School sixth form vs Sixth form college

6th form college every time.

1. teachers teach A levels. In a school they teach through the KSs and sixth form is a small % of their teaching.
2. a broader range of students which makes it easier for them to find their tribe- I find the kids are more likely to be “themselves”
3. no odd rules on dress/office style wear or uniform
4. more like uni- less of a shock. Students tend to adjust better (there were studies that evidence this)

Yes i can give you the benefit of hindsight!! Elder ds had no school 6th form and only option was college for A levels. He went from getting 12 A* at GCSE to failing year 12. He just did not have the structure at college that he needed, it was too easy to not do the work and the college expected a lot of self study which he did not do. He had lots of free time and he chose not to use it wisely.he enjoyed the freedom far too much and we realised too late. He had a huge shock and resat the year and did well and onto university. Younger ds who has just done GCSEs is now going to another local school that has a 6th form and i hope that having this structure will stop us from going through the same situation. I think college can work really well for some but they have to be motivated and the college have to be on the ball to spot dc that are falling behind. It was very parents hands off and we should have been more involved than we were. Ds should have also stepped up better. For us the mix of all these things just did not work but i know that for many the extra freedom and responsibility is a very positive thing.

DDs went for 6th Form College because

1. Teachers were experienced in teaching 16+ year olds
2. The teachers didn't have to swap between teaching Yr7 and then Yr 12
3. Were treated as 'Young adults' there was no uniform or particular style of dress code, addressed teachers by their first name etc
4. They could come and go as they pleased as long as they attended timetabled lessons
5. Encouraged to work independently
6. It felt like a stepping stone to university life

It's not for everyone because of points 4 & 5 - some students found it hard but mine thrived and have become more mature as a result of the freedom it offered.

Beware of the hidden cost of 6 form colleges.
I have 2 DCs who were born only 1Y apart. All the schools in our town had no post 16 provision so both the kids had to decide which college to attend.
They could walk to school, but in the year that they were both at (different) 6th form colleges I spent £1000 on train fairs for them.
So much for free education.

I feel at this age you just need to let them make the decision.
If you make it, or heavily influence it, if they aren't enjoying it or are struggling there for some reason, it will always be "you made me go there".
If they choose where they think they'll be happy, hopefully they will. And if not, they have to decide what to do and can't throw it at you either!

Where does your DC want to go?