ST MARY’S College looks set to move away from being a Catholic sixth form due to a fall in numbers of students from the faith attending.

Officials from the Further Education Commissioner’s office visited the Shear Brow college in November. It had been given a financial order to improve in 2017 but there had been further deterioration of the college’s financial position since an intervention visit in July 2019.

The FE Commission have published a report on the findings saying the college ‘is operating in an extremely difficult environment’ and is ‘not sustainable as a stand-alone entity beyond the current year’ despite providing good academic experience to students who are local to the college and are reluctant to travel.

It added that their Education and Skills Funding Agency income is ‘insufficient to sustain the mainstream level three programme’ and the college has ‘only been able to maintain operations because of the income it receives from its nursery and higher education provisions’.

It adds: “There is a net cash outflow in the current year to the extent that cash is almost exhausted at year end."

Theodore Agnew, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the school system, wrote a letter to the chairman of the school governors stating the college is ‘currently operating under extreme financial duress’ and there had to be ‘immediate exploration of possible structural solutions’.

He added: "Due to the instability of the college’s financial position, I fully support the FE Commissioner’s recommendation for St Mary’s to be placed in supervised status with immediate effect. I urge you, the board and the principal to work with your bankers, the ESFA and FE Commissioner’s team to secure short-term stability and solvency to the college.”

St Mary’s College operates under the trusteeship of the Society of Mary and ultimate control, oversight and ownership rests with them. College bosses were due to discuss changes in April but decisions will take place when college returns, following coronavirus lockdown.

The Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) CIO said: “The trustees announce their intention that their involvement with St. Mary’s will be changing during 2020. This decision has not been an easy one to take, but it has been prompted by the reduction in the number of Catholic students attending, meaning the college needs to evolve away from its current status as a Catholic sixth form college. The society remains supportive of, and will continue to be involved with, the college through a transitional period.”

The college currently has 653 students but could take 1,250.