To be shocked that only 2% of students in Knowsley do A levels?

[myfavouritecolourispurple]

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about the Northern Powerhouse. One of the things they mentioned was the fact that the only school in Knowsley that offers A levels will close its sixth form next year as it is not financially viable. Only 2% of students there do A levels.

I know it's a poor area on the outskirts of Liverpool. But only 2%? There are lots of deprived areas in the country that have much better educational outcomes. Are there any local Mumsnetters who can provide an informed perspective?

Are there any 6th form colleges doing A levels near there?

Some of my family live and were educated in Knowsley. It is not all 'a poor area', there are some nice parts with outstanding primary schools. The problem starts at secondary school, there are very few schools to select from and none of them are well thought of, therefore many of the children that I know have chosen to apply for schools within the Liverpool boundary.

I think the press are misleading with the issue of college/sixth form education. Yes halewood academy has just closed its sixth form and none of the other secondaries have sixth forms but there are two colleges offering a levels in Knowsley. Many pupils also choose to go to local colleges in Liverpool and St. Helens and the children who chose to go to Liverpool schools presumably stay on at their sixth forms so I find it very hard to believe that only 2% of children go on to study a levels. Obviously no sixth forms is far from ideal but I do think the press are highlighting a very one sided view of the borough. A friend of our family has just started at Cambridge university and hails from Knowsley and attended Knowsley schools!

It's not actually Liverpool, I live in South Liverpool a few miles from Knowsley . My dd has friends who attend Knowsley schools and it duesbt surprise me at all.
There are no sixth forms in Knowsley either in schools or colleges.

Sorry I meant there are colleges that take sixth formers but they don't offer A levels.

It's a funny place as it straddles so many other boroughs.

I used to teach in Kirkby. I could see my friends frightfully naice home with open countryside from my classroom that was in Bickerstaffe (w. lancs.)

Bright children from Knowsley will go to Burscough or Rainford or one of the Liverpool schools.

I was born in Knowsley and in my year of 150 kids I think about 15 of us went on to do A Levels. The schools are shocking and mostly academies.
I went to a 6th Form college in nearby Widnes which is where most of the kids still go now! My nephew and his friends are attending.
I lived in Knowsley until I was 18 and I left for university.
I have not lived there since and it is mainly a poor area which has a great community, lots of crime and even more racism.

Andnowitsseven - I wasn't aware that Knowsley community college has stopped providing a levels, on looking at their website it seems they have which is a shame. I actually got my a levels from there.

This doesn't stop children being able to go to Carmel or Liverpool community college as my relatives have so I'd still be surprised if the percentage is as low as 2%.

I'm not sure why you felt the need to say it's not in Liverpool, it has a 'L' postcode and is generally considered part of Liverpool by those in the area. The OP did actually say that's it's an area outside Liverpool!

I'm on the border of Knowsley.

I agree with what's been said.

However there are different routes into Careers and Uni, than A Levels.

My eldest wants to do something in Paediatric Health Care and has gone down the NVQ/HNC route.

My eldest did the same for MH Management.

My youngest is on a similar route, in Knowsley College.

Financially speaking, Apprenticeships can be a better option for those from low income/benefit families.

As for "it's not in Liverpool", one end of my Road has Purple Weelie Bins and the other Maroon.

Kirby was populated by the Liverpool Slum Clearance (my Mum and Nan both).

Bobsmum the op said outskirts of Liverpool, just feel Liverpool gets enough bad press of its own.

I feel like A-levels are probably only one small part of the picture. What percentage of pupils are leaving education at 18 with some sort of further qualifications beyond GCSEs?

That is what annoys me about these statistics. I agree that knowsley aren't offering adequate options for children in secondary or further education but these reports aren't telling the whole picture, there is more to further education than just a levels!

Over 30% of Knowsley schoolchildren are educated outside of Knowsley-in Liverpool, Halton & Sefton.
That's the highest amount of schoolchildren outside of their borough, in the whole of UK ; but everyone seems to accept this !!

My ds attends a Knowsley secondary school, the highest performing one, and there is talk of introducing a sixth form, however the school have great links with Carmel college which is outstanding.

The new Knowsley community college has opened less than a mile from me and i assumed there were A level courses.

Ds is in year 9 and has just started his GCSE subjects so is still a while off sixth form but he wants to attend a school sixth form and will probably aim for SEC in west derby if his grades are as predicted.

Dd is in a Knowsley primary school year 1 and I'm looking at removing her. The school is failing the children miserably, we will be looking at Liverpool schools too as are right on the border.

Whilst I appreciate that there are some rough areas in Knowsley, there are also plenty of diserable places to live :)

What are the a Tula statistics?

Is it that only 2% of the residents aged 16-19 study A levels, or is it that only 2% study A-levels in the borough? Because those are two very different things.
It would be a bit like saying that no one from a particular borough goes on to do a degree if there isn't a University in the borough!

If the sixth form provision nearby has capacity and is of high standard, does it matter if it's not provided the right side of an arbitrary line drawn on a map?

*actual statistics

Is it that only 2% of the residents aged 16-19 study A levels, or is it that only 2% study A-levels in the borough?

It's the latter. There was only one academy offering A levels in the borough, but that has since stopped offering them so I guess it will drop to 0% unless an alternative is being put in place.

Most Knowsley a level students travel outside of the borough to study, guess it could be all of them now.

Knowsley is not Liverpool for those saying it is. It is Knowsley, a council and area in it's own right. And the majority of the shitty bits are within Huyton and the surrounding areas like Stockbridge Village (canny farm). They are overall a run down cesspit of rotten council houses (mixed in with some lively well mainted right to buy ones though, I will admit!) and a shoddy council, with shite social services to boot. They closed their own brand new schools only a matter of months after they were built because parents didn't want the good school and the shite school mixing, but they did it anyway, then closed because no one registered to the new 'conjoined' school. There are some nice people there but overall it tends to be generations of scummy families and lack of social care who bring the area down even more.

Wow bravo how lovely you sound! I do hope those of us from Knowsley are not offending you with our 'scummy families'! Maybe I class as one of the 'nice people' though since I didn't live in 'the cess pit of rotten council houses' and now live in 'Liverpool' (although I always did, even when I lived in 'shitty huyton')

Well I do live in one of the " shitty areas " described and would love to know where you are from that is so fantastic!

So insulting, we are an educated family, good jobs and because we live in such a place it's likely we are scum- nice

Panda -how rude!
I live in Knowsley in a v nice house & area by any U.K. Standard.
What annoys me is the mass 7am exodus of secondary school children (mine included) departing for Liverpool schools. Thankfully Liverpool, our nearest borough, still has some selective schools like St Edwards, King David , Bluecoat etc; otherwise Knowsley school children would have even less opportunities.
My council tax is £2K + per annum-not great is it?