ONE of the few places where Basingstoke teenagers can study for A-levels has undergone a significant change.

As of October 1, Queen Mary’s College (QMC) in Cliddesden Road has become an academy, as part of a multiacademy trust, The North Hampshire Education Alliance, which also came into being on the same date.

QMC is the only educational facility in the town centre which exclusively offers students a range of different A-Level courses, with the Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT) mainly offering BTEC and apprenticeship courses.

Earlier this year, staff, governors, parents, residents and students were all asked to complete a survey as to whether the Corporation of Queen Mary’s College should dissolve and simultaneously enter into an agreement to become an academy as part of new multi-academy trust.

In a report which was sent to parents and students, figures showed that 92 per cent of the people who completed the survey said there would not be an adverse impact on the local community by the proposed change, and that 79 per cent were in favour of dissolving the current Corporation.

The aim of the North Hampshire Education Alliance is to ‘work with partners to ensure that young people in Basingstoke have access to the highest quality education and can make the best possible progress regardless of background or circumstances’.

The college has a mission of ‘Investing in Individuals to Build Better Futures’ and as an educational facility it says it has a responsibility not only to those who are enrolled or work at the college, but also to all members of the community.

It has stated that forming a multi-academy trust is the clear next step in delivering this mission, enabling QMC to work more closely with schools to ‘deliver high quality education that raises student aspirations, and that it is firmly aligned with our value of inclusion irrespective of prior attainment’.

In the survey, participants were also asked whether the proposal that the new Academy Trust enter a funding agreement with the Secretary of State was a positive one.

Eighty-eight per cent said the transformation into academy status would be a positive move for QMC.