Two Norfolk colleges in talks over a merger have opened up the debate to the public in a consultation launched today.
City College Norwich (CCN) and Paston Sixth Form College (PSFC) announced the plans to join forces earlier this year, in a bid to put their financial future on stable footing and offer more courses in rural north Norfolk.
It follows a trend of colleges working together as funding slumps and times toughen, including the East Coast College, the result of a merger of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Colleges which was launched in April.
A formal consultation on CCN and PSFC's plans has been launched and invites parents, students, staff and the communities to share their views.
Corrienne Peasgood, CCN principal, said: 'We are very excited about the proposal and are looking forward to hearing what members of the community think of our plans.
'Both institutions have a strong history and it is our aim to maintain, develop and celebrate their individual strengths and specialisms following the merger.'
MORE: Proposal for merger between Norwich and North Walsham colleges to offer greater choice of coursesThe plans were suggested after an area review of post-16 education led by the government's further education commissioner, Richard Atkins.
All existing courses will be protected and there is hope that students who have to travel between colleges can be supported with transport.
The colleges have confirmed they may have to consider staffing levels as a result of the merger.
Kevin Grieve, principal at PSFC, which would be renamed Paston College, said: 'This is all about growth. By becoming one institution, we want to work together to become an even stronger educational force than we currently are.'
He said it would help give the colleges 'stability when it comes to finances', and that the two - like many others around the country - were having to cope with lowered funding and rising costs.
The consultation document is available here or on request via pastonccn@gmail.com
Principals from both colleges will be available at PSFC, on Grammar School Road, to discuss the merger from 1pm to 6pm on Thursday, June 22, Friday, June 23 and Monday, June 26.
Replies to the consultation need to be received by midnight on Saturday, July 22.
PSFC, which has an Ofsted rating of 'good', has about 600 students. In 2015/16, a quarter of all 16 to 18-year-olds across Norfolk studied at CCN, which is also rated good.
How do the colleges match up?
• CCN currently has about 7,000 students, while PSFC has 593 on roll for 2016/17.
• CCN has more than 1,000 additional students on degree levels courses.
• Both have been judged to be good by Ofsted.
• CCN celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016.
• But PSFC's history stretches back to 1606, when Sir William Paston's Free School was founded. It continued as a grammar school for boys until 1984.
• In that year, the sixth form merged with that of the North Walsham High School for Girls, to become to present sixth form college.
• Each year, PSFC organises the North East Norfolk Futures Event, which attracts almost 40 universities, 60 employers and groups and more than 1,000 students.
• In 2015/16, CCN educated one in four of all 16 to 18-year-olds across Norfolk.
• What do you think of the merger? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk
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