Consultation begins on exciting merger plans for Sandwell and Cadbury Colleges

Consultation has now begun on an exciting potential merger between Sandwell College and Cadbury Sixth Form College.

Following a rigorous selection process, Sandwell College was chosen as the best fit to partner Cadbury College – due to its shared ethos. The merger proposal has received strong backing from a host of key stakeholders including the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Further Education (FE) Commissioner.

Interim Principal of Cadbury College, Andrew Cropley, said: “Cadbury Sixth Form College is very excited about the proposed merger with Sandwell College. The strength, scale and success of Sandwell is just what we need to ensure that this college fulfils its potential.  We are delighted at the approach of colleagues at Sandwell in recognising our strengths and the opportunities that our partnership will bring to our communities and our students.  We are very much looking forward to working together to provide an outstanding experience for our students and exceptional progression into HE and employment.”

Sandwell College Principal and Chief Executive, Graham Pennington, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the merger partner for Cadbury College. The merger offers immense benefits by bringing together two colleges that are both primarily focused on young people’s futures.

“It offers an exciting opportunity for staff at both colleges to work together to enhance the student experience and the courses both colleges offer. Our colleges share a common ethos of putting students at the heart of our activities and giving students the best possible outcomes to help them progress, whether that’s to Higher Education, further study, employment or apprenticeships.

“The colleges are focused on improving quality and Ofsted recently commented on Sandwell’s ‘relentless focus on quality improvement’. Ofsted also recognised recent dramatic improvements brought about by the new interim team at Cadbury, following a challenging period, and this provides a sound foundation to build upon.

“We are both community based colleges and our intention is to build on existing local links to ensure we serve our students and stakeholders effectively.”

Details of the proposed merger are outlined in the Merger Consultation Document which is available online on both colleges’ websites.

The formal consultation period runs until July 9 and the proposed date for the merged college to be operational is November 1.