Dozens of secondary schools could be at risk of losing their sixth forms under government reforms that will effectively block them from running vocational courses, headteachers and education chiefs have warned.

The government is consulting on a shake-up of the curriculum for students that will involve the introduction of ‘T’ levels. These are going to be the preferred alternative to A-levels - replacing BTec and vocational courses which many Kent schools offer.

As part of the shake-up, funding for these vocational courses will be withdrawn on a phased basis from schools until 2021. Thereafter, funding will not be provided to schools where courses they offer overlap with the new “T” levels. Instead, there will be an emphasis on sixth form colleges providing the new qualifications.

The policy shift could have a pronounced effect on Kent schools, particularly non-selective ones and those that have shifted to a Baccalaureate programme of study.

Paul Luxmoore, executive headteacher of the Coastal Academies Trust, says the changes could put a question mark over the viability of many school sixth forms.

In a letter he has sent to fellow headteachers, he says:“Twenty nine Kent secondary schools now offer the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) and a number offer the IB Diploma Programme – both will be lost.”

But he argues that the potential impact will be much wider.

“If the only courses post-16 to be funded in the future are T and A levels, many of these schools will lose their sixth forms. The loss of sixth forms in these schools will affect teacher and student recruitment. Whilst selective schools will remain 11-18, with sixth forms studying A levels, most non selective schools will become 11-16.”

He goes on to suggest that there could be “an even greater divide between selective grammars and non-selective schools in Kent.”

County education chiefs have flagged up similar concerns in a report recently considered by councillors.

It says: “The potential changes following this consultation will have a significant impact on sixth forms provided by Kent non-selective schools who provide more flexible post-16 offers for those pupils not suited to a wholly...academic programme.”

Schools would find it challenging to provide the necessary input from industry and work placements the new T-levels require, the report states.

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