Dear Parents, Colleagues and Stakeholders,
I am writing to advise you that the Academy Governing Council of Co-op Academy Priesthorpe has approved the decision to close its current Sixth Form provision. With effect from September 2025, it is proposed that no further Sixth Form students will be admitted. This will not affect current students in Years 12 and 13 and they will continue to complete their courses and should attend lessons as normal.

There are two key reasons that underpin our decision to close the Sixth Form. The first of these is that there are several local Further Education Colleges and Sixth Forms who can provide a greater range of courses and subject choices than we are able to offer at Coop Academy Priesthorpe. As such, these providers have become an increasingly popular destination for most of our Year 11 students.
The second reason is that, in September 2025, a brand new, purpose built Pudsey Sixth College will open 1.4 miles away from Priesthorpe. Coop Academy Priesthorpe is one of four partners in this venture. The project is being led by the Luminate Group, whose membership includes Leeds City College and Leeds Sixth Form College. Our other partners are Crawshaw Academy and Leeds West Academy. We are incredibly excited about this opportunity, which will provide a fabulous focal point and destination within our local community, with world class facilities. Closing our current Sixth Form will also mean we can redirect resources more efficiently to support students across Key Stages 3 and 4.

At Co-op Academy Priesthorpe we have developed strong relationships with all local FE providers, and through these partnerships we continue to support our students through transition to the next stage of their education.

If you have any comments or questions you would like the Academy Governing Council to consider, prior to finalising this decision, please email them to prie-info@coopacademies.co.uk by 27th May 2024.

Best regards
Martin Blacoe Louise Pratt
Joint Principals