Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today (Friday 17th November) to celebrate the town’s new sixth form.
In August it was announced that the bid for a new free school sixth form by The Bolsover School and the Redhill Academy Trust had been successful. Mark Fletcher, MP for Bolsover, had been campaigning for the sixth form since being elected, as there is currently no post 16 education provision in the constituency.
This innovative new free school, set to open in 2026, will provide a range of academic and technical courses with strong ties to business and industry.
Having been invited by Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher, the Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by the Head Prefects and Matthew Hall, the Headteacher. He is the first sitting Prime Minister in history to visit the constituency.
During his visit He was shown around the school by the Head Prefects, Georgia and Jacob, and Mr Fletcher, before joining Year 7 students, including Chloe Ellis and Prue Pope (pictured) in their science lesson experiments.
Commenting local MP, Mark Fletcher, said:
“It was an honour to welcome the Prime Minister to Bolsover today, the first time that a sitting PM has ever visited our Constituency.
I’d like to thank him for taking the time to engage with students at the school. To see the faces of those year 7’s as he walked into the room is something I’ll never forget. For these young people to be able to spend time with the Prime Minister of the UK is an opportunity of a lifetime. It reiterates the PM’s commitment to improving education, and we’re going to see that here in Bolsover with the new sixth form
I know the community are incredibly excited about what the sixth form will offer, and all I can say at this stage is Mr Hall and I are working flat out to get all the details sorted. Hopefully the Prime Minister will come back to open it in the future!“
Headteacher Matt Hall added:
“We are very honoured to welcome Prime Minister Sunak to our school. It was an experience that students and staff will never forget.”
“We had the unique opportunity to showcase our amazing school to the Prime Minister and for our students to tell him about their ambitions – to attend university, to follow exciting and challenging career paths, and to make a difference in the world.”
“Bringing post-16 education to Bolsover will be a game changer for this community; nurturing aspirations, raising achievement and opening doors for ambitious young people. Once open, our enviable facilities will allow students to continue their studies in the sciences amongst an academic curriculum, giving them a springboard into university and industry.”
“This is just the start of an incredibly exciting project, with work having already begun on procuring a site. Our modern academic sixth form centre will have the potential to improve employability and life chances in Bolsover and the surrounding area for generations to come.”
