Admissions to sixth form

[Daltec]

Where I live, state schools do not have sixth forms. Most kids move on to sixth form colleges, some travel to grammar schools out of county (about an hour away) and a few go to independent schools. I've got lots of open evenings lined up, but I'm confused about the whole admissions process and offers etc. If my Dd likes more than one school or college and is offered a place in all of her choices conditional upon certain GCSE results, can she accept all offers now and just sit on them until the time comes or does she have to choose just one now? If she got an offer at a grammar, is the offer set in stone (e.g. she can have a place if she gets 7 As) or does the school just wait and see what results all the applicants get and then select on that basis (so if all the other external candidates get 10 A, then she won't get a place)?

I'm also a bit concerned about sixth form college. Not sure whether there would be a bit too much freedom for my liking. Her school very much favours sixth form colleges because the school says that these offer the best preparation for university (independent learning and all that....not sure I really understand what it is all about, after all, if they are practically teaching themselves, why not just stick them in front of a computer with a few i-tutorials thrown in for good measure?). I like the idea of being in the structured environment that a school offers and the fact that the free periods would hopefully be monitored in some way to prevent the students just wasting their time in the common room.

[prh47bridge]

The school is correct that universities favour independent learning. It depends on the subject and the university but students typically get a few lectures, a tutorial or two and possibly some practical sessions each week. The rest of the time they are expected to read around what they've been taught and dig into the subject so that they have a deeper understanding.

You are being a bit optimistic if you think free periods in a school's sixth form would be monitored. In my experience most schools leave sixth form pupils to themselves during their free periods.

[FlourArranger]

She can hold as many offers as she likes - students often (cheekily!) even enrol at two colleges to see which they like the feeling of the most in the first day or two, then withdraw from one.
A conditional offer with grades is set in stone so far as the college is concerned. If, for example, she is offered a place if she gets 7 A*s, and she does, then she has the place regardless of how well everyone else does.
Conversely, if she doesn't achieve her offer, do get in touch with the college - they may be willing to make adjustments to her programme and accept her anyway on perhaps slightly different subjects.

Either way, she doesn't need to make any final decisions until almost this time next year!

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I went to a 6th form college in an area where schools don't have 6th forms

Apart from The fact there was no uniform it was much more of a school type environment than the other option on offer (a local FE college).

[YeGodsAndLittleFishes]

Yes, they all offer conditional places, your DD tells them she is interested. There may be a meeting/informal interview for some schools but they have to say whether this counts towards to selection process. There is then the wait for the results and on results day she will need to phone all the sixths forms/colleges and tell them her grades and whether she is taking up her place.

I think it is important for them to get the idea of what frees are before university. I don't expect them to be monitored, and would avoid sending my DC to a place that did that for sixth form. They have to make their own choices, and they have to do the work to get the A level grades they need for university. Some of that involves working either in frees or after school or weekends if they want good grades. (Sorry if the conversation has moved. There were no other posts when I started writing this.)

[Daltec]

Thanks everyone. That has really cleared things up and it's good to know that she does not have to make any hasty decisions.