Four schools have applied for funding to create sixth forms.

The Epping Forest District Sixth Form Consortium, including Roding Valley High School, Debden Park High School, both in Loughton, King Harold Business and Enterprise Academy in Waltham Abbey and Epping St John’s School, has put forward proposals to extend teaching to 16 to 18-year-olds.

A submission to the Department for Education is now being finalised by Essex County Council and the Education Funding Agency.

Roding Valley High School headteacher Paul Banks said: “The rationale behind the plan is to meet demand for A-level places in the Epping Forest area which has not been met for the last 20 years.”
“It means the students in all of the four schools will have a continuity of education.”

The proposal states the schools which will not be inviting applications from children at other schools.

Christian Cavanagh, Debden Park High School headteacher, said: "This sixth form consortium will help students from the community study in the community and we are looking forward to working collaboratively to raise standards.”

The new arrangements are set to offer 594 places across the four schools by September 2016.
In order to offer the places, Debden Park, Roding Valley and Epping St John’s will all require six additional classrooms from the 2017/18 academic year.