AN independent sixth form in Colchester will close down after just three years.

Colchester High School welcomed its first sixth form students in its 130-year history, in autumn 2014.

But the decision has been made to close it in the summer of 2017 because it is unable to compete with other sixth forms and wants to focus on improving education in other year groups.

A spokesman insisted the decision has had nothing to do with exam grades, with its first ever A-Level results due to be published on August 18.

Fees for the privately-run sixth form were £10,785 a year and it boasted class sizes averaging just four students.

Nineteen subjects have been available to study, with the sixth form pledging at its launch to stick to academic subjects.

The spokeswoman said: “Our vision is for Colchester High School to be a centre of academic excellence from Nursery to GCSE. This decision reflects much discussion as to how we can best meet the needs of our pupils and parents. We feel that focusing our provision on the years up to and including GCSEs will have some clear benefits for our pupils.”

She added there was “sufficient provision” for sixth form in the town already and two other secondary schools, which have sixth forms, had extended their facilities.

The spokeswoman said no results for the first year of the A-Level students - Year 12 - or those in the second year of sixth form - Year 13 - had been published by the Government and so they had not played any part in the decision.

Internal exams at the sixth form had not played a part either, she insisted.

Despite the sixth form creating four new teaching posts, she said there would be no job losses or demotivation as roles would be found within the main part of the school.

The school, in Wellesley Road, hopes to offer more GCSE subjects over time.

Finances at the school will not be significantly impacted by the decision either, she said.

“The school is being very responsive for what the community needs,” she added.

Parents have been written to and told of the decision.

When the sixth form opened principal David Young said: “Our academic results are very strong and there is a feeling that we want to take pupils through to the next stage of their education.

“It gives us an academic rigour and encourages more older students to be positive role models.

“It helps us to attract the best teachers because they can teach A-level and more.”

The sixth form is headed by Dr George Georgiou and had five pupils at the end of term this year.

There will be 11 pupils going into year 13 this September.

The entry requirement was five A* to C grades, including maths and English, and Bs in the A-level subjects students want to take.

Another attempt to set the sixth form apart from others was its working day structure.

Students, in business dress, attend between 8.30am and 3.30pm and expected to use free periods to study in.

A common room, state-of-the-art science lab and library were created from spaces that were previously used to teach school classes, including art and IT.

There were just eight sixth form classrooms overall, including an art studio on the top floor.