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Original poster

Any 6th forms still accepting applications? (London/Hertfordshire)

33 replies

almostfinished1514 · 14/02/2016 22:02

Anyone know of any 6th forms (not colleges) that are still accepting applications for entry this September (2016)?

DD has an offer for her current school but wants a change, and a place at a private school but without a bursary so she can't go there.
DD is planning on doing Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths (No chemistry if only allowed to do 3).

She doesn't mind a commute, or if it's single-sex or co-ed.

Ideas?

Thanks all,

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Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 16/02/2016 17:41

Spanish10
MHC's results seem to be gradually decreasing each year at A level...

Also the journey is slightly awkward from where we are and would probably take over an hour.

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Spanish10 · 16/02/2016 14:33

Mill hill county high school

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 16/02/2016 10:22

I think JFS would be a large problem socially and I think this would impact her studies.
Yavneh seems to be a definite no. We visited when looking for secondary schools and loved the school then, but some things seem to have changed e.g. The Headteacher seems to be trying to make the school appeal to more religious families by making a larger emphasis on Jewish life. Dd's friend's (at Yavneh) mum said that the majority of his speech was on Judaism and Jewish life and that made her cringe. The school is meant to be religious, but it's in an area where it will attract less religious families and it's if the head is trying to dissuade them from going!

We're going to apply to St Michael's
I'm writing on my phone so there's bound to be many mistakes.

Both Watford and Parmiter's are too far and St Albans' results didn't look that great... The average seemed to be a lowish B...

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Funandgamesandfun · 16/02/2016 08:37

Has she been and had a look round some of the 6th forms she dismissed because the reality may be very different from the hearsay? If she hasn't had a look then might be worth contacting the heads of 6th form and arranging to meet them. To me, she sounds like she's missing a trick if she hasn't. What about places like Watford Grammar or Parmiters or St Albans Girls? Are they manageable distance wise?

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 20:59

Ladymuck
I'm hoping for movement.
We'll still apply for other school as well - it's very unlikely that she will be offered a bursary from the original school

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Ladymuck · 15/02/2016 20:50

"All the schools she applied to seem to give bursaries on how well they did on their exams."

Yes, for this round. However they will have students holding multiple offers, and there is movement post GCSE offers. Clearly most of the pot is offered out early but even then there is movement.

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 20:35

DD seems to be right.... no idea where I got last month from

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Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 20:27

Just checked and applications closed last month. I'll email them in the morning and see what they say.

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Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 20:25

AgonyBeetle, I'll check again but I think DD read somewhere that they haven't closed applications yet?
The only think I'm worried about is the fact that religion seems to be quite big there and we're a religious Jewish family.

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AgonyBeetle · 15/02/2016 20:22

If she's socially anxious and shy, then St Michael's def worth a look, very good on the nurturing front, and tends to attract families with quite traditional values. And small enough that she won't get lost in the crowd.

I don't know if they accept late applications, but might be worth asking?

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 20:14

Funandgamesandfun
I don't actually think that DD would settle in JFS well. This is coming from a very pessimistic person, but DD knows of many in her year at JFS and she said that none of the crowds are similar to her own. She is a social anxious and shy person and I don't think JFS would be good because she would either stick out like a sore thumb or become more invisible than she is at her current school.

Ladymuck - All the schools she applied to seem to give bursaries on how well they did on their exams.
We'll probably submit Dd's mock results with her predicted grades, they would be higher. And I don't know much about it, but St James doesn't seem incredibly academic so it might have slightly lower requirements.

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Ladymuck · 15/02/2016 20:08

Don't know North London that well, but south of the river you need to have 8A* to be in the running for a bursary at 6th form.

Agree with the other posters - you are unlikely to find a school at this stage who will make a bursary offer, but you may have a chance once results are out. So if she is keen to move, and able to achieve those grades then she will have her option to move. I guess it depends on how motivated to move she is.

Funandgamesandfun · 15/02/2016 19:30

JFS are currently holding 23 Oxbridge offers, not sure many state schools, and indeed many private schools can match that. It's a big 6th form so plenty of scope to find likeminded friends. Shame she decided against Yavneh, the 6th form is second to none for sciences and they have 8 Oxbridge offers this year.

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 17:59

ParcelP
One of the top schools... (NLCS)
Why?

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ParcelP · 15/02/2016 17:56

What was that "top private school"?

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 15:39

DD's current school seems much better than FCH at A level....

Her PGs are much lower than I thought and she thought.

She thinks she will get 5A*S+

PGs seem like they're worthless.

And why do state schools care about PGs so much? DD got into one of the top private schools in the country with her "average" predicted grades!

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AgonyBeetle · 15/02/2016 15:36

Yes, good experiences with Woodhouse. Smile

Yes, they have very different intakes - StM has the selective intake who came into the school at Y7, with the addition of newcomers at 6th form, who have to pass a reasonably high bar (5As, iirc?).

Woodhouse standard offer (like Fortismere) is 5Bs inc Eng and Maths, so a wider ability range.

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 15:33

AgonyBeetle
-You are very pro-Woodhouse.....

Different intakes?

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AgonyBeetle · 15/02/2016 15:33

FCH also good if you want a school environment with slightly lower entry requirements than StM.

AgonyBeetle · 15/02/2016 15:31

I'm trying to think of all the good state schools in our area....
Do you know much about St Michael's?

If you mean the Catholic grammar school in North Finchley then yes, I do. It's a good school, sixth form has a wider intake than the lower school in terms of academics. It's VERY school-y, if that's what you're after. Depends whether your dd is happy in an environment that keeps a very close eye on the students' comings and goings, though with the downside of being a bit petty and restrictive (StM), or whether she wants somewhere with a much wider focus that will inspire her but also expect her to take responsibility for her own learning (Woodhouse). Both very good, but very very different ethos. Results probably comparable, given the different intakes.

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 15:24

bojorojo - suggest anyway?

DD's predicted grades are much lower than both of us would have thought - As well as this, some of her teachers have predicted the entire class the same grade e.g. DD's been getting straight A*s in Chemistry this year but is predicted (together with her entire class) an A.
She's doing additional maths, was gifted in 5 subjects etc

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bojorojo · 15/02/2016 15:15

I was going to suggest where my DD went to school in Hertfordshire but 1 A prediction will not get a bursary because the academics are not strong enough. That would put her near the bottom of their attainment range. Normally they look for very strong academics - 8 plus A and gifted in some area.

Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 14:37

*Message decided to send before I was ready....
It's completely 50/50 whether she will get good results or not.
Her predicted grades are (currently, keep being adjusted) 1A, 6As, 3BS, but she's definitely capable of getting 5/6As.

I'm trying to think of all the good state schools in our area....
Do you know much about St Michael's?

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Original poster
almostfinished1514 · 15/02/2016 14:32

AgonyBeetle - in a way yes,
I think it would be better for DD (e.g. stimulate her more), if she knew she at least has a conditional offer whilst she takes her GCSEs. She should be able to surpass her current school's entry requirements quite comfortably and I feel like this won't motivate her as much as it should.
Also, most of the schools that will accept applications post-GCSEs are colleges rather than schools. I don't think that (in my opinion) a college environment is that great because colleges often seem to lack the facilities and pastoral care that a 6th form will offer.
KCL Maths was DD's choice but I don't think she wants to apply to a college.
If it was a 6th form, I would be happy to apply post-GCSEs if I had to, there just don't seem to be any that will accept post-GCSEs.

OP posts:
AgonyBeetle · 15/02/2016 14:26

Are you open to the idea of waiting to make a late application post=GCSE?

The danger of applying now is that the schools that are still accepting applications are doing so because they are under-subscribed. If she's likely to get good GCSE results, then she'd be in a strong position to make a late application for more sought-after 6th forms.

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