5th June 2025 – letter added on the 11th June

On 11th July we sent this email to Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley, following up on our previous statement of support for staff and students at BSix

Dear Mayor Woodley, 

We write to share our concern about proposals from New City College to make significant structural changes at BSix College, and to ask for your support in publicly opposing those changes.   In particular we are very keen to see ‘A’ levels maintained as a key part of the BSix education menu.  

BSix is an institution with a special ethos born out of Hackney’s particular circumstances.  Its track record in delivering enrichment programmes, which have enabled students from the most marginalised backgrounds to appreciate the value of education, is second to none.  Its ‘Knowledge is Power’ programme is award winning, and BSix has excelled with its Black History focus as well as granting students the chance to do trips, and overseas work placements with financial help from the Government’s Turing fund.   It has given assistance to countless migrants, some of whom arrive with limited English and are unable to gain a 6th form place in our schools.  The flexible course structure at the college has seen young people from all backgrounds flourish, as they are facilitated to swap a vocational course for ‘A’ Levels if appropriate, or vice versa.  With the help of BSix, many families have seen their children who struggled at school go on to university, or gather the skills to thrive in the world of work.  

These are opportunities that many young people simply wouldn’t have had in the borough’s schools.  Indeed, the concern is that if the unique mix of vocational and more academic qualifications which are an integral part of the BSix mix is removed, many teenagers will slip out of post-16 education altogether.  That can leave them vulnerable to influences which will not help them prosper.  A relevant education offer within easy travel distance is crucial for some teenagers to avoid slipping into habitual unemployment or worse.  

No one denies that BSix’s ‘A’ level results are good, but New City College complains about retention rates.  We would argue that the flexibility to swap courses is part of what makes BSix so successful for its cohort.  It is not the wellbeing of BSix students or staff which is New City College’s motivation for its proposed changes, but money.  If BSix shifts from Sixth Form College status to FE, there are potential salary savings to be made.  Meanwhile the cost to the community will be huge.  

We ask you to protect the student body and to stand with the staff who for more than 20 years have provided an outstanding service in Hackney for young people.  These changes, serving only to improve the bottom line for New City College, are unacceptable.  And if Hackney honestly wishes to be a Borough of Sanctuary, to stay true to its word in opposing the Hostile Environment for migrants, and to promote Global Majority inclusive curriculum/education, we have to fight for BSix to retain its current structure and ethos.  Please join Diane Abbott MP and Professor Gus John in taking a public stand against the changes.  We ask you to:

• Immediately issue a public statement of support for BSix, pointing out its impressive track record to date. 
• Write to the New City College Chief Executive, Gerry MacDonald, asking for a meeting where you will underline the benefits of the current system and insist upon the retention of ‘A’ levels on the BSix curriculum.
• Offer your public support to the staff who are set to go on strike tomorrow, fighting for their jobs and to retain the BSix ethos.  

Anything less will betray the futures of a significant proportion of our young people, their wider communities and future generations.

Yours sincerely,

Cllrs Penny Wrout, Claudia Turbet-Delof and Fliss Premru

Previous statement of support

BSix College has given over 20 years of outstanding service to Hackney’s young people. It has provided an educational lifeline to 16+ students who struggled to find their place in the academies which now dominate Hackney’s secondary education. The college has embraced students of all abilities and helped them settle into courses suited to their talents and interests. BSix’s ‘A’ level results are exemplary, as are its outcomes for students taking more vocational routes. The proposed restructure looks set to throw away this unique combination of opportunities for Hackney Youth, by stopping all ‘A’ level tuition at the college.

BSix has led the way in innovative enrichment programmes, designed to captivate students and help them learn the value of education. The college has a strong record of welcoming migrants, enabling them gain a grounding in English before going on to other education or work opportunities. BSix has traditionally given a special focus to Black History, and until recently students could apply for an overseas work placement, funded from the Government’s Turing scheme.

Sadly, despite promises to maintain the inclusive BSix ethos, since the larger conglomerate New City College (NCC) took over management last year, the emphasis has been on BSix fitting into the corporate structure. The overseas placements are already cut, and now the Knowledge is Power enrichment programme and ‘A’ levels are to be swept away, along with a significant number of the dedicated teaching team.

As Hackney Independent Socialist Councillors we see that NCC is being driven by a money-making agenda. The proposed changes would jettison BSix’s nurturing, flexible environment, on the spurious grounds that ‘A’ level retention rates are poor. In fact the current BSix arrangement, which is unique in Hackney, allows students to swap to a course more tailored to their needs – while for other students it retains a second chance at gaining ‘A’ levels and possible university entrance.

We stand with staff and unions at BSix seeking to maintain this special, supportive learning environment including ‘A’ Level provision. We call on the Labour Council, the Mayor of Hackney and all the Borough’s Labour MPs to make their voices heard and to join Diane Abbott MP in publicly opposing the restructure. It is short-sighted, and reflects a tendency in Hackney to accept easy answers to address complex education problems, thrown up by a dysfunctional funding system.

Join us at 6pm tonight (Thurs 5th June) at The Clapton Country Club, 38-40 Upper Clapton Road, E5 8BQ to prioritise what is best for Hackney’s Young People and pressure New City College to drop its restructuring plans.