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Original poster

Do state sixth forms let students know if their application is unsuccessful?

36 replies

Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 14:17

To cut a long story short, my dd has applied to very few sixth forms due a poorly managed bullying situation leading me to move her school at the beginning of Y10 and her being terrified that she'll encounter some of the children involved in the majority of sixth forms in our area (London, so quite a lot).

Yes, she should have applied to more, but her anxiety was off the scale between October and February about the whole process and I was grateful that she ended up applying to any tbh.

She has her heart set on one particular sixth form which is selective inasmuch that it asks for a minimum of five 9-6 grades plus English and maths level 5. My dd's predicted grades met this comfortably.

She has a couple of friends who applied, one of who has received a conditional offer. Dd hasn't heard yet and although I'm encouraging her to wait and see, I'm feeling very, very anxious.

There won't be anything in her attendance/behaviour/reference that would put a school off, so can schools just decide to give some children conditional offers and some not?

And if she's not given an offer, will she at least hear?

TIA

OP posts:
Hersetta427 · 17/03/2023 19:27

MrsHamlet · 17/03/2023 19:19

It will depend on the school.
I told someone last week that they were highly unlikely to be offered a place with the grades they were predicted. If they met the offer, they would have a place.

Show quote history

but thats not a refusal, its a conditional offer which is what every pupil who applies usually gets, just because they are unlikely to acheive the required grades doesn't mean they don't get an offer.

MrsHamlet · 17/03/2023 19:19

Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 18:55

I would be grateful if anyone is able to answer my original question - do state sixth forms let student know if their application is unsuccessful?

TIA

It will depend on the school.
I told someone last week that they were highly unlikely to be offered a place with the grades they were predicted. If they met the offer, they would have a place.

PatriciaHolm · 17/03/2023 19:12

I'm sorry to hear about your previous experience.

In my experience, both DD and DS schools do let applicants know, but only about now, so it's not unsurprising you may not have heard either way. Realistically if she's got the grades, it's very unlikely not to get an offer unless she wants a mad combination!

Fingers crossed for her.

Hersetta427 · 17/03/2023 19:10

honestly I can't imagine a circumstance in which at least a conditional offer isn't made. I am sure lots apply who they no will not meet the reqyired standard but they still get a conditional offer.I think you are overthinking this. Just ask if all thei offers have been sent out - DD so far has only 1 our of 3 offers so far but the schools are transparent with their timelines.

Original poster
Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 18:55

I would be grateful if anyone is able to answer my original question - do state sixth forms let student know if their application is unsuccessful?

TIA

OP posts:
Original poster
Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 16:45

When my dd had been refusing to go to school (when she was being bullied and the school were not taking any action), I asked for a meeting to try to work out how to get her back. There were two simple actions they needed to take.

Rather than do this and phone as they said they would, I received an email late on a Friday afternoon offering their full support in my moving my dd to another school.

Obviously, this was incredibly distressing for dd and I don't think I realised until now how distressing it was for me. I keep thinking about it, the waiting and wondering and hoping and then the final rejection of my dd.

I know this is a different situation, but having seen my child casually rejected by a school before (albeit one that she'd been in for three years and never put a foot wrong), having supported her through the months of distress it caused her and seeing how much it impacted her applying for sixth forms, it feels very, very difficult to be facing that again.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 16:38

Yeah, I've done that and emailed, though no response...

OP posts:
tealgate · 17/03/2023 16:34

Just give them a ring, no point in both of you being anxious

Original poster
Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 16:09

Thanks. They said explicitly at the open evening and in the prospectus that they don't organise the timetable until all applications are in to accommodate the various choices that children make.

Also, that they may interview about subject choices, so if a combination isn't available, I would think this would be where this was discussed?

If no-one had heard, I wouldn't be worrying but they have and I am.

So that could be it, she just doesn't hear from them?

OP posts:
redskylight · 17/03/2023 15:05

My DC's state sixth form (which is also an academy) tells everyone.
But not until about May.
They also pretty much accept everyone who applies - the only issue might be that your choice of subjects wasn't available, so this might vary if a school had more limited places. Or just by school really.

Original poster
Shinyredbicycle · 17/03/2023 14:58

It's an academy, if that makes a difference.

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