Sixth forms - shld this be part of secondary consideration?

[Cora]

Doing the secondary school rounds and most are mentioning sixth forms. I've been ignoring this part, assuming that this will be an open decision we make at a later date but does it not work like that? - Is it hard to choose a sixth form provider that is different from your secondary? Do those already at the secondary get preference?

Thanks for any info x

[Curmudgeon]

When students get into year 11 (GCSE year) they can look around all available 6th form providers and choose the ones most appropriate to their ambitions

I don't think 6th form should play any part in your decision for secondary...although some students (quite a lot) choose to stay where they know it's an open opportunity for them to take control and mature

And they may choose academic, vocational or a mix of subjects that aren't available at their school

That said having a successful 6th form and knowing where students moved on to after a'levels can be reassuring too

[Cora]

Thanks Curmudgeon 😊

[Ann]

Cora I'm glad you have raised this issue. I have seen so many threads concerned about secondary school and rightly so.

You want your child to be happy and achieve to the best of their ability.

Sixth forms do set their own admissions criteria, but generally speaking achieving 5 GCSE's including Maths and English will open up a lot of choice. I agree with Curmudgeon's comments and I'm aware of many students who have changed school for sixth form for a whole host of reasons.

Sixth form choice is a dream compared to primary and secondary applications!

[vesti]

The Charter tell students to leave if they don't get D grade at AS level.

Decent results obtained by removing students getting lower grades.

High grades wanted not students reachng THEIR maximum potential.

Edited to correct typo

[uncleglen]

That's appalling vesti because presumably they only allow students to pass into the VIth form if they are likely to get a C grade or above at AS which is predicted by their GCSE points score....so it makes you wonder what goes on that they underperform?

[tiddles]

And Charter are not the only school that do this?

[bawdy-nan]

when I looked round Sydenham girls a couple of years ago the head made a point of stressing that they encouraged all of their girls who wanted to to go into the 6th form not just those who were "high achievers" - was a very impressive statement about the school's attitude towards education.

Looking round charter this year there seemed to be a very different emphasis from 2 years ago when it was all jazz hands for the 10a* kids and not a lot else. This time the head spoke about excellence but made a point of emphasizing that meant for all and that they were interested in excellent progress - the kids achieving at the best they could. The talk did also mention that the 6th form is in the top percentage ranks in the uk so I don't know if this new (to an outsider) inclusiveness extends beyond 16.

[landsberger]

Charter are by no means the only school who do this. Like many schools of the ilk and social background, they'd be a grammar school if they could be.

[vesti]

I heard that talk too bawdy-nan, and the similar one last year when students began in yr12; the very embracing of all abilities, want you to meet your potential talk finished with -- and you will not be able to continue if you don't get Ds or merits .

[bawdy-nan]

that's very disappointing

vesti Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I heard that talk too bawdy-nan, and the similar

> one last year when students began in yr12; the

> very embracing of all abilities, want you to meet

> your potential talk finished with -- and you will

> not be able to continue if you don't get Ds or

> merits .

[brezzo]

Cora,

I would say that if a school doesn't have a decent sixth form, then it may not be somewhere you want your child to attend in the first place - even if they switch at end of Year 11.

Regarding the AS grade being a "D" for students to continue - this isn't usually about schools getting rid of weaker students but keeping them off courses that they have a good chance of failing. A2 studies are much harder than AS and data suggests that students getting "E" grades or below at AS, are very likely to fail the whole qualification.

[nunheadmum]

I saw two similar schools on the recent round of open days - one with and one without sixth form. I noticed a real difference. The one with a sixth form had a lot more vibrancy, with more complex work on show which, one would think, would help inspire the kids lower down the school.

It's always possible that it was just the schools - nothing to do with 6th forms. But it did make me wonder if it was.