When should we start looking at 6th forms and colleges?

[TheRealHousewifeOfSomewhere]

DD just started yr 10 boarding just over an hour from where we currently live.

She will only be at the school until end of year 11 as there will be no need for her board after that. Its too far 130 miles round trip to be a day pupil.

So when is a good time to start looking at 6th forms. DD wants to continue with as many MFL as possible (doing 5 at GCSE).

Both DH and I started work at 16 - left school straight after exams O'levels etc know nothing about schools, 6th form etc.

DD has mentioned sitting for a 6th form scholarship at a local private school (we have not even looked at it to know if we like it/its suitable) but we are not in a financial position to pay the full fees anyway so its a bit pie in the sky. I want to maily concentrate our search on local state schools and colleges but dont know when you need to apply or when is too early to look.

Should we be looking this year - to give us an idea of whats out there or would schools/colleges think us a bit too early.

Please - any advice would be so appreciated. We are clueless about what happens after year 11 in the practical sense.

[TheArticFunky]

I take it that she's quite academic if she is studying for so many languages. Are there any Grammar schools in your area they usually have good sixth forms.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

[TheRealHousewifeOfSomewhere]

Thanks for replying Artic. She is quite academic yes and keen to continue with MFL and plans to go to Uni (something else that I am ignorant about).

Aha where are we ???- thats also an issue because sometime in the next 12 months we get to find out if we stay here in South Wales or move to Peterborough.

Being DD goes to school out of this area (and we have only been here a short while) I am not that clued up locally but I am about to start researching.

However - Peterborough seems a million miles away and I have absolutely no idea about any schools or colleges over there. So please any Peterborough/Stamford mumsnetters feel free to tell me what you know.

[ISingSoprano]

State sixth forms will be doing open days around now for current Y11 so it's probably not a bad idea to try and go to some to get a feel for them and the scope for doing MFL.

[mindgone]

I would look now in Y10, less pressure than Y11, and more time to find out all her options.

[TheBuskersDog]

I think she will find it very difficult to do more than two MFL, most schools won't offer that many and are likely to have e.g. spanish and german time-tabled at the same time as generally pupils will have done one or the other at GCSE. Also if she is doing four AS subjects it would not be very balanced to have more than two MFL.

[Talkinpeace]

DD is currently in year 11 at a state that finishes at year 11.
She went to the 6th form college open evening last summer and will go again week after next
the application deadline for that college is 13th December and 7th February for the other academic college round here
so two terms before they arrive ....

[ISingSoprano]

Think your dd is looking at the same sixth form as my dd Talkinpeace

[Talkinpeace]

PSC?

[ISingSoprano]

Yep!

Dd has already done most of her application form. She pretty much knows what courses she wants to do but we are waiting for the open evening as she has a few questions she wants to ask.

[Talkinpeace]

Ooh, you are ahead of me. We've not even looked at the form. Still trying to work out what combination to do ! See you at the open evening. I talk like I type (apparently)

[ISingSoprano]

The new Principal came and gave a talk at a careers evening at DD's school last week.

[Talkinpeace]

Aha, I have that this week