Just three years after its launch, Wixams Academy has pulled its Year 12 sixth form provision for September due to low enrolment numbers, leaving local families scrambling for last-minute places elsewhere.
The secondary school, which opened in 2017 as part of the Bedford Colleges Academy Trust, originally planned a sixth form launch in 2022 for its founding cohort.
Following delays and a parent campaign, the sixth form finally opened in 2023. However, it consistently struggled to attract high student numbers.
Read: Wixams sixth form on the cards as schools’ Trust appoints new CEO to oversee growth
This year, the school, which is now part of Knowledge Schools Trust, announced that numbers had dropped to an unsustainable level and it would not be offering sixth form places for the forthcoming academic year.
Frustration and scrambled plans
Headmaster Nathaniel Wilson, who joined the school in 2024, described the decision as a “bittersweet moment” coming off the back of the academy’s best-ever A-level results.
“We were anticipating around 68 children to enter the sixth form this year, but 35 children who were offered places made the decision to study elsewhere, which is very disappointing,” said Mr Wilson.
On Friday, August 21, Mr Wilson and his senior leadership team made over 50 phone calls to families to try to convince enough students to remain, but conceded that many pupils ultimately prefer a dedicated “college environment.”
The sudden timing has drawn sharp criticism from parents and local representatives, as some families only learned the sixth form would not proceed days after attending enrolment.
“Why do students choose to leave?”
Cllr Marc Frost (Conservative, Wixams and Wilstead Ward) voiced strong disappointment over the decision and called for the Trust to look beyond simple headcount numbers.
“When around 50 students initially consider staying, and fewer than 10 ultimately enrol, the answer cannot simply be that there were not enough students,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (25 August).
“We need to understand where the other 40 [students] went, and more importantly, why they went.”
Feedback gathered by Cllr Frost reveals recurring parental concerns regarding the sixth form’s strict environment, smaller study spaces, small cohort sizes and the appeal of other choices.
Nearby, Kimberley College is a dedicated sixth form that offers greater independence and wider subject variety, while Bedford College is able to offer T-levels and vocational courses.
Cllr Frost warned of a potential “vicious circle” where younger cohorts lose faith in the sixth form’s availability and proactively seek places elsewhere, compounding enrolment issues.
“Deeply concerning”
In response to his Facebook post, parents have shared their experiences.
One user said: “As a parent whose daughter has now left Wixams Academy, I find this deeply concerning but sadly not surprising.
“In our experience, there is an excessive focus on uniform and minor rules while serious behaviour, safeguarding and pupil wellbeing concerns are not always dealt with fairly or consistently.
“At times, the level of control makes the school feel more like a prison than a supportive learning environment.
“A student who feels safe, respected and happy at their school should want to stay. The Trust needs to seriously consider why so many young people are choosing to continue their education elsewhere.”
Another parent wrote: “My son has just finished Year 11 there but has enrolled at Bedford Sixth Form, as Wixams just doesn’t offer the range of courses
“They treat the sixth form students like they are still in school and don’t have freedoms…you would normally get in sixth form.
“Then they [students] go off to university and are suddenly given loads of freedom.”
Looking to the future
Mr Wilson said that the school’s ambition is to run the sixth form in 2026/27.
Ian Hunter, CEO of Knowledge Schools Trust, addressed the road ahead, telling the Bedford Independent: “We very much hope to be able to continue with an A-level offer, but we do need students to want to continue with us.”
Cllr Frost confirmed he will request a formal recovery plan from the Knowledge Schools Trust for September 2027, urging independent engagement with families.
“The students have made their choices,” said Cllr Frost. “The Trust now needs to listen to what those choices are telling them.”
“Wixams is growing rapidly. We should have a thriving secondary school and Sixth Form serving the town and surrounding communities.
“I want Wixams Academy to succeed.”
