Charter Sixth Form - views please!

[Twigs]

My daughter has just finished her GCSEs at Greycoat Comp in Westminster and while she's had a great time there, she is quite keen to have a change of scene for Sixth Form. She has a conditional offer at Charter Sixth Form but is away for their Induction Day, and knows no-one there. She'd be doing humanities subjects (French, English, History). Just wondering how good those subjects are and, as importantly, how easy it is for those coming in from outside to settle in and make friends, as I know many students stay on at Sixth Form and so already know each other.

Any comments very welcome - thank you!

[tiddles]

My children did not go to charter sixth form ( my boy has just finished his A'levels) but I know plenty who attended the sixth form who had not previously been at the school. The picture I get is of a resounding thumbs up both academically and socially.

very best of luck

[Twigs]

Thanks so much - that?s really helpful.

[Soylent Green]

I looked at Charter for my son, but he chose to stay at his old school, partly because he had heard of difficulties experienced by switchers. No serious problems, but students finding they spend the first half term (7 weeks) finding their feet - getting used to the different teaching methods and routines, making friends and integrating themselves into new established friendship groups. And perhaps more significantly, finding that the school had done a different exam board and therefore syllabus for some subjects so there was some catching up to do in some topics.

Had you considered SFH6? Because it is a merger of Sydenham and Forest Hill, there is integration all round perhaps making it is easier to make friends. My personal favourite of all the 6th forms was Haberdashers, which offers six hours of contact time per subject as opposed to the usual five.

[tiddles]

Yes mine went to fhs6 and was very happy there

[Paradise2]

My granddaughter has been offered a place at 6th form too. She knows nobody at the school either as she is transferring from Pimlico School. I am sure there will be a few others who are in the same position so I wouldn?t worry.

[Twigs]

Thanks so much but we would be too late to apply elsewhere!

[Twigs]

Thank you. I am increasingly hearing of newbies joining at sixth form & being fine. I hope your granddaughter enjoys it there.

[Soylent Green]

Twigs Wrote:

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> Thanks so much but we would be too late to apply

> elsewhere!

Actually it isn't. There is lots of chopping and changing on results day and even into the first few weeks of the term. It sounds like you were just looking for reassurance tho, so I hope it all goes well, but if it doesn't...

[DenmotherSmith]

My son moved to Charter sixth form, he loved it, made a lot of new friends, he took Alevel history and I thought the subject was very well taught, with excellent, approachable teachers. He has since moved on to Camberwell Art College along with some students from Charter. I was generally very impressed with the sixth form. The UCAS preparation was also very good. My younger son decided to stay at his school for sixth form and has since come to regret the decision. Feels now stuck in the same place since he was eleven!

[Twigs]

We?re not in need of reassurance, just views on Charter. She has 3 other offers from great Sixth Forms but we?ve narrowed it down to GCH which she knows would be excellent, & Charter. We don?t need a fifth sixth form ...

[Twigs]

Thanks DenmotherSmith, that?s very helpful & encouraging. I?m sorry your younger son regrets his decision - it?s hard to make that leap into the relative unknown. I think we?ve heard enough now from various quarters to think she?d be generally well taught and happy there. My only residual hesitation is that French is exceptionally strong at GCH and Charter is a bit of an unknown in the subject (I?ve asked for their results; silence!). But we?ll work it out in the end. She?s fortunate to have such good options; it just makes the decision harder to call...

[hpsaucey]

Twigs Wrote:

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> Thanks DenmotherSmith, that?s very helpful &

> encouraging. I?m sorry your younger son regrets

> his decision - it?s hard to make that leap into

> the relative unknown. I think we?ve heard enough

> now from various quarters to think she?d be

> generally well taught and happy there. My only

> residual hesitation is that French is

> exceptionally strong at GCH and Charter is a bit

> of an unknown in the subject (I?ve asked for their

> results; silence!). But we?ll work it out in the

> end. She?s fortunate to have such good options; it

> just makes the decision harder to call...

If your daughter has an instinct on which one of the two maybe let her follow it. Like secondaries of course you never really know until they start ...

[tomskip]

What is GCH? In all honesty I think by the time it comes to A levels parents(even ED parents) need to slightly ease up on the neurosis about schools and let their kids decide.

[Twigs]

Hopefully doing a bit of research isnt neurotic, but sensible, for a school we don?t know. She can then decide. Do you know anything about Charter or was that it?!

[tomskip]

No, my main question was who or what is GCH. As far as I know, Charter has a great 6th form and the students who go there are happy. I do know quite a few Charter school pupils - it's all good.

[hammerman]

tomskip, I also wondered what GCH was but guess it's Greycoat Comp in Westminster as the OP hasn't clarified.

[Paradise2]

GCH = Grey Coat Hospital, it?s an all girls comp secondary school in SW1

[Twigs]

Yes, GCH is short for Greycoat Hospital school - sorry if the acronym puzzled people!