HEADTEACHERS are opposing plans for a new sixth form at an Accrington high school amid fears it would damage standards elsewhere.

Heads at five of Hyndburn's six high schools have written objecting to the plan by St Christopher's High School and insist it could lead to other colleges, such as St Mary's, Blackburn, not having enough A-level students to make some courses viable.

Lancashire County Council's education boss, Coun Alan Whittaker, is being urged by officers to object to the plans for the same reasons.

Today, Alasdair Coates, head at St Christopher's, said: "We believe it would still be possible to open a sixth form centre, and believe there is a need for one in Hyndburn.

"We have not yet seen the letter from the schools or from Coun Whittaker, so I cannot comment on them."

The board of Governors at St Christopher's announced their intention to open a sixth form college, which would be the only place offering A-levels in the borough, before Christmas.

Lancashire's school organisation committee is due to discuss the idea in March but the letter to the committee insists it would be bad for the borough.

Denise Parkinson, head of Norden High School, Rishton; Katrina Ryan, head at Mount Carmel, Accrington; Andrew Bateman, head at Moorhead, Accrington; Mark Jackson, head at Hollins, Accrington and Barry Burke, head at Rhyddings, have all signed the letter.

It says: "The intention raises a number of significant concerns and will, if approved, have a destabilising and damaging effect on the high-quality provision already available."

It points to a review by the Lancashire Learning and Skills Council, which concluded that students wanting to do A-levels had no problems travelling outside the borough.

It claims if all of the A-level students from Hyndburn attending St Mary's College last year -- around 216 -- had gone to a new sixth form, then some courses at St Mary's would have been put in jeopardy.

It says even with 300 pupils, the new sixth form 'would not be able to offer the same subject choice available at St Mary's.

And it claims that creating an A-level only college at St Christopher's would jeopardise the community cohesion which exists when youngsters from across East Lancs go to colleges like Blackburn College and St Mary's.