(24 Apr 2014, 3:03 pm)Michael wrote Needs to be sorted quickly as out because numbers will drop
Numbers may drop slightly, but I imagine the college will plodding-on as school-leavers will always be cajoled into pursuing further education at colleges - especially if they're tired of the rigidities that schools invariably bring.
Unless Sunderland College don't offer a specific course, then I'd presume that most school-leavers (or prospective students) will attend the institution most local to them for the sake of convenience (and, to lesser extent, overall costs including travel etc.) without considering other factors such as the quality of teaching or overall satisfaction ratings. The proximity of other institutions also offers choice. For example, if living in Gateshead or Newcastle, you have the option of either Newcastle or Gateshead Colleges as they are situated near one another. I'm guessing that in Sunderland this is not the case - meaning that there's only one real local option available to people living within the city, Sunderland College.