THE only Catholic sixth form in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale is set to close under controversial plans to revamp education in the area.

St Theodore's sixth form college is to shut and students will have to enrol in a new multi-faith community college planned for a site in the Barden area.

The closure will happen when the all-girl St Hilda's merges with St Theodore's to form a mixed voluntary aided Catholic school at the Ormerod Road site.

The existing sixth form centre, which serves pupils from both schools, will then shut.

Education chiefs at St Theodore's have reacted with anger to the news and vowed to fight the proposals engineered by the Local Education Authority (LEA) and Salford Diocese.

Jon Tat, headteacher at St Theodore's, said the move -- part of a £17million government project to overhaul the area's secondary education - was not an option. He said: "School governors, teachers and parents alike are against the move as it will effectively end post-16 Catholic education in the Burnley and Pendle area.

"The sixth form is one of the most successful in the county. Building schools for the future is thus turning the clock back 40 years when Catholics were forced to seek their education in other towns."

The Salford Diocese supported by local clergy issued a statement saying there will be Catholic sixth form provision. It states: "A community 16 years to 19 years centre is to be located at the Barden Lane site.

"This integrated sixth form would provide religious education and worship facilities with chaplaincy arrangements for all faiths including Catholics."

Father Michael Walsh, spokesman for the Bishop of Salford, Bishop Terrence Brain, said: "A letter was sent out to all parishioners in Burnley on Sunday.

"The proposal is for an integrated sixth form on the Barden Lane site which will provide religion for all faiths.

"The Diocesan School's Commission agrees with the proposal and obviously the Bishop does."

John Entwistle, chairman of governors at the school, said: "Under the statutory notice that has been received, the sixth form will become part of a multi-faith sixth form at the Barden site with only a chaplain for Catholic provision which we think is outrageous. We were told that if we wanted to pull out at any time then we could but the Bishop has relented that promise which is why we are in this position now."

He added: "We have had our most successful year to date with a record number of 280 students from 14 schools coming to the sixth form.

"We hope the surge of Catholic feeling will be strong enough to help stop this from going ahead because children in the area aren't going to get a Catholic education."

A spokesman for the LEA said: "Discussions have been held with the Salford Roman Catholic Diocese and the Learning and Skills Council to address all concerns raised during the consultation.

"We feel that the new centre would provide the best available academic facilities for students in the area."

But the town's MP Peter Pike said it was important for the Catholic schools to be included in the programme.

He said: "It has been proposed for some time that the sixth form should merge together so it's not come as a surprise. I am somewhat disappointed that this issue was not raised at a much earlier stage but I am obviously looking at the issues."

A meeting has been arranged at St Theodore's, Ormerod Road, at 7pm on Wednesday for parents and residents to raise their concerns.