SUSSEX will be subject to a review of its post-16 education as the Government seeks to ensure colleges are able to stay afloat.

The review, commissioned by the department for Business, Innovation and Skills, will look at schools including City College Brighton and Hove, BHASVIC and Varndean College.

The study is being done after the Government passed the law for children to have to stay in education until they are 18 last year.

BHASVIC headteacher Chris Thompson welcomed the review.

He said: “There is a concern about colleges becoming financially unsustainable.

“I think that’s really what’s driving it.

“I think what they’re looking out for are colleges offering high quality, that they are financially sound and they are delivering to their locality.

“I think on all three of those we would presently feel confident, but it is a great opportunity for all principals and chairmen in the area to stand back and ask 'are we collectively doing the best we can by the students we serve?'.

“Because actually the key stakeholder is not the colleges, it’s the students.”

Sussex will join Birmingham and Solihull, Greater Manchester and Sheffield as case studies for the review, which begins on October 22.

Skills minister Nick Boles said: “We are developing a further education system which creates a productive, innovative and competitive workforce for the 21st century.

“This review will support the hard work of further education teachers and lecturers in the Sussex coast area, and give local people and businesses a greater say over how and what young people are taught.”

Nick Juba, chief executive officer at City College Brighton and Hove – which has struggled with money problems in the last year – said: "City College Brighton and Hove is committed to serving the young people and adults of Brighton and the wider City region.

“I welcome any opportunity to work with our partners across Sussex to ensure that we deliver against that commitment.

“I hope that the area review process will generate sensible and realistic ideas for future ways of working, given the very challenging public funding environment facing the whole of the sector."