Are more of you planning to move your DC from private to state for 6th form now?

Obviously it is true that not all schools in England offer F. Maths, but I am interested in knowing if there are students in England who do not have access to F. Maths A-level via state provision. For example, lots of students come to my school in the sixth form to access F. Maths. I find the idea that students have to go to private school to access F. Maths a bit surprising and would be interested in specific examples of this. For example, which towns don’t offer F. Maths?

Scotland obviously has a different education system, but again I would be a bit surprised if there were pupils in the Scots system who go private because of maths.

FM was just an example, but not all sixth forms in England offer FM at A level.

You can’t study FM in Scotland, you can take separate AHs in mathematics of mechanics and statistics.

This is all getting a little off topic! I'm sure parents who use private school because they can only reach a state school by car, who have no public transport options and no other options for after-school care are in a teeny sub section of the minority of U.K. parents who pay for private schools!

In answer to the OP, of course it's going to be a change for your son moving schools but 6th form is a natural transition point, many students move then by choice and he should be fine.

I can't disagree with the policy of removing VAT exempt status, yes it must feel frustrating for parents who have no choice but that's a small minority of a small minority of parents across the U.K.

Further maths is widely available. Can you talk about where someone might live so as not to be able to do it at school ?

They can reach a state school by car. If you have two working parents that's impossible when school finishes at 3pm.

I don't know what else to tell you 😆

The PP has said they can no longer access a state school by local authority or public transport that provides the required mix of A levels, not that they can’t access a state school.

Your argument of ‘just pick up the subject at uni’ doesn’t work for many subjects.

why would I "step away" and leave people who are reading with the impression that the poster claiming their child can't reach a state school is telling the truth, when they very clearly are not

I know my agruement "holds up" because I know many young people involved in similar situations in the same area, and I know the council has no choice.

The poster is claiming they have to go private, but clearly can go state, but have chosen not to

@BrumToTheRescue Absolutely.

@SabrinaThwaite oh yes, I agree with that. I just didn’t want anyone who is actually eligible to think there’s no point requesting transport.

Sorry, yes you’re right.

Transport will normally only be offered where the student has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which names their chosen college or post-16 unit as the nearest/most appropriate or where the student has a disability which means they require transport assistance to be provided.

But the point is that it’s not readily available for every post 16 student, despite what some may think.

If you are desperate for a subject that you can't do for A level, then pick it up at uni. That is what people do

Honestly, just step away now.

Don't be so patronising! Do you really think the parents who want a bus to their village haven't thought about how to get one 🤔

I know you are struggling with seeing that your argument doesn't hold up, but just accept it.

Hampshire CC categorically does not fund post 16 transport for students without an EHCP.

Young people don’t need an EHCP for post 16 transport in Hampshire. Those with a disability without an EHCP who require assistance to facilitate attendance at their setting can also be eligible.

@SabrinaThwaite Thank you.

Run your own bus service and charge it to the council, if there is that many of you.

Hampshire CC categorically does not fund post 16 transport for students without an EHCP.

@combinationpadlock

Lucky you!

You seem to be ignoring the fact we had a place at PSC. We wanted to go to and had been accepted for our state 6th form.

I want my ds to be able to take the A'levels he is best at, and is passionate about because that is what he wants and how he will get the best grades. Completely normal.

He's not asking to do A'levels in Palaeontology or Swahili. His choices are completely routine.

Hampshire CC has failed us, informed us after school admissions were closed. Yes, I've looked at taxis and grouping with other parents but some wanted limited days a week, to travel at different times etc. It wasn't going to work. On our own, it would have cost more than school fees.

I too have just had a look at that Bristol list and it’s rather surprising to say the least!

I know one of the sixth form colleges listed and it takes a significant number of ex-private school pupils - but then again it also takes pupils from a wide range of other schools (including from a nearby disadvantaged area) so I guess that’s the rationale. Better to be universal in the hope that some disadvantaged students will get in than put in a lot of screening that might become barriers.

but what have you done about it?

Incidentally my home is a hamlet, not even a village, and no public bus service at all. All children go on school transport, to wherever. Choices are not limited by current service, you decide where you are going and the service is made.

What have you done about the bus service being cancelled? Run your own bus service and charge it to the council, if there is that many of you. Or get it reinstated.

You have options other than private. I don't actually think you WANT options rather than private - you just want to go private - that is up to you, but don't pretend it is due to lack of options

(I do actually know a school bus driver in Hampshire, he does take sixth formers, he does vary his route each year depending on who is going where - I believe he is private, but the council pays)

?? You are joking, right? 😄🙏
Many children in superselective grammars are tutored from the 11+ till A levels.

@combinationpadlock No, we had a place at PSC as did others. That was our choice and we had been accepted. Then they cancelled the bus service in July, after all state school admissions had closed leaving us with no way to get our children to school. No alternative was offered or suggested.

Education is not compulsory to 18. Assisted travel is not available for those between 16-18, at least not in Hampshire. You clearly don't live in Hampshire or rurally, and don't realise the difficulties faced.

Whichever way you look at it, it's shit and you know it.

And you wonder why people are angry about VAT on private education. For some of us there is literally no choice. 😡
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This comment wasn't directed at me, but yes I totally get why someone would be angry about it if they're in the unfortunate position to have no choice. Even with the dire transport situation there are people who could use state provision during compulsory school age and then switch, but choose private right through.

But let's not be disingenuous here - most people who pay for private school aren't in these dire situations where there's no transport. Most people are making a choice - obviously they believe it's the right choice for their kid - but it's still a choice.

I cannot disagree with the policy of removing the VAT exemption. But I can understand why on an individual basis it's very upsetting for some, but that's a teeny percentage of the school population

So now you are changing what you are saying.

Your child can get to sixth form, that isn't an issue - even though you have been saying that it is.

Your child wants a specific combination of A levels - that is a completely different issue - and yes, you can go through a state sixth form and go on to whatever further study you wish, regardless of what A levels are on offer.

You are choosing to pay for an independent school because you want to. Fine, but own it.

You don't HAVE to pay for independent. You have state sixth form options. You are CHOOSING to

Don’t be silly. It’s incredibly difficult to prep for STEP if you haven’t studied FM.

Do you live in Hampshire? Are you aware of a 6th form that provides A'levels in Maths, Physics and DT apart from Peter Symonds? Because believe me we've tried everything. I'd be delighted if you could find it and resolve the issue, because the entire Education department at Hampshire County Council couldn't.

Hampshire does not provide transport (even if I pay for it) for 16-18yos. They have centred their 6th form provision for the north of the county around Peter Symonds in Winchester and have cancelled the local bus service (in July for God's sake). I know of a number of families desperately trying to cobble together a rota/shared taxi to get their children there. I am not the only one