6th Form Open Evenings....

There is also an interesting thread under High Education about the issue of students being given the right advice that you may want to read.

Thanks for linking to that Neither
I'd always been a bit about the whole RG thing, considering I to be a marketing ploy, but that's a really fair and useful document. It's heartbreaking to see students picking A Levels which will not let then go on to do the course they want.

NeitherHereOrThere - thanks for posting that link. I had read the old version, but the new version is quite reassuring for my DD - who wants to study one facilitating subject and a number of "new" ones at A'level. For what she wants to do at University this looks okay, which I wasn't sure about.

Its also a good idea to read this when choosing A level subjects

We have a choice of sixth form colleges - both very good. Ds and dd in turn were both absolutely sure they knew where they wanted to go and dismissed the other college. I persuaded them to go and look at both colleges for comparison. To be fair to both of them they were both surprised at how much they liked the college they had dismissed and saw that it had strengths. In the end they both went with their first choice (based on individual subject availability and syllabus) and ultimately have been reassured they made the right choice.

If he is thinking of going to uni it's worth looking at their courses now to see what the entry requirements are. Some will want certain subjects at A level.

We went to dad's sixth form opening evening at the beginning of the week and I'm so glad I did. We walked in knowing only two of the four A levels that she wanted to do and with five options for the other two. Each subject had a talk about what to expect and a brief outline of the course by the time we left she was very clear about which four to go with. In our case de should get the required grades (a & A* x 5 and b x2) but if she doesn't then the fact that the teachers know her should help us convince them to take her on. One of her teachers said as much.

Forgot to say we are now dealing with the same problem over uni. He has picked the local uni and does not want to consider others.

I know my situation is different as my DS's school had no 6th form but my DS was adamant that he was not going to the open evening of one local college. I made him go as I said he needed to compare. Although as I said earlier this college was plan B but he picked this one over another local one. Plan A had been a college out of county.

Hope that makes sense.

Is he definitely going to get the grades that will admit him to his school 6th form to do A levels?
Will his grades definitely be good enough for his A level choices (e.g. a B in German to continue with German).
Does he definitely even want to do A levels?

If you can't answer yes to all the above then you should be looking around so you have Plan B and Plan C covered.

There are new subjects he may not have thought about, and non A level courses that might be good. It is well worth going I would have thought.

(My DD will be applying to 3 colleges for 3 very different courses - keeping her options open depending on how the rest of y11 goes).

I regret not having dragged my DS to see a few other schools rather than just drifting into his school sixth form.

I am also about to write a letter of complaint, because their school's sixth form "open evening" is useless for the undecided who want to choose between lots of subjects, because of the way its organised.

DD has been to 4 College open events, a very alternative school sixth form one, but may not make her own school one as it clashes with other things and is so limited. (She may or may not apply anyway.)

Undertaker?! I guess we'll always need them

Yes, most seem to be doing mocks before Christmas.

DD is planning on History, Econonmics, Psychology plus either Eng Lit or Art. Art is in favour at the moment as she is worried about so many essay subjects, but Art is very time-consuming If she gets the results at GCSE, of course! Some sixth forms won't look at anything less than an A, which is setting the bar quite high.

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.

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.

Ah, no - it's mocks in February!

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

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)

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!