Protect the NewVic Curriculum!
The Issue
Newham Sixth Form College (NewVic) is planning to cut provision for the following subjects:
- The entire Performing Arts provision
- A-Level Philosophy
- A-Level Spanish (NewVic will no longer offer any languages!)
- A-Level Fine Art
- Public Services
Newham Sixth Form college is a community college, which prides itself on the diversity of its student and staff body. Many of the students at the college come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and it is a travesty that these students are being denied the right to study these subjects from September 2023.
In 2021 the performing arts team at NewVic were recognised nationally for their dedication and for the outstanding provision which is provided to the learners. They were given a prestigious Silver award at the Pearson National Teaching Awards. Now, just 2 years later, the performing arts provision at the college is being cut, and these same staff members that were so recently being celebrated, are now being faced with the threat of redundancy. It is absolutely outrageous that hard working staff are being treated in this manner, and it is appalling that future students are being denied the right to pursue performing arts at the college.
In 2021 Philosophy achieved a 100% rate of A*-C Grades. Reports demonstrate that philosophy is frequently shown to be a subject in the college whereby the students make great progress, above their target grades. The number of students in Yr 2 groups are exactly where you would want them to be for a subject of this nature (normally there are approx 10 students in a yr 2 group). Further, the college is somewhat unique in its offer of philosophy. Many colleges do not offer philosophy on their curriculum, and several students enrol at the college every year only owing to its inclusion of philosophy provision. The college is seemingly unwilling to properly invest in its curriculum offer, and once again is letting down hard working staff, and is doing a disservice to the community.
A-Level Spanish is the only language which the college currently offers, and the college now has plans to withdraw this also. Once again, every single year, Spanish is one of the highest (if not the highest) attaining subjects in the college. The decision to cut this course is therefore bewildering. It is totally unjustifiable that a college as large and diverse as NewVic will now have no languages on offer. The community deserves better, and so do the hardworking staff.
Finally, A-Level Fine Art is again one of the colleges more unique offerings. The college has even posted to its own feed that Fine Art had the joint highest number of A*-A grades in the 2021 results. Yet, still, the college has made the decision to cut provision. Affected staff were informed that their role would soon cease to exist, and of course any prospective students have had yet another opportunity severed.
Community Colleges should surely have a duty to invest in a diverse curriculum, in order to meet the needs of a diverse student body. Education should not be treated as a business, and it is not appropriate to cancel courses purely owing to numbers being not as high as some other courses. It is in the bests interests of the colleges finances to attract a diverse group of students, but the cutting of the curriculum offer will force learners to have to look elsewhere. It is the provision of such subjects, delivered by passionate teachers with expertise in their field, which act as the colleges unique selling point. Clearly, the college management does not care about attracting a diverse group of students, or about ensuring that the curriculum offer is as varied and inspiring as possible, nor does the college care about taking care of hardworking staff. All these courses have enough students to justify the course being run, and it is a disservice to the community, and to future students, to deny the opportunity to have access to a broad curriculum offer.
We do not have long - with the consultation set to end in May - affected staff are set to be given their notice period at the end of May!
Please sign this petition to protect the curriculum offer at Newvic! NewVic must ensure that it invests in its students!
Protect NewVic Students
Protect NewVic Staff
Protect Education!
1,058
The Issue
Newham Sixth Form College (NewVic) is planning to cut provision for the following subjects:
- The entire Performing Arts provision
- A-Level Philosophy
- A-Level Spanish (NewVic will no longer offer any languages!)
- A-Level Fine Art
- Public Services
Newham Sixth Form college is a community college, which prides itself on the diversity of its student and staff body. Many of the students at the college come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and it is a travesty that these students are being denied the right to study these subjects from September 2023.
In 2021 the performing arts team at NewVic were recognised nationally for their dedication and for the outstanding provision which is provided to the learners. They were given a prestigious Silver award at the Pearson National Teaching Awards. Now, just 2 years later, the performing arts provision at the college is being cut, and these same staff members that were so recently being celebrated, are now being faced with the threat of redundancy. It is absolutely outrageous that hard working staff are being treated in this manner, and it is appalling that future students are being denied the right to pursue performing arts at the college.
In 2021 Philosophy achieved a 100% rate of A*-C Grades. Reports demonstrate that philosophy is frequently shown to be a subject in the college whereby the students make great progress, above their target grades. The number of students in Yr 2 groups are exactly where you would want them to be for a subject of this nature (normally there are approx 10 students in a yr 2 group). Further, the college is somewhat unique in its offer of philosophy. Many colleges do not offer philosophy on their curriculum, and several students enrol at the college every year only owing to its inclusion of philosophy provision. The college is seemingly unwilling to properly invest in its curriculum offer, and once again is letting down hard working staff, and is doing a disservice to the community.
A-Level Spanish is the only language which the college currently offers, and the college now has plans to withdraw this also. Once again, every single year, Spanish is one of the highest (if not the highest) attaining subjects in the college. The decision to cut this course is therefore bewildering. It is totally unjustifiable that a college as large and diverse as NewVic will now have no languages on offer. The community deserves better, and so do the hardworking staff.
Finally, A-Level Fine Art is again one of the colleges more unique offerings. The college has even posted to its own feed that Fine Art had the joint highest number of A*-A grades in the 2021 results. Yet, still, the college has made the decision to cut provision. Affected staff were informed that their role would soon cease to exist, and of course any prospective students have had yet another opportunity severed.
Community Colleges should surely have a duty to invest in a diverse curriculum, in order to meet the needs of a diverse student body. Education should not be treated as a business, and it is not appropriate to cancel courses purely owing to numbers being not as high as some other courses. It is in the bests interests of the colleges finances to attract a diverse group of students, but the cutting of the curriculum offer will force learners to have to look elsewhere. It is the provision of such subjects, delivered by passionate teachers with expertise in their field, which act as the colleges unique selling point. Clearly, the college management does not care about attracting a diverse group of students, or about ensuring that the curriculum offer is as varied and inspiring as possible, nor does the college care about taking care of hardworking staff. All these courses have enough students to justify the course being run, and it is a disservice to the community, and to future students, to deny the opportunity to have access to a broad curriculum offer.
We do not have long - with the consultation set to end in May - affected staff are set to be given their notice period at the end of May!
Please sign this petition to protect the curriculum offer at Newvic! NewVic must ensure that it invests in its students!
Protect NewVic Students
Protect NewVic Staff
Protect Education!
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 27 April 2023