said. 'Now we are totally untied so we can do that roll over. We can also look at the variety of courses at level two and level three so we can offer more opportunities for the students.'

Hellesdon High was rated good by inspectors at the end of last year. It marked an impressive turnaround for the academy which was issued with a notice to improve by Ofsted four years before.

Taverham High was also rated good in November 2012, when inspectors judged the behaviour of pupils to be outstanding.

Last summer, the Hellesdon Taverham Sixth Form Partnership achieved an A-level pass rate of 100pc with 74pc at A* to C grades.