THE father of a Yate student is calling for answers after funding cuts forced the closure of a training scheme which made his daughter ‘happy again’.

Mark Carter only discovered the KTS Training campus on North Road in Yate was closing when his daughter Rhianna was informed of the news on Monday.

Seventeen-year-old Rhianna, who left Brimsham Green School without taking her GCSEs, started studying towards taking her exams at the independently-run campus three months ago.

Mr Carter, a self-employed builder, said Rhianna had experienced mental health issues after being bullied at school. However, Brimsham Green School said it had no record of the family ever reporting any incidents of her being bullied.

Added Mr Carter: “She had really settled at KTS. She loved the environment and felt comfortable with the other students.

“We felt as though she had slipped through the net at school and KTS had caught her. Now she has fallen through again.”

He added: “My daughter had a lot of problems at school. She didn’t end up doing her exams because she had anxiety issues.

“Rhianna is as bright as a button, if she had done her exams she would have flown, she just needed the right learning environment.

“We wanted her to get some qualifications so she could try and move on and she really liked the tutors, small classes and learning at her own pace. She was happy.”

But the scheme, which is based in Kingswood and has another centre in Fishponds, has had its funding contracts stopped and all three centres are to close.

The Yate site shut on Monday but students are being transported to the Kingswood campus until the end of July.

Mr Carter said: “We didn’t know it was coming, Rhianna is absolutely gutted. She was back on track and felt like she was making progress.

“I just want people to know that all these cuts have an impact on real people. It is devastating.”

KTS chief executive Andy Haynes said it had become apparent that the private company, which relies on grants from the Education Funding Agency, was not viable.

“As directors we are not in a position to be able to keep the business running,” told the Gazette. “We had hoped to have 60 or more students next year but we made 13 staff redundant on Friday. It is a very sad time.”

He said the firm, which has been offering training and courses for 36 years, would continue its apprenticeship schemes.

Mr Haynes added: “I do accept there is not really going to be anything in Yate for people now. Clearly we are very disappointed for all the people on our programmes.”