Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that young people in Knowsley have access to study academic A-level courses within the borough boundaries.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) continues to liaise with the local authority and regional schools commissioner team to monitor improvements in key stage 4 provision in the borough and identify local need. The ESFA also meets regularly with SK College Group to discuss the college’s offer of A level provision at their Knowsley campus. For 2018/19 academic year the college made 68 offers to study academic A levels at its Knowsley campus. Twelve learners progressed to enrol and attend at the college. However, due to low numbers it was financially unviable to deliver at the Knowsley Campus, so the learners access A Level provision on the St Helens Campus via bespoke transport.

For 2019 the college has committed to continue to promote the development of A level provision at the Knowsley campus and this is being marketed in their prospectus for 2019/20. They now have in place specific branding alongside targeted promotional activities including: a 2019 school leaver prospectus distributed to all local schools, supermarkets, convenience shops, community centres, and libraries; an A level advert in the college adult course guide in December which is distributed to 65,000 local homes across Knowsley and surrounding Liverpool areas; digital ad vans promoting the A level offer prior to college open evenings; and planned and targeted social media campaigns, local press promotions and railing banners. Furthermore, there are specific A level events for local school career advisers and school liaison teams are working directly in feeder borough schools to promote the A level offer.