WCA Campaigns : Sixth Form in Wimbledon

It’s time for a sixth form in Wimbledon, says Hammond

In the last week of August the GCSE results were published and following the trend of recent years, the secondary schools in Wimbledon failed to reach the national average. Indeed, whilst Ricards Lodge improved by four percentage points, both Raynes Park and Rutlish saw 8% drops in the number of students achieving five A-C grades at GCSE. The only really positive note was struck by the Ursuline and Wimbledon College with improving pass rates moving into the 70 per cent bracket.

Local MP Stephen Hammond said, “Unfortunately, despite the hard work of students and teachers, the reality is that this year’s results were disappointing. As I meet parents in Wimbledon, they tell me that although the primary schools in the borough are excellent, they are uncertain about sending their children to the non-faith secondary schools in the borough. Many parents either move out of Wimbledon or send their children to state schools in neighbouring boroughs.

“We must have secondary schools in Wimbledon that produce results similar to those achieved in the boroughs around us. It is what local parents want! If we did, then local parents would have the confidence to send their children to those schools. I am committed to ensuring that wehave excellent secondary schools in Wimbledon.

“I will be fighting for the local authority to give this part of the borough the resources it needs to ensure excellence instead of concentrating resources in the east of the borough. I believe we need two immediate changes in order to raise standards: we need to have a schoolbased sixth form in one of our secondary schools; and at least one of the schools needs to be granted academy status.

“It is an established fact that schools with a sixth form produce better results than those that don’t. Many parents want to see their children entering secondary education with a route right through to university. We don’t provide that in the non-faith sector. We must.

It is time for the Council to act. “The east of the borough will have two academies by the time this newspaper reaches you. This biasing of resources against Wimbledon was the action of the previous Council administration. Academies have the chance to gain extra external resources and to tailor the education for the needs of the children. It is time to have an academy in Wimbledon.

Merton Council must now redress this inequality and join me in the campaign to introduce a sixth form in a Wimbledon School within two years and to turn a school in Wimbledon into an academy.”

Sixth Form for Wimbledon - How to Contact Us

• Write to Sixth Form for Wimbledon c/o 126 Arthur Road, Wimbledon Park, London SW19 8AA
• Telephone the hotline on 020 8944 2905
• or email us