Today I visited Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College to discuss their application for sixth form provision, which was recently declined by the Department for Education.

I was first advised of the decision to decline the application when I hosted a delegation from Abbs Cross in the House of Commons for UK Parliament Week. Subsequently, I arranged a visit to the school and met headteacher, Mrs Jethwa, and the CEO of the Loxford Trust, Mrs Johnson, to discuss the proposals and their research on why they believe the application should have been granted by the Department for Education.

I am very sympathetic to the case put forward by Mrs Jethwa and Mrs Johnson about increasing choice for students in the borough and for students of Abbs Cross Academy to have the option to continue their education where they have studied at secondary level for the past five years.

While I do not hold any formal jurisdiction over the consideration of sixth form applications, I have now raised this issue in person with Education Minister, Robert Halfon MP, and am sending formal representations to Schools Minister, Nick Gibb MP. In my letter to the Minister, I have outlined the historical context in Havering in relation to sixth form provision that has seen the borough have a lower number of secondary schools with their own post-16 offering. I have also set out why I believe the Abbs Cross application warrants immediate review.