PLANS to close a Herefordshire sixth form could go ahead later this year due to unsustainably low numbers of students.

Proposals to close Leominster's Earl Mortimer College's sixth form have been published, with a consultation taking place between May 15 and June 19.

Documents said that the school is increasing in popularity, with numbers growing year on year.

But, the council heard, sixth form provision at the school has been limited since the decision to cease offering A levels and Level 3 qualifications in 2016, and that it is only able to offer a limited number of subjects.

The school's sixth form, which had 18 students in 2020-21 and 14 in 2021-22, currently has no students.

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School leaders said they believed the school's focus should be on continuing to improve the quality of education in years seven to 11, and that the proportion of the budget required from the 11 to 16 funding to maintain the sixth form is increasing to an unsustainable level.

The proposal is that no new pupils will be admitted to sixth form at Earl Mortimer College in September 2023, and that the sixth form will close in August 2023.

All sixth form staff will be offered the opportunity to remain with the school and teach younger year groups, the consultation documents said.

The consultation results will be delivered to governors for approval in July 2023, with a decision by the local authority to be made by September 2023