THE announcement of the closure of Bodmin Sixth Form has been met with surprise and sadness.

Cornwall Education and Learning Trust (CELT), the academy chain which operates Bodmin College, announced that it would be closing the sixth form at the college, citing concerns over future sustainability.

It also stated that by closing the sixth form provision, it was ‘protecting the integrity and sustainability’ of its core provision of education for school children aged between 11 and 16 as well as its Greenfield additional resource base (ARB), which offers educational provision for students with additional needs.

However, since the announcement of the closure it has been met with a mixture of reactions from residents and figures in the local Bodmin community.

One of those who was taken by surprise by the announcement was Cllr Leigh Frost, the leader of Cornwall Council and member for Bodmin St Petroc ward.

He said that the announcement, which he did not have prior warning of, was a surprise given a recent presentation given by the academy about its future plans for the sixth form.

He said: “It is surprising. As someone who went to Bodmin Sixth Form back in the day, it is really sad to see that history disappear.

“I don’t really know all of the details (about the closure). The last time I spoke to Bodmin College, they were giving us their plans on how they were going to improve their sixth form offer and how it would all be exciting. There was a document given to us, it was going to be all puppy dogs and rainbows, all of that, how it was going to be like a utopia for Bodmin Sixth Form and none of that has come to fruition.

“They cite declining numbers (in their reasons for closing it), and not enough people applying, which I think if you’ve got Callywith College, which is a big sixth form in Bodmin, maybe that’s had an effect, I don’t know.”

Cllr Frost said that a future solution could involve Bodmin College continuing with their vocational skills courses, adding: “I think the biggest issue is the vocational side of stuff, they need to carry on with that, because there are people who don’t want to do the academia. That would be great to still have at Bodmin College, perhaps there is a conversation to be had about Callywith being the more academic place and Bodmin College doing the more vocational stuff.

“Their degree in media stuff is really interesting, the hair and beauty college and the construction college, they do fantastic stuff and they are all skills and trades that we need and always need.

“Maybe they should focus on still offering that instead, but it is difficult to comment too much because I’ve only literally heard they are ending it as we know it, so what is it going to be is the next question? We’ve got to make sure it works for the people of Bodmin and the wider area.”