The closures, part of a plan to improve education in the county, were approved at a council meeting on Friday.

The sixth forms at Sir William Romney's School in Tetbury, Kingsmead School in Cheltenham and the Vale of Berkeley College will all go.

Parents, pupils and teachers gathered outside the meeting to protest, chanting 'Save our School'.

The council is considering proposals to close or merge several of the county's secondary schools as well as shutting the three sixth forms and moving all sixth form provision to a central college.

The plans have been condemned by parents, teachers and local MPs.