A KEIGHLEY headteacher has reacted angrily after a council report identified 19 of the district's sixth forms as being "unviable" due to pupil numbers.

A Bradford Council review of post-16 education found that many school sixth forms were small and it claimed their academic and vocational pathways offered limited choice for young people.

The report added that sixth forms with fewer than 250 students were unviable.

And it said that despite some recent improvements, young people's academic results were below average and pupils achieved fewer qualifications than the national average.

But David Maxwell, head at Oakbank School in Keighley, says the comments are denigrating students' achievements.

Oakbank, Holy Family in Keighley, Parkside at Cullingworth and University Academy Keighley are all among those identified as having less than 250 sixth formers.

"I am incredibly disappointed with the council's misleading statement over the quality of the sixth forms in Bradford," said Mr Maxwell.

"Students achieve excellent results in our sixth form and they have done for the past five years.

"To link size, viability and outcomes is just wrong and what is most disappointing is that the council has again been the flag-waver for criticising the provision of education in its own authority.

"Yes viability is an issue, but some of the schools named have produced consistently excellent outcomes for their children and our students and parents will be very angry that their hard work and achievements have been denigrated in such a way."

The council review was carried out in light of national reforms and a recent Ofsted review of Bradford's post-16 provision, which raised concerns about the quality and longer-term financial viability of sixth forms.

The report says a "rationalisation” of sixth forms could be achieved by schools closing theirs down, or partnering with others.

One sixth former from the district, James Slater, voiced his concerns about the findings to the council's children's services scrutiny committee.

He said: "The argument that sixth forms with fewer than 250 pupils are unviable is fundamentally flawed, and questioning closing these sixth forms down is dangerous.

"I can't believe that education will improve if these suggestions go ahead."

Councillor Debbie Davies also questioned the findings.

She said: "My worry is that even listing these schools in a report on unviable sixth forms will create concerns with parents."

Michael Jameson, strategic director of children's services, said: "We're developing a new direction for post-16 education in partnership with businesses, schools and academies, colleges and Bradford University.

"Of course, how sixth form provision is ultimately delivered rests with the schools themselves; the council cannot instruct them what to do."