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Original poster

Secondary Comprehensive Schools

63 replies

LesleyA · 27/02/2018 12:41

HI please advise...is it almost a given that most kids that go to comprehensive secondary schools will finish at 16 and then go onto vocational studies rather than getting their GCSE's. In other words the majority wont qualify to go to university?

OP posts:
Frombothsidesnow · 27/02/2018 13:36

Yo, Mary.

TalkinPeace · 27/02/2018 13:33

What UTTER piffle.
Hampshire has Comprehensive schools
but the 6th form colleges seem to manage to send thousands of children to university every year

marytuda · 27/02/2018 13:21

I think this illustrates a problem with the Mumsnet Education section. You could easily get the impression that vast majority of non-grammar state school parents are too illiterate to post here. Threads are dominated by private school parents agonising over little DCs superselective options. Especially re. Londoners - there are maybe 5 other London-based state school parents active on MN??! (Cheers comrades . . .!)

jaimelannistersgoldenhand · 27/02/2018 13:19

You can look up the GCSE results for your local school. I believe that slightly more than half of teens go to uni.

GrockleBocs · 27/02/2018 13:01

Don't be daft.

Bobbybobbins · 27/02/2018 13:00

Is that you Michael?? 😂

We had 4 go to Oxbridge last year from my inner city comp. Vast majority go to uni from 6th form.

About 60-70% stay on for A Levels after GCSE, the rest go to College or get an apprenticeship.

nobutreally · 27/02/2018 12:57

'It's a given that most kids .... will finish at 16 and then go onto vocational studies rather than getting their GCSEs' - you know GCSEs are take AT 16, right? So are you talking about POST-GCSE vocational courses? I had my son's (state) GCSE options talk last night: nearly all the pupils are expected to take 9 GCSEs: very, very few non-GCSE options available (2 iirc), although certainly some more overtly vocational GCSE options available.

Yes, more children from private school children go to uni than state schools (not surprisingly - economics/social factors...) but - for example - Cambridge has more state than private children last year: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38842482.

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 27/02/2018 12:55

Even in grammar school areas lots of non-grammar schools offer A-levels at 6th form, many go to university, even to Oxbridge.

AuntLydia · 27/02/2018 12:52

Ha! I properly laughed at this. Where I live there's no grammar school system so it's all comps unless you can afford to go private. I went to a comp which offered a levels as did my siblings. We all went to uni, as did many of our peers. My kids comp also offers a levels and lots go on to uni from there. Perhaps it depends where you live though and I should just be very grateful we don't have to worry about the grammar school bollocks...

xyzandabc · 27/02/2018 12:50

Our local comprehensive pretty much all take GCSEs at 16. Then most (60% ish) stay on for the 6th form to do A levels at the same comprehensive school. Others leave to go to college, other 6th forms or apprenticeships.
The 6th form then takes new 6th formers from other schools in to yr12 as well.

Frombothsidesnow · 27/02/2018 12:46

It's not remotely a given. It is codswallop.

LIZS · 27/02/2018 12:46

And level 3 vocational courses still accrue UCAS points which count for some uni entry criteria or as grades in their own right.

LIZS · 27/02/2018 12:44

Vast majority take gcses at 16. Some comps have sixth forms , some don't. Some colleges offer A levels alongside vocational btecs and nvqs.

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