Applying to multiple sixth form/colleges??

@elkiedee "I don't think distance is used in the way that it is for entry in year 7."

They usually use distance if they are oversubscribed with external applicants. Their oversubscription criteria will be in their admissions policy, just like for year 7, and need to abide by the admissions code.

However, internal applicants have an automatic right to enroll, so long as they meet the minimum grades, so oversubscription criteria don't apply to them.

Many schools enroll internal applicants on results day and external applicants a day later.

We're in London and sixth forms were offering enrolment on afternoon of results day last year. It's not the only chance to enrol but I think the idea is that those who have decided and have the grades they need can be signed up and then schools/colleges have more idea what places they still have to fill, and can consider students on the waiting list and/or those who narrowly missed grades. I don't think distance is used in the way that it is for entry in year 7. DS1 chose a school which has been very oversubscribed to GCSE but then offers a large number of places to external students as well as their own for A level, and takes a lot of students from the other side of the borough who wouldn't have got into to the school on any distance criteria, like my child and quite a few of his friends. At the same time, some students from the school go to other highly rated options including the specialist A level college in a neighbouring borough which was DS1's most likely other choice.

A lot of students were holding several offers, but I know that a few years before, a friend's son missed out on what he needed for his first choice but went there to discuss it further, and looked at another school sixth form which were happy to offer him a place. In the end his first choice accepted him and he went on to do a degree in Art (always his aspiration).

Last year, (August/September 2023), DS1 actually enrolled for his 2 first preferences (of 5 offers held) as he was still dithering and they started on different days - one on Friday 1 September and one on Monday 4, but I'm not sure that's to be recommended. One enrolment was in person, the other online, both on the afternoon of results day. He still wonders whether he finally made the right choice, but I'm not sure he wouldn't be doing that whatever.

Mega useful! I’m really grateful, thank you!!

Waldegrave has capacity for up to 200 students in year 12. The 216 students in their own Year 11 have priority, but not all will stay. They guarantee at least 20 external places.

Orleans Park has capacity for just 140 students in year 12. Again, the 216 students in their own Year 11 have priority. They only guarantee 5 external places.

So you have more chance at Waldegrave than Orleans Park. In addition to the raw numbers, some Waldegrave girls move because they want to go to a mixed sixth form and if they have brothers at Orleans Park, they get sibling priority. In some years I have heard they take all the external places there. In contrast, there is no sibling priority for Waldegrave Sixth Form.

Waldegrave gets hundreds of applicants, and some courses will fill up quicker than others, so previous years' cut-off distances wouldn't help you even if they were published (they aren't as far as I know).

So, if those are the only two applications your child has made, they might want to consider making more. Some other local sixth forms are probably still taking applications.

Thank you! Yes we are equidistant from Waldegrave and Orleans.. so far they have received an acceptance letter (as I think all have) and an invitation to a taster day (as I think they all have). The exam results day is 22/8 and enrolment day is 23/8. I’m very unsure how the movement of students will work as it all seems very squeezed into the 24 hours of results and enrolment days! So last minute with that in mind!

@mummyjaz have they all said whether they will be giving you timed appointments?
I know Waldegrave does.

Are you particularly close to any of the schools? Their admissions policies will say how many external places are guaranteed, but usually there will be more spaces, depending on how many of their own students move school.

I know Orleans Park usually doesn't usually have much space for externals.

Thanks, exactly the issue I can see. They certainly can’t proceed in the sixth form of their current school and therefore the alternative options are important and thus the complexity. Many thanks for your reply!! Best wishes

Yes thanks. Unfortunately proceeding at the same school to sixth form is not satisfactory for a number of important reasons. Good luck to you and yours! Thanks for the reply

Thanks. They have not enjoyed their school and the education standards have been low so they certainly don’t want to continue to the sixth form, sadly similarly to most of their peers, and families…

My daughter applied for a grammar for sixth form as an external applicant. When she received her offer letter she was in the 'top' category. I assume others got letters saying they were in a provisional one.

I suspect that the stated entrance requirements were actually a bit irrelevant as whilst highish I suspect you would not get in with them as there would be many people applying with higher grades.

Mine is also at a grammar and we haven't applied for any sixth forms apart from his school one. It didn't occur to him or me to apply elsewhere as well until other parents (not from the grammar) started asking, and expressing surprise! However he is well on track to make the grades.

Is the enrolment day the same for all of them?

Your child should at least have priority enrolment for their own school (if it has a sixth form).

Thanks, yes that’s what I’m becoming aware of. I wonder how we find out about which they can enrol in, when the enrolment day is the day after results day! That’s a fast turnaround. With awareness that many will be oversubscribed, it’s very last minute to find out which can accept them and which can’t having enrolled in more than one!

Many students will be choosing between multiple offers, so the taster days are before results day to help them decide between them.

After results day, if they've met the required grades, then in theory they can enroll. However, if the sixth form is oversubscribed then they will be enrolled in the order set out in the oversubscription criteria, and some might not get a place. So its worth having backup plans.

Any ideas when they give this info to you? Is it on the same afternoon as the day the exam results are collected! What a lot for the kids (and parent) to take in!! The enrolment day is the following day. It seems bizarre not to know where you are going the following day! I have twins so have double to consider bffff

Where we live, (also London) it’s the same, so unless you get an unconditional offer (only really given for language places) you have to get your results, then the school tell you if you have a definite place (not just an offer) based on their over subscription criteria. So if on results day 75 offer holders want a place for a particular course, but there are only 50 places, they’ll use distance to decide.

I’m also confused. The sixth forms are oversubscribed but all have accepted everyone. Taster sessions are before GCSE results day and enrolment day is the day after GCSE results. How does that timetable work? (Richmond borough)

My DS1 had 5 offers - I think for all his applications - and was still dithering between his preferred two. They were for the same subjects, and 4 including Maths and Further Maths, so he didn't really have much of a backup plan, but it worked out ok (my concern was less about whether he'd get an 8 for Maths, more about the writing subjects, based on mocks results, but it turned out ok).

I think T levels need slightly better grades than the BTecs, and there are concerns about the capacity of the system, for example on requirements for work placements, but applying by the deadline for those and for the A level options and exploring all options further, as well as revising and seeing where he can improve seems like a good option. For example, my DS needed to practise and improve his exam technique in written answers papers, and make sure he'd made some attempt to answer all questions.

I don't think you can avoid t levels if you want to do a level 3 vocational course. Their future may be uncertain, but they are what is offered right now for a number of subjects.

The plan (if the Conservatived are re-elected) is to combine A Levels and T Levels, not pull T Levels: https://feweek.co.uk/sunak-to-replace-a-levels-and-t-levels-with-advanced-british-standard-qualification/.

And if Labour get in, they certainly haven't pledged to pull T Levels either: https://feweek.co.uk/labour-pledges-review-of-functional-skills-rules/

Yes totally fine. I work at a college and it's normal for students to apply to is but have other applications in elsewhere. I would avoid t levels though, talks already do them being pulled so stick to A levels or other

@Worriedmum86 be aware that the local sixth form will almost certainly give him a conditional offer, but read the small print because it will be dependent on their oversubscription criteria, as well as his grades. They have to prioritise their own students first, then externals. They don't know who will get the grades, or who will take up their offers if they do. That means they will probably give a conditional offer to everyone who applies. In August, when grades are known, they will enroll their own students first then, if oversubscribed, they will invite the externals to enroll in the priority order set out in the oversubscription criteria (e.g. by distance). This can catch people out - the most popular of our local sixth forms gives everyone an appointment time but sends out an email when they're full to say all remaining appointments are cancelled. Many applicants are disappointed each year.

However, college offers are usually a bit firmer and just dependent on grades, in my experience.

Yes, shore up a few options. Our local grammar had a (relatively) poor year for GCSE outcomes in the summer and a lot of y11s didn’t get the grades to stay on for sixth form. They don’t tend to make exceptions, I’m afraid.

Applying for one course is ok if it’s something like a Btec where you can apply for a Level 3 but then if you don’t get the grades apply for the same subject but Level 2 instead.

A levels are different. If you don’t get the grades required you need a different back up option