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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

6th Form Open Evenings....

40 replies

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 08:57

DS1 (Year 11) goes to a great school. It has a 6th Form. He is not interested in looking at the local 6th form college or any other schools that have a 6th form, he is adamant he is staying where he is. The Open Evenings are all in the next few weeks.

He also has no idea what he wants to study post GCSE.

I have no idea whether I should be dragging him round against his will or just let him stay where he is.

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happygardening · 13/11/2014 10:11

We recently dragged DS1 kicking and screaming off to look at a particular university that we thought he might like. He said we were wasting his time (not ours apparently because parents have nothing better to do on a weekend than drive a 300 mile round trip) because he'd already decided on his first choice.
He moaned all the way there but within 10 minutes of arriving rather surprisingly completely and out of character changed his mind and has made it his first choice.
It's always good to look at a fewoptions IMO even if it confirms your view that where you are is what you want.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 10:18

That's what I am worried about happy. Bit of history in that he moved schools to this one in Year 8 after a terrible start at a different one.

But if he won't even go and look at alternatives not sure what to do really.

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noblegiraffe · 13/11/2014 10:33

If it's a great school and he's happy there, then why not let him simply stay on? That's what happened when I was at school. Most of his mates will be staying, he knows the school and the teachers. Those are good reasons to stay, especially if he doesn't have a burning ambition that would be better served elsewhere.

In two years time he will have to move so no point worrying about complacency now.

LineRunner · 13/11/2014 10:35

I would love it if my son's school had a sixth form. As it is, we have looked at a few colleges, and he has made his choice, and whilst he is happy with it I know he will be sad that his friendship group will disperse.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 10:39

YY, it's a bit of a weird County in that it's not the norm for schools to have a 6th form so it would be nice for him to stay with who and what he knows.

When do you have to make the final decision?

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NeitherHereOrThere · 13/11/2014 10:45

Agree that its best for him to stay if that's what he wants to do.

However, he should still attend the open evening as he will hear information about the A levels on offer - the curriculum, topics covered in each subject and entry requirements for the subjects he's interested in.

grunty · 13/11/2014 12:28

It's difficult to persuade them. I didn't go and look at any other 6th forms with DD1 because she went to a really good school and wanted to stay. Then post GCSE she hated it!

DD2 wanted to stay on at her school until she realized that she could not do her option choices. We have been or are going to most of the local sixth form open days. I think it is always wise to keep your options open as long as possible.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 12:31

Yes, we are going to the Open Evening for the school he is at and he is even wanting to take some of his friends that go to the school he left in Year 8 with him.

The thing is if we don't know what he is planning to study/can study at A level we won't know if the school does the course. His current best subjects are History, German and Chemistry.

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ChillySundays · 13/11/2014 14:00

Worth going to check them out. They might do subject which he can't do at school but hasn't thought of.

Needs a plan B. Know someone whose school who required very high grades for 6th form. This wasn't achieved and then they were running around in August trying to get a space

My DS accepted a place a two colleges and waited for results before making a decision. As it happened the grades dictated which college he ended up at not him

LineRunner · 13/11/2014 14:49

Yes you can hold a number of places until the results come out.

AtiaoftheJulii · 13/11/2014 14:57

Dd1 didn't want to go anywhere else for sixth form, was completely sure about staying at her school, so didn't bother looking anywhere else. No regrets

TalkinPeace · 13/11/2014 15:16

Whereas DDs school did not have a 6th form but she had decided which college she wanted to go to and we only applied to that one!
Did not even attend the open evenings for the others.
DS is the same - no interest in the other colleges.

University will be a whole new ball game for this time next year.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 15:20

Thanks for all this. It's all such an unknown. I wish I knew what he wanted to study.
How many subjects do they do?

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bigTillyMint · 13/11/2014 15:21

Will he have to apply for the sixth form and hopefully get an offer of a place which may or may not be conditional on him getting certain grades? That is what happens round here. If so, he might want a back-up plan just in case.

DD and her mates would like to move for sixth form, so we have been to quite a few already and more still to come, never mind the actual applications and possible interviews...

bigTillyMint · 13/11/2014 15:22

Some of the applications ask for a list of 5 possibles in order of preference, some just the 4. They seem to be saying start with 4 and drop one after AS, I think.

He needs to find out what syllabus/courses his/other sixth forms will cover as that may have a bearing on what he chooses.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 15:22

Yes, he will need to apply and they will tell him what he needs Tilly. I think I may gently suggest a look around the 6th form college at the very least.

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Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 15:23

YY, a friend has a daughter a year ahead of us and it was 4 to start with then one dropped after the first year.

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bigTillyMint · 13/11/2014 15:25

The thing is, Sparkling, that closing dates for applications for many of the sixth forms round here are before Christmas. DD's school say they need application forms in at least 2 weeks before the closing date. And they need their predicted grades for them too!

Theas18 · 13/11/2014 15:26

Sparkling i wouldn't worry if it's a decent 6th form . We're off to DD2s open evening tonight. She went to another one with her mates too. we are sadly giving an " illusion of choice" when there isn't one as there is no better school re provision for A level music and the results in other subjects are slightly worse.

As to not knowing what to so for A level. So with you on that! So far we know... not language , doesn't like... yes music (easy for her) , and then umm!

It'll probably be history english and maths (+music) at AS unless today tells her something helpful.

Been waving interesting uni courses under her nose as that might form some plans. Careers interview said "what about working in a museum" ..... Okaay! Both highly competitive and poorly paid .....

I think careers advice for able kids is so very poor.At 15/16 they have little idea what's out there beyond parental career paths and yet the options offered are so ... hmm narrow really. DS was told he'd make a good undertaker though LOLOL ( I wonder if they just check your height for that! and advise accordingly)

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 15:27

I thought the closing dates might be quite soon-hence the Open Days. I will be asking lots of questions.

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bigTillyMint · 13/11/2014 15:27

It's all pretty stressful. Especially as DD has been doing exams this week and will have proper mocks in January.

bigTillyMint · 13/11/2014 15:29

Ah, no - it's mocks in February!

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TheFairyCaravan · 13/11/2014 15:32

I'd go to the open evenings. Not all sixth forms offer the same courses. We didn't want DS2 to go to the sixth form he is at now. DS1 went, it's got problems with leadership, a lot of parents from DS1's cohort were unhappy and the college fobbed us off, so we looked elsewhere. Unfortunately there are only 2 other options here, we found out at the open evening that DS2 couldn't do his 4 subject choices at our first choice and the other sixth form is worse than where he is.

DS2 was guaranteed a place where he is because it is part of his school, but would have had to apply to the others. Usually it will have the deadline on the website.

Sparklingbrook · 13/11/2014 15:48

DS1 has proper mocks the last two weeks before Christmas.

Undertaker Theas? excellent.

I can't think what courses will even fit for him.

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Sidge · 13/11/2014 15:52

DD1 has her mocks 1-16 December or something. She is only going to look at one 6th form, and the applications have to be in by December 12th!

Luckily she knows what A levels she wants to do, and luckily the local 6th form offers them as otherwise she'd be travelling a long way.

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