independent sixth form 'tutorial' colleges London

[loopyloo123]

any advice on these?

[hollolew2]

My Ds is at Brampton in Hendon resitting A levels. He's happy there although its not like school they just concentrate on exams and how to pass them. He gets on well with his peers there it was a bit of an adjustment in the beginning coming from a top private but lots of attention is given to them small class sizes etc. my husband , son and I all thought it was better than just sitting at home trying to revise on his own educationally and socially but there are plenty of kids that just haven't got on in school and prefer small groups no P.E etc.

[loopyloo123]

Thanks both. My son would be attending year 11 for GCSEs. For several reasons but a fresh start and more focused study than he is doing at his local comp where he is underachieving and not motivated. I hope he won't find being the youngest a problem though. I worry that the majority of students are 16+?

[notquiteruralbliss]

My DD moved to a private tutorial college in London at the beginning of year 11 (GCSE year). It was her choice to go there but she hated it & left after a term. Although kids who had moved from private schools found it much less restrictive than they were used to (no uniform / able to go out during free periods etc etc) she found it far too regimented / factory like after 4 years at a somewhat anarchic London comprehensive & was constantly at odds with the head of GCSE.

[loopyloo123]

Was it difficult to get a place at the college (not sure how selective they are) and she manage to go back to another comp after that term?

[saintlyjimjams]

I used to teach at one. Ours didn't offer GCSE & 95% of people were there for retakes or as mature students who had degrees & needed a quick A level in specific subjects to change career.

We (I believe) were good at getting people through exams. But we didn't really offer much else, the feel was very different to a school. Unsurprisingly really as we were doing something different.

However as mentioned above most of our students were 19+ it may be different in colleges with younger students but I can see why they might be described as factory like.

I loved teaching at the tutorial college, loved the people I worked with and really liked most of the students. Found it a happy place to work. But while (if I had the cash) I'd happily send my 19 year old who needed intensive retake work I'd think very carefully before sending a younger child.

[flow4]

loopy You've got two threads running with the same question... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/teenagers/1694778-GCSE-tutorial-colleges

[Lilymaid]

No experience of London colleges for GCSE but DS2 went to one elsewhere for AS/A2 and had a great time. His college was run much as any other sixth form college, so had Wednesday afternoon sports, D of E, clubs etc.
Classes were much smaller than in his comprehensive, teachers were very friendly and really wanted their students to succeed. A real mix of students from all over the world (some two or three years older than DS) but he got on well with them.
We had worried that he wouldn't like it as all his friends were going to the state sixth form colleges, but he maintained his old friends and gained some new ones.
It gave him confidence in his academic abilities ... he is now at university and doing well. Unfortunately, I don't think this would have happened if he had gone to the state sixth form college that was offered to him.