[Scarlett.]

A technical college which cost £9 million will close at the end of the academic year after all its GCSE students failed maths and English in 2016.

Greater Manchester University Technical College will close because it failed to recruit enough pupils. It is the seventh university technical college (UTC) to announce its closure, according to the Schools Week website.

The college will close at the end of the academic year after no students achieved grade C or above in English and Maths GCSEs in 2016.

The Oldham college opened in 2014. On Tuesday it said a shortage of students meant it was not financially viable.

Michael Gove, the former education secretary, championed UTCs as a way to teach 14 to 19-year-olds technical and practical skills.



Resources made available to schools and colleges are irretrievably linked to the number of students on roll and, unfortunately, the fact that the UTC has been unable to recruit enough students within the Oldham district and further afield has meant that it is not financially viable into the future.

– Greater Manchester University Technical College

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon told Manchester Evening News the UTC represented a "failed experiment".



Existing students in Years 11 and 13 within the UTC will, of course, continue to follow their current courses and complete these in the summer term 2017. I also wish to assure you that we will endeavour to ensure that teaching and learning within the college will continue with the present teaching staff and therefore ensure that students are prepared for examinations this summer. We will be working closely with Oldham Local Authority and other local education providers to bring about a smooth transition for existing students in Years 10 and 12. We will do everything in our power to ensure this process is both detailed and thorough

– Lee Kilgour, Principal

Closing the (college) is hugely disappointing for all those who have worked so hard to give students the opportunity to pursue a technical education.

The wellbeing and success of all our students remains our highest priority.

Every effort will be made to ensure students get the support they need to complete their studies successfully and receive appropriate guidance for transition to their new place of learning.

– Gordon Main, college chairman

A spokesman for the Department for Education said it has agreed to the closure of the college due to low pupil numbers and the trust's unviable financial position.

Our priority now is to work with the trust and local authority to support existing students and minimise any disruption to their studies.

Students who are finishing their courses at the end of this year will complete their studies and alternative places will be found for the others.

– Department for Education

Granada News

[arista]

Yes Dramatic Chewy
but it shows the young do not try hard enough.

In WW3
we will get them in Gear.

[DemolitionRed]

We are going to see this more and more with autonomous state schools thanks to the governments stupid ideology. When Lords and Dames are allowed to buy a 'for profit' school with a small chunk of their family fortune and employ 'superheads' instead of good old fashioned headmasters who's only interest is to ensure each pupil gets a fare and robust education, we can reassure ourselves that our Government are corrupt. And before anyone says anything about Right versus Left, New Labour started this and the Tory's just continued with the plan.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by DemolitionRed

We are going to see this more and more with autonomous state schools thanks to the governments stupid ideology. When Lords and Dames are allowed to buy a 'for profit' school with a small chunk of their family fortune and employ 'superheads' instead of good old fashioned headmasters who's only interest is to ensure each pupil gets a fare and robust education, we can reassure ourselves that our Government are corrupt. And before anyone says anything about Right versus Left, New Labour started this and the Tory's just continued with the plan.

100% agree, how can anyone look at a situation like this happening and say it is anything but a state sponsored scam to funnel money?

[Livia]

Poor teachers and unengaged parents. The kids have no chance.

[Kizzy]

of all the areas of astronomical socio economic deprivation all the poor teachers and kids with disengaged parents were concentrated in this one school? ...

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

of all the areas of astronomical socio economic deprivation all the poor teachers and kids with disengaged parents were concentrated in this one school? ...

Oh no, it's a nationwide problem. You must know some teachers. I certainly do... and they're almost all considering other careers.

Edit: For the record, I think the Tories have an appalling track history in education, as they have dealing with the NHS. But I think kids are failed in state school, whoever is in charge.

[user104658]

Frankly the state system isn't much better at the moment, we're having quite a few issues with our youngest at the moment. She is ASD but also has developmental delays and other specific educational issues. In the area there is an ASD unit within a mainstream primary school, and also a Special Education school. She NEEDS to be at the latter. The ASD unit is simply not suitable for her emotional or educational needs. However, as both receive funding based on how many pupils they have, and the ASD unit (by its own admission!) is struggling with funds, they have essentially made "a bid" for my daughter in an attempt to force the issue of her going there so that they can receive the local education funding. It's a mess. What they don't seem to be fully understanding is that they are not getting that funding either way... if she doesn't get her place within the special education unit, she will be being home-educated for at least the next one or two years. I think they might think we're bluffing? Or that we will be desperate to have her out of the house so will just end up going along with it. Truth is I'd happily keep her here and, being honest, have some concerns over how ready she is to be in full time education regardless.

The look on their faces though when it's made clear that we understand their system inside out and are well aware that the entire thing is a grab for funding. Silent guppy fish "Umm err umm but if umm err". I suspect a lot of parents just "trust the system", when the system is quite blatantly pretty corrupt, broken, and desperate for funding. Sorry guyz my austistic daughter is not being your cash cow.

... /sort of unrelated rant.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

Oh no, it's a nationwide problem. You must know some teachers. I certainly do... and they're almost all considering other careers.

Edit: For the record, I think the Tories have an appalling track history in education, as they have dealing with the NHS. But I think kids are failed in state school, whoever is in charge.

Indeed. They're even managing to slowly **** up my older daughters school which was amazing, truly amazing, and the best by far in the county (where a lot of other primary schools are failing badly). But council / government interference has meant that there hasn't been a permanent head-teacher for now 2.5+ years (My daughter has only been there for 4 years!) with no end in sight because of how they're selected, and also temporarily "swapping" teachers with other local schools half way through terms (teachers of 5 / 6 year old kids). It's constant interference and disruption and it's starting to cause some major problems for a lot of kids. No regularity, no security, growing to trust teachers and then having them replaced with no notice... mess. The whole thing needs to be restructured and in my opinion, schools need to be given FAR more autonomy (IF they are performing well) and left free from ... "fiddling". By all means step in when schools are performing badly or failing but stop trying to fix the ones that aren't broken!

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Indeed. They're even managing to slowly **** up my older daughters school which was amazing, truly amazing, and the best by far in the county (where a lot of other primary schools are failing badly). But council / government interference has meant that there hasn't been a permanent head-teacher for now 2.5+ years (My daughter has only been there for 4 years!) with no end in sight because of how they're selected, and also temporarily "swapping" teachers with other local schools half way through terms (teachers of 5 / 6 year old kids). It's constant interference and disruption and it's starting to cause some major problems for a lot of kids. No regularity, no security, growing to trust teachers and then having them replaced with no notice... mess. The whole thing needs to be restructured and in my opinion, schools need to be given FAR more autonomy (IF they are performing well) and left free from ... "fiddling". By all means step in when schools are performing badly or failing but stop trying to fix the ones that aren't broken!

I feel for your daughter. My nieces are in private school now, they're lucky their parents can (just) afford it, by making sacrifices and working hard. Sadly, not everyone has the choice.

[Kizzy]

Thinking about it free schools don't have to hire actual teachers with a teaching degree do they? I seem to remember reading that somewhere.
It's the regulation of these places that is needed, state schools and hospitals/care facilities( if there are any left) are regulated to the nth degree... and yet any private enterprise has non as far as I see, hence issues like this, exposes on deaths in mental health units and the current crisis in the prison system.
Anywhere where people are raking in vast amounts of money, public money, are left alone.... A blind eye is turned, why is this?

[Tom4784]

The Academy and Technical College schemes have been a mess from the beginning, they should be abolished but I doubt they will.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

I feel for your daughter. My nieces are in private school now, they're lucky their parents can (just) afford it, by making sacrifices and working hard. Sadly, not everyone has the choice.

We're still lucky in that her school is the best in the area, the teachers (and kids) are all great ... a lot of the other local primary schools are to be honest outright depressing. They look like prisons and the pupils AND teachers look like inmates. I can't see her school going too far downhill before she's finished there but longer term, over say a decade or so... it could easily be ruined and that would be tragic because they currently do go above and beyond.

I am slightly more concerned about what happens AFTER this, though... the state high school we're in the catchment area for isn't exactly amazing. There is a (fairly prestigious) private school and it does offer scholarships but we're currently in the odd position where my daughter is scoring highest in the year when it comes to testing, but when it comes to actually working in class she basically... err... doesn't. MAJOR concentration issues. Sit with her and keep prompting her to move on to the next question and she'll finish, accurately, in no time. Leave her to her own devices and I swear she would draw on her fingers for a full day . Unless that changes then a scholarship is highly unlikely.

[jennyjuniper]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Frankly the state system isn't much better at the moment, we're having quite a few issues with our youngest at the moment. She is ASD but also has developmental delays and other specific educational issues. In the area there is an ASD unit within a mainstream primary school, and also a Special Education school. She NEEDS to be at the latter. The ASD unit is simply not suitable for her emotional or educational needs. However, as both receive funding based on how many pupils they have, and the ASD unit (by its own admission!) is struggling with funds, they have essentially made "a bid" for my daughter in an attempt to force the issue of her going there so that they can receive the local education funding. It's a mess. What they don't seem to be fully understanding is that they are not getting that funding either way... if she doesn't get her place within the special education unit, she will be being home-educated for at least the next one or two years. I think they might think we're bluffing? Or that we will be desperate to have her out of the house so will just end up going along with it. Truth is I'd happily keep her here and, being honest, have some concerns over how ready she is to be in full time education regardless.

The look on their faces though when it's made clear that we understand their system inside out and are well aware that the entire thing is a grab for funding. Silent guppy fish "Umm err umm but if umm err". I suspect a lot of parents just "trust the system", when the system is quite blatantly pretty corrupt, broken, and desperate for funding. Sorry guyz my austistic daughter is not being your cash cow.

... /sort of unrelated rant.

Well said. My son is autistic, but thankfully here in Denmark we lived near to an excellant school for special children and he thrived there. Hope your daughter gets the same chance.