COLLEGE chiefs have denied that a planned merger could mean A-Level students being forced to travel to Cheltenham to finish their courses.

Minister for Further Education MP John Hayes has given the go-ahead to dissolve the Royal Forest of Dean College on January 31.

But college principal Greg Smith says persistent rumours that turning RFDC into a campus of Gloucestershire College will threaten A-Level provision in the Forest are completely wrong.

He says nothing is further from the truth and he hopes to expand rather than cut courses.

Coleford Town Council were so concerned about the rumours that they wrote to education chiefs at Shire Hall seeking assurances that students who started A-Levels in September would be able to finish them at Five Acres.

Councillors said families were flocking to sixth forms at surrounding schools because of uncertainty over RFDC.

Mr Smith said students signing up in September have nothing to worry about.

He told councillors: "The college has no plans to discontinue A-Level provision in the Forest of Dean. In reality we will endeavour to increase student numbers and thereby ensure their long term viability.

"Rumours such as those you have described in your letter are a much greater risk to future provision than the merger with Gloucestershire College.

"We have no plans to reduce the curriculum offer and will only ever do so if certain provision is no longer funded or is uneconomic because of small class size.

"It is our intention to attract more Forest of Dean students and turn around the current financial position which would have led to the closure of the college next summer, had Gloucestershire College not intervened."

Mr Smith said the merger safeguarded further education in the Forest and his staff are now looking at sites for a possible new college because the old buildings are outdated.

RFDC acting principal Paul Sparks is delighted the plans have been given the green light and said: "We have been working very closely with our Gloucestershire College colleagues to achieve this very speedy merger, and we are looking forward to being part of a large college delivering high quality provision for our learners, employers and the community."

Skills Funding Agency chief executive Geoff Russell said: "It marks the start of an exciting new era that I hope will boost skills and training opportunities in the Forest of Dean."