CULCHETH High School sixth form could close its doors following years of dwindling pupil numbers.

Governors at Culcheth High School, which built a new £28m campus in 2010, have announced this week that they would like to consult on a proposal to close the sixth form.

Since the start of the academic term, only 55 students started at the sixth form despite having a total of 200 places on offer.

An email to a number of councillors sent on behalf of the Steve Edwards, interim assistant director universal services, said the low numbers made it ‘very difficult to offer a sustainable and suitable range of courses to meet students’ needs’.

Councillor Sue Bland (Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft - CON) said the news had come ‘completely out of the blue’.

Clr Brand said: “It was a shock which I certainly didn’t expect.”

Councillor Chris Vobe (Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft - LAB) was also shocked to hear the news that the sixth form had ‘deteriorated to this point’.

Clr Vobe said: “When I was at Culcheth Sixth Form, it was a thriving and well-attended college, which served our local community well.

"Given that the high school itself is full, I believe the governing body should have been looking more closely at why pupils from the village are opting to pursue their post-16 studies elsewhere.

“I am surprised that the governors, along with senior management at the school, have not flagged up these problems sooner.”

Culcheth High School was due to become the first school in Warrington to be converted into an academy following an application in 2011 but an outstanding loan to the council of £600,000 has proved to be a significant stumbling block.

Plans to convert the school on Warrington Road in to an academy have since been put on hold.

The school governors have already decided to suspend admittance to the sixth form for the coming academic year following the announcement.

The consultation will include students, teachers, parents and carers and also councillors with more details to be released by the school and the local authority in November.

The decision to open a period of consultation was decided by the school’s governing body at a meeting on October 9.

Eight members of the governing body voted in favour of the consultation with six abstentions.

No members voted against the consultation to decide whether the sixth form should remain open.