STAYING-ON rates at Wyre Forest high schools are on the up following the launch of a partnership which enables students to take advantage of a wider range of post-16 courses.

ContinU started planning two years ago to offer a bigger range of AS and A-levels than one school could on its own, plus some vocational courses.

Baxter College in Kidderminster has reported a rise of 120 per cent in the number of year 12 students and a 153 per cent increase in the sixth form as a whole.

Meanwhile, Stourport High has seen an increase of 36.8 per cent in its sixth form numbers with almost 250 students in post-16 education.

Wolverley High has enjoyed a 35 per cent increase in its sixth form, taking it to almost 150, with an increased number in both year 12 and 13.

There has been a 10 per cent increase at King Charles I High while Bewdley has maintained its rate of 46 per cent of year 11 students staying into the sixth form with an increasing range of vocational courses.

Kidderminster College has reported an additional 50 students enrolling, 5.5 per cent better than last year.

ContinU is a partnership between the district's five high schools, Kidderminster College and the Kidderminster and District Training Company.

Outgoing chairman of the ContinU Directorate Kevin O'Regan, headteacher at Wolverley High, said: "It is tremendous that our partnership is already having an impact on staying-on rates in the area.

"This makes me very confident that, before long, students will be drawn into Wyre Forest for post-16 education by the provision we have."

New courses being run through the partnership include AS media studies, which is now in its second year with the first students studying for their A-level.

This year has seen the introduction of a ContinU access course to bridge the gap between school and employment or further education.

A ContinU construction course for the district's post-16 students has also started in a new facility at Baxter College and it is hoped that other vocational facilities will open at other schools within the next few years for both students and adult learners.

Stourport High headteacher Liz Quinn, who is taking over as chairman, said: "We are very conscious that we have to meet the needs of young people and that is why we are introducing new courses."