Living in student accommodation 6th form

My DC did similar - the course they wanted was a four hour drive /train away. They were weekday boarders and came home Friday to Sunday evening. Some weekends they stayed at friend's family homes. They were 14 when they went and developed a great deal of independence and personal development. It was hard on us as DPs but was best thing they did and what they learnt there and friendships made have been great. Only drawback we found was when they went into Higher Education they were a lot more mature than some of their peers.

Have a look at a company called Gabbitas. They seek accommodation in family homes for this exact situation. A friend of mine was in the same situation and he is now staying with a lovely family.

Personally I wouldn’t allow this. I don’t think 16 year olds should be living alone. They need parenting still however talented and sensible they are.

If you can afford it and he's keen then I don't see why not. In Scotland up until fairly recently at least kids often went to university at 16 or if not 17

I lived in halls at 16 - but we were all 16-18 on the same course

OP I have housed 16 yo foreign students for the last few years, although not in London. I do their washing and provide a daily family meal and general parenting as required. The students came from an agency who organise foreign students coming to the UK. I have had 1 or 2 students at a time (foreign language students tend to stay singly to make sure they are speaking English, others don't mind doubling up.
if my 16yo was going like yours, I would want them housed like this.
try Barnes Education - they organise the whole thing but they may be prepared to assist solely with accommodation. There are other agencies who do solely accommodation but I don't know the ones in London.

They do summer schools, why don't you see how he gets on with one of them, it's much shorter and gives you an idea of what he would be like alone in London. He sounds very focused tho, tell us more about the collection?

I know someone who goes to a performing arts sixth form in London and they live 5-6hrs drive. I think he lives with a host family rather than totally alone in student accomodation, but it’s quite normal at the place he goes to.

Sorry haven’t read everything but my child is planning to live on a campus college/uni from 16 and I think it will be amazing. They have seperate rules for the under 18 students like curfews and no opposite sex students allowed in, is there anything like that at all? I know a campus is different to a city but I think it will be amazing for my child to experience independent living at that age

Personally I’d be contacting CSM themselves and asking their advice about the best route in. Do they have open days you can go to?
Just because someone in fashion on the internet or HFA themselves say they are the best route in, it doesn’t mean it’s true 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes, I thought about this option. I know a couple of sixth formers from the North East who did that so they could go to sixth form at one of the performing arts colleges in London.

No specific advice but hats off to your DS, he sounds incredibly driven and focused and deserves to succeed.

Home boarding is probably an option.

i worked at a school that took international students from 16. They boarded with local families.

my advise would be the same if Ihad had my second cup of coffee, but may have been phrased more positively. Sorry about that! He might be right, and he’s got gumption, and supportive family with some money-he’s got a lot going for him.

I’m afraid I have no advice. But I have two kids at university and they are not half as proactive and focused as your 14-year-old even now. I am so impressed, well done!

And…Do HFA get kids into CSM from their foundation year, rather than A level route? I’m pretty certain the fashion BA at CSM still require that qualification, where as many other courses don’t-check!

Do HFA get more kids into specific courses in London (than what? than where?) because they are in London and they have a wealthy cohort who can afford to stay in London?

HFA is known locally as party central, very wealthy kids with a lot of disposable income. He won’t be going home at weekends-he’ll be in the Cotswolds or at his mates parents in Primrose Hill

Does he know that it’s the MA at CSM that is traditionally the course to aim for? Is he only considering the UK? Parsons?

I am unsure if any 14 year old could acquire legitimate work experience, which would include safe guarding and proper training. I’d imagine he’s doing digsbody work to be in the action that the “upcoming designer” doesn’t want to pay for. I’d also imagine that the BFC aren’t aware.

i think it’s unfair to suggest CSM fashion degrees are a finishing school for Chinese students-but there is a partial truth in this.

I work in lowly admin roles with several adults who did the BAs in fashion at CSM. They wish they had studied elsewhere to get some skills, while living a bit and tried for the MA later on. On just studied elsewhere to get the skills to make them employable in the majority of jobs. Not to say that CSM grads in fashion aren’t employable, but they aren’t usually doing the main jobs.

I am so sorry to be a downer, but my suggestion would be that you start to look at the reality of the situation and do research yourself. It’s very easy for kids to pick up an alternative reality from what ever internet channels they’re using.

In other words take no notice of me or anything on the internet but go and check out UAL, CSM and the jobs he wants! He might find that what he wants isn’t what he needs.

I know quite a few 16-year-olds who lived away in London in student accommodation. It’s quite common in the performing arts and dance world, where you typically start a diploma or a degree at 16. Or there’s home stay where you lodge with a family.

“He would also come home every weekend.”

OP, if he’s coming home every weekend, what is your worry? He’ll be busy during the week, and even if he goes out with a few mates, so he might if he was at home. I’d let him go - he sounds like a focused and enterprising young man with a plan - I’d support him as far as I possibly could.

I'm just replying to this comment of yours, OP, so you'll see my questions here!

You say he's already organised work experience in London for Fashion week - if you're 3 hours away, have you made accommodation arrangements for that? Just wondering if this might be a trial for him going forward - or are you going with and supervising him for this?

As a former secondary teacher and headteacher, the thought of a 16 year old living alone in London does worry me quite a bit, I have to say.

My daughter lived away from home for the equivalent of 6th form. She was studying dance. She did do a year living with a family first though.

Some of her friends did go to London at 16. Places like Central School of Ballet & Laine Theatre Arts. She herself decided that 16 was too young to do that and she went at 19.

There are families out there who are guardians for students from abroad studying in the UK, They provide accommodation for weekends and some holidays, there might be something similar for your boy. Try an agency maybe?

There are so many issues to consider here. (And I’m speaking as someone with several generations of traditional boarding school behind me.)

Firstly whether this is indeed the ideal school to help him achieve his aspirations. There was a not very encouraging thread about CSM very recently which you should probably search for. But if that’s the main place they send students on to, it gives an idea of who attends this school, I suppose?

And then having a 16 year old living unsupervised in London … It’s not something I’d feel easy about - so I’d be investigating family home lodging options where there’d be someone to monitor his comings and goings and provide him with the odd home cooked meal.

I also suspect he may be too exhausted or too immersed in his own life to want to go home every weekend.

However, I note he is currently only 14. And clearly very proactive! It may be that by 16 he has his own friends and contacts in London, (with the possibility of somewhere to stay) as well as a more solid knowledge of what really will be the best route to what he wants.

Having looked at options including a combined HE/FE college for DC for sixth form when we lived abroad and ruled it out in favour of traditional boarding school and having had a DC at a London uni under 18 I would say look for a home boarding option over halls. Drama schools often have students boarding with families for sixth form, I would try and look at something like that. If he really will go home every weekend there would I’m sure be lots of people who would happily have a boarder through the week. I don’t think private halls designed for uni students is the right environment for a 16 year old yet to complete sixth form level accommodation.