Entry to 6th form - does this sound a bit disorganised?

[Bouncingbeans]

DD is due to go back to the sixth form in her current school and providing she meets the entry requirements, and the Head of Department for her subject choices approves a place on the course, and there is a space, she will be able to study her chosen subjects.

The part that I am struggling with is that this is not confirmed until enrolment day which is the first day of term on 3rd September. So we will not know if she has been accepted until that day. Of course, if she gets high grades across the board then she will be able to relax, but her predicted grades are in the A/B range and some of her exams didnt go well (she thinks) so she may be borderline for 2 of her choices.

My oldest DD moved to a different school for A levels and her place plus A level choices were confirmed the day after results by email. Also, all of my DNs, at 3 different schools had their A levels confirmed the next day too, I recall one of them didnt get her choices and applied to another school before they went back to start the new term.

I have contacted the sixth form admissions team and they have confirmed that they will not be looking at choices until that first day and they will not officially be members of the sixth form until their form is signed on enrolment day. I just feel as though it will all be rushed on that day if someone doesnt get their first choices due to space and lower grades and may take a subject they later regret as a result.

Also, some DC may have very specific A levels requirements for chosen career/uni and they may miss out taking up places at other schools if they find out on 3rd September that they have not been accepted for one of their choices as it will be too late by then.

Appreciate there is nothing we can do now, and she really does want to go back to her school, so we will wait it out, but does this sound like a standard approach, or am I maybe over-thinking it (more than DD is!)?

[AtiaoftheJulii]

It does seem late, as it doesn't leave them any time for sorting out a plan B if the school can't/won't accommodate them. My dd1 had 6th form enrolment a week after the results, the week before they went back to school. My dd2 is doing GCSE's this summer, and at her school they just stick around on results day and get it all sorted out there and then.

[mummytime]

You can hold acceptances from more than one sixth form.

Usually you know what grades you need to study each subject at Sixth form. You find out if you have got these on results day which is mid-august. At my DCs school there are always staff available to talk to students who have got disappointing grades, so they can access their options.

Often there is a bit of leeway - based on how close they are to the required grade, the commitment they have shown to the subject (maybe any work they have done since the exams), and how the other results have come this year.

I have known people change their mind about sixth form within the first few weeks with no problems.

Remember if a student can't get the right grades at GCSE it will be much harder for them to get the right ones at A'level. There is a lot of self-study, and even a grade like A* can lead to a range of predicted A'level grades.

[BackforGood]

Sadly, this happened to my ds 2 years ago, but it was not what they had agreed. It's ridiculous. There should be an offer - like with universities - that, if you meet the required offer, then you have a place. If you don't, then that is when the doubt should happen, and of course some schools will still take people who have dropped a grade, and others won't need to, but if a pupil gets what is asked of them, then they should honour the offer of the place.

[Happy36]

It sounds pretty standard to me, if not ideal for your daughter. Schools have limited numbers of teachers and teaching rooms so timetabling is a headache especially where the school is too tight to buy software to help the staff in charge of timetables. Sixth form timetabling is worst for obvious reasons including having to wait for GCSE results.

It sounds as though your elder daughter's school was unusually quick in confirming her choices.

Tell your daughter not to worry - if she isn't allocated the best combination of subjects up front then she (and perhaps you) will need to be polite but firm about the necessity of a swap. However, until then, be patient.

I hope the exam. results are what she is hoping for.

[Bouncingbeans]

Thanks very much for the responses, think I am more concerned than she is to be honest! I understand about the timetabling issues and its not a huge sixth form but I just feel it will be a long 10 days or so from results to enrolment so fingers crossed her grades are as predicted (although sorry to hear this didnt happen for your DC Backforgood).

They were told that teachers onsite on results day will not be able to offer any assistance on sixth form places/subjects at that point. She has registered her choices but these are used a guide only apparently.

I know A levels are more challenging and perhaps if she does get a B instead of an A for one, she may struggle but she really wants to give A levels a shot.

I have told her she needs to take another look at the option boxes, and then when she has her results she can review these again and mark second choices in every box so she is as prepared as possible on enrolment day.

Patience is key so I have to overcome my control freak tendencies to want everything to be organised quickly!

[Happy36]

I would imagine that getting a B instead of an A is not going to affect being accepted onto an A Level course although I don't know your daughter's school. In my experience it's those with disastrous results trying to cobble together a decent set of subjects that they didn't fail and enjoy (everyone gets good GCSE results for Geography, for example, but very few want to carry on to AS/A2).

[OttilieKnackered]

It'll be a time tabling thing, guaranteed. I work in a sixth form college and time tabling is a nightmare. If it's a small sixth form, for example, they may end up with too few students to run a certain course. Or the only French class might clash with the only physics class, that sort of thing.

As long as she's not doing minority subjects and gets the grades she'll be fine. If it doesn't work out, all sixth form and FE colleges take students as late transfers for the first few weeks.

[MillyMollyMama]

Lots of schools will not want students with a B in an MFL doing an A level in that subject. Some schools require an A or above in appropriate subjects at GCSE for A level choices.

[circular]

Does sound very odd. DD1 was holding onto 4 places last year, her 1st 2 choices required enrolment before 3pm on results day. Which meant if she had dropped any required grades, she would have had to hedge her bets as to which one were more likely to take her and try them first.

Could it be that your DDs school are over full on certan popular subjects, so will take those with the highest grades? Or perhaps they cannot decide if they are definitely running a minority subject with less than a certain number?