BSix teachers to strike as sixth-form college mulls A-level cuts

Diane Abbott (in red coat) joined striking BSix teachers last November. Photograph: courtesy NEU

BSix teachers are to go on strike this week amid fears the Clapton sixth-form college may axe all A-level courses.

Following a merger with New City College (NCC) last summer, the institution’s leadership recently confirmed it was consulting internally to scrap AS and A2 qualifications entirely.

A spokesperson for NCC said no decisions had yet been made, and that the “sole purpose” of the ongoing review was to “drive opportunity and increase student achievement”.

“It will address some specific areas of low achievement at the previous BSix campus, so that local young people are not disadvantaged,” they said.

But teachers are “furious” about the mooted plans, describing them as “educational vandalism”.

Educators told the Citizen they were staging a 16-day walkout from 12 June to 4 July in response.

“BSix plays a crucial role in the educational landscape of Hackney, often successfully reintegrating students back into formal education,” said David Davies, district officer for the local National Education Union (NEU) branch.

“This proposal can only reduce educational opportunities for young people in the borough. Education workers at BSix will not stand by and let NCC destroy a valuable community asset.”

Contrary to the leadership’s assertion that the cuts were not a done deal, the NEU told the Citizen that staff had received confirmation they would indeed happen.

Davies also pushed back on suggestions there were issues around student performance, and insisted the sixth-form was in a “healthy” financial position.

He pointed to a 2025 Ofsted report on NCC, which found: “Across all campuses, including the newly merged BSix campus, staff support and challenge learners and apprentices to achieve well, whatever their starting points.”

In 2021, Ofsted rated BSix as ‘Good’.

Davies added that management had launched a voluntary reducancy process, with several staff members having already accepted.

Local politicians joined the fray to criticise the rationale behind the proposals and warn against the impact on Hackney’s youth.

Diane Abbott MP backed the strikers and said the cuts would “undermine the whole basis for the college’s existence, and severely harm young people’s educational and other opportunities”.

The Hackney Independent Socialist Group said the leadership was driven by a “money-making agenda”.

“The proposed restructure looks set to throw away BSix’s unique combination of opportunities for Hackney youth and jettison the college’s nurturing, flexible environment, on the spurious grounds that A-level retention rates are poor,” the group said.

“In fact, the current arrangement, unique in Hackney, allows students to swap to a course more tailored to their needs – while others retain a second chance at gaining A-levels, and possible university entrance.”

The author, rapper and educator Akala also spoke in support of the college’s commitment to universal education.

Ahead of the takeover last year, NCC’s curriculum proposal said the merger would protect a strong, college-based A-level provision for the borough.

Public consultation documents stated there would also be more opportunities to invest in the development of T-levels and apprenticeship routes.

This week’s industrial action will be the second time BSix staff have gone on strike since NCC took over in August 2024.

In November, teachers said they faced “dramatic” changes to their working conditions since the merger, arguing their pay rise did not match that of educators in other boroughs.

Regarding the proposals to scrap A-levels, the NCC spokesperson said: “What is certain is that we will continue to invest in the excellent, high-quality teaching and meaningful enrichment at this campus, building its offer as a first choice for local school leavers.”

Update: this article was amended at 9.06pm on 9 June 2025. It originally repeated a claim made by the NEU that the college was scrapping two enrichment programs, but NCC said this has not been proposed or considered as an option.