THE sixth form at Oasis Academy Coulsdon is to be disbanded – little more than two years after it was created as part of an £18.7-million rebuild of the school.
Instead, the sixth form will become part of Coulsdon Sixth Form College, with Oasis students guaranteed a place there they as long as they have the required grades.
In a letter to Oasis parents last week, principal David Millar said recruitment to his sixth form, which opened in September 2011, "has not risen as fast as we had hoped" in a competitive environment.
He added: "We have held extensive talks with the college and it has been agreed that with effect from September 1, 2014, we will become a full Partner School of Coulsdon College.
"This means that all Oasis Academy Sixth Form students will be based and taught in Coulsdon College and be known as Oasis6@Coulsdon."
Students currently in Year 12 will move to the college for Year 13, with Oasis staff working alongside Coulsdon College to support them.
There will be no job losses at Oasis, a spokesman added.
The arrangement builds on a longstanding partnership in which students at Oasis, in Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, have taken certain courses at the college, about a quarter of a mile away in Placehouse Lane.
Last week, the latter was rated 'good' by Ofsted, after being taken over by Surrey's successful Reigate College in a bid to help it improve.
Oasis has 22 students in Year 12 and 31 in Year 31, against a capacity of 250 advertised when it opened.
Mr Millar told parents the Department for Education now advises sixth forms have 300 students to be financially viable.
He added: "It is our firm belief that our strengthened partnership Coulsdon College will help Oasis 6@Coulsdon students achieve the best possible outcomes for their future studies and careers."
Steve Oxlade, executive principal of Coulsdon and Reigate colleges, highlighted the number of courses offered at Coulsdon, and the choices students would have.
The Oasis sixth form was "at the heart" of the school's £18.7 million rebuild, finished in 2012, the school has previously said.
Its head Philip McCullagh left for a promotion at another school in January, replaced by assistant principal Emer Lesova.
Last summer it posed its first A2 Level results, a 100 per cent pass rate with 40 per cent of students achieving A* to B Grades and 60 per cent A* to C grades.
An Oasis spokesman added: "We have no doubt that Coulsdon College will be an outstanding post-16 provider."
Ofsted hails Coulsdon College progress – page 22.
