Proposed merger of Shropshire colleges is ‘on track’
Two college campuses have closed, but its principal says a proposed merger remains on track.
North Shropshire College is attempting to merge with Herefordshire and Ludlow College, after a proposed deal last year with Reaseheath College in Nantwich fell through.
The college is trying to secure a bright future for students, however two campuses have already shut their doors. Campuses at Shipley, near Bridgnorth, and Tenbury Wells had a low number of students and have now closed.
However principal Ian Peake has denied that plans for the merger have hit a snag, and said things are progressing well.
A previous merger attempt with Reaseheath College in Nantwich seemed very much on the cards with talks plans running for over a year.
However, in August last year the deal collapsed after the colleges were unable to secure sufficient funds after working with the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Treasury Transaction Unit.
Mr Peake is now taking on the mantle as the head of both North Shropshire and Herefordshire and Ludlow organisations and he has previously said is excited about what the future holds for students in both regions.
He said: “It will also give the college more of a regional presence and therefore the opportunity to expand our student base, our employer networks and the range of programmes and courses that we offer.”
In March it was said that a consultation would take place regarding the closures of the Shipley, Tenbury Wells and Wem campuses. However, two have now been shut.
Mr Peake said the proposals were for economic reasons.
He said: “This proposed change will enable the college to focus its investments at its two main campuses, at Oswestry and Walford, and improve its financial position by closing uneconomic centres that provide few courses for very small numbers of students.”
A number of staff are believed to be on gardening leave at the college until further details on the merger are revealed.
The college has seen a drop in the number of students enrolled in classes and dropped A-levels from its roster last year.
The Marches School, in Oswestry, started doing A-levels a couple of years previously, with a number of students opting to stay on there and study.
