Leaving private school for state 6th form - experiences?

A level music is generally a nice to have rather than a requirement.

if your son is looking at a performance degree in music (ram or similar) it’s pretty much by audition.
academic music degrees also do not necessarily require it.

depending on what instrument he plays there will be ensembles available through the county music service - most offer multiple orchestras and wind bands or similars,

if he plays a brass instrument or percussion there are many many brass bands in the country that would welcome him with open arms - we’ve just recruited a couple of 16 year olds to ours.

if he’s a singer then church/cathedral choirs are always looking for men as are frankly any other choir.

there’s also summer and Easter residentials for most instruments - my DD did national youth choir (singing) who have summer and Easter courses (you need to audition) there’s also national youth orchestra, national youth brass band etc. both my kids did this type of thing and they really enjoyed it and it really developed them as musicians.

(it also convinced one of them she never wanted to be a professional musician as it was way too hard work!!)

music is actually one of the things you really can pursue to a very very high level outside school.

focus on getting him into a good place to do the maths, FM and physics and look for music opportunities outside school. There will be many.

You must live in a particularly poor place for state provision if there’s no state A level music option in commutable distance from your home. Roughly where in the country are you? Do you have family who live nearer to a decent 6th form who’d be happy to have DS move in for term time? Could you move? It’s very unusual to not offer music A level in this county (for those offering A levels, not all do).

If you can’t afford private you can’t afford it, but don’t give up on music A level if that’s his strongest subject.

Have you had meetings with the head teacher and bursar and been told 100% that they will not continue to support him? That seems off if he really is so exceptional and pivotal to the music for.

He could do his A level choices at our state school in South Wales, however it’s a Welsh medium comp! I really don’t think it’s unusual for these courses to be offered. Have you looked into all of your local options? Some of my friends’ kids are leaving private at sixth form simply because the private school is too small to offer the range of courses that local
schools and colleges do. Many places need applications in fairly early (before Christmas) so you really do need to get onto this. For alternative music, especially high level ensembles, have a look at what your local county music service offer. You might be surprised - there are plenty of talented musicians who your DS won’t have had the opportunity to play with if he’s just been in school ensembles so far.

What @JustMarriedBecca says about universities isn’t quite right. Many, but definitely not all, offer contextual offers but they’re certainly not just based on where pupils have taken their A levels.

Incidentally- the people who move their kids from private to state to try to game the system? Morally questionaable-and Universities are on to you. @WomensRightsRenegade are you still around? If so-would you be prepared to say where in the country you are? There are state schools that tick your boxes, but no use naming them if they are a million miles away
from you.

He is academic too, and wants to do maths, further maths and physics alongside music
What is the long-term plan? I get that he loves his music but if his career is going to be the maths/physics route then he needs to major on that.
It's hard but it's part of growing up and being an adult: knowing that you can have it / do it all, and that you need to prioritise.

Music can be very time-consuming. In sixth form will it be time well-spent, or should he be concentrating on his academics and making new friends in his new setting?

If you are prepared to post the instrument(s) and roughly where you are in the country I’m sure people can suggest ensembles.

i’m sorry he is having to leave. It does sound very difficult.

as the college is lottery you might as well apply and then if he gets it it’s a bonus.

The initial switch is scary, but especially in those STEM classes (my DS is same), the kids tend to be shyer and bright anyway and not loud bullying sorts. He'll find his people, and so much of those A-levels is head down studying that when you factor in your DS's music activities too, there's precious little time for social dramas. This is the worst bit worrying about it but he sounds great and will keep on exceeding expectations.

I hear your anger and you're entitled to it, but they must have been very good for you to have believed they cared so much for all these years, given that the bottom line is that they are businesses and of course there's a hard edge to it, but that doesn't make the whole thing bollocks. That's like rewriting a whole marriage because of the break up. From here, it sounds like they stepped in when your DS really needed it and have helped to turn him from that boy you describe being bullied at primary into this incredible high-flying academic and artistic young man, with what sounds like £150k of bursaries. Whatever way you slice it, that is not a bad deal, and however rough it feels right now, I'm sure he'll find a place easily for those three STEM subjects and do any number of the great music options outside of Sixth Form that PPs have suggested. Or he may yet get a lottery place for the college and be able to do it all there.

We had to go through 4 different Sixth Form options when three turned out to be fibbing about their ability to run a subject. It's bumpy and would've been much nicer for him to stay with his mates in his old school, but it's made him more independent and capable and I know he'll be better at coping with the shift to uni as a result. Sure yours will be the same when you're past this initial hurdle.

I’ve had a very musical child at state school, who did A levels in Maths, Further Maths and Physics. He’s now just done his first year at Uni doing Engineering and is playing in the Uni ensembles (and loves it). There are great state schools out there where your DS will fit in fine, with excellent music departments. The state schools music departments are as good as the highly regarded private schools in our town (if not better), with County ensembles opportunities too.
You might need a house move OP. Rent your house out and rent near a good state school for 2 years??

Loads of young people leave Indies to go to state 6th form especially around Cambridge and certainly in my area. As there is usually a wider catchment I find in hard to believe you don’t have one with a good music department within reasonable distance. I understand that it’s harsh now but realistically he will have to move on after 6th form anyway so often it doesn’t hurt to get used to change. I agree with looking at state boarding option. Hockerill for example has a phenomenal music department and if you live near enough offer flexi boarding.