A NEW era for post-16 education could dawn across north Lancashire if plans for a sixth form at Carnforth High School go ahead.

Proposals to create a sixth form for 100 pupils in September 2011 will be decided upon by Lancashire County Council on May 9.

The school will join a federation of existing sixth forms including Our Lady’s Catholic College in Lancaster and Heysham High School.

Governors at Central Lancaster High School also hope to create a sixth form at the same time as Carnforth and would become the fourth member of the federation.

“We’re hoping to create a flexible system across the four schools ,” said head teacher of Carnforth High School John Shannon.

“If the decision goes through we plan on synchronising timetables and working together to allow students to study subjects across all sites. We will be a small sixth form with perhaps just one or two pupils per subject so this way they can be bussed between all four centres giving them greater choice.”

Carnforth Sixth Form would take 100 students in its first year of opening and a further 100 the year after, increasing the school’s capacity to 750 pupils.

No new buildings will be needed to run the facility and only a handful of new positions will be created.

“It’s a very exciting time for education in our area. The students have always said they want to continue their studies with us and it would be wonderful to create that opportunity for them,” said Mr Shannon.

The school will offer a combination of academic AS and A2 levels and vocational qualifications at levels 2 and 3 based on local employment opportunities.

The two new sixth forms might also encourage north Lancashire students to stay within the county and readdress the post 16 drift into Cumbria.

“I would be pleased to see students carry on their studies in Lancashire. On our borders we’ve got 11 - 18 year old schools and a high number of 11 - 18 schools already in our district too. We just want to offer a quality education for young people and if they choose to stay with us then that would be fantastic,” added Mr Shannon.