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Secondary education

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Help choosing a 6th form school

27 replies

6thmum · 23/09/2014 18:26

Hello all,
I would be grateful for any tips re choosing a 6th form school for my DS. We live overseas but he is currently in Yr 11 at a co-ed. He is bright but finds it difficult to knuckle down and get work done so his teachers complain of underachievement in almost all subjects. I'm looking for a boys only school (less distractions I think) with a reputation for coaxing average boys to academic brilliance. Any tips please?

OP posts:
soddinghormones · 23/09/2014 19:20

Erm .... Just locally there's Dulwich College and Whitgift in the private sector both of which are boys only and both of which take new pupils into the sixth form. In the state sector wimbledon college takes new boys post 16 as does Ernest Bevin (which is technically co-ed at sixth form but the number of girls is pretty tiny). Further afield City of London Boys school also has sixth form entry plus the sutton grammar schools. I'm sure that pattern is replicated in other parts of the country too. Where will you be living or is it just your ds coming to the uk?

mummytime · 23/09/2014 18:30

I think you need to contact someone like the Gabbatis trust or Good Schools guide consultants. I know of very few schools which just have boys in sixth form, and none of those I know take boys just for sixth form (as far as I am aware). Also I assume you don't want to send him to a school which changes totally in character for the sixth form, some seem to just fill up with overseas students at that age.

So I think you would do well to get specialist help, especially as it is so late - my DD in year 11 state school is already applying for sixth form, and some tests/interviews start pretty soon.