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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Moving from an independent school to a state Sixth Form: how did you manage the notice-period gap?

32 replies

samsub · 02/10/2026 10:08

My son is currently in Year 11 at an independent school with the support of a means-tested bursary. Even with this financial support, we are considering moving him to a state sixth form for A levels because we are not certain that continuing privately will remain financially sustainable. There are several good sixth-form options in the area where we live.

The difficulty is the timing. Under the independent school’s terms, we need to give a full term’s notice if he will not return after GCSEs. In practice, this means deciding before the Summer Term starts. However, any state sixth-form place would remain dependent on his GCSE results and may not be finally confirmed until results day in August.

If we give notice early, we could lose his existing sixth-form place before knowing whether his preferred state-school place is secure. If we retain the independent-school place as a backup and withdraw after results day, we could become liable for a full term’s fees in lieu of notice. The school’s terms also appear to say that this may be based on the full fees rather than our bursary-adjusted contribution.

This leaves us in a difficult position. We may have to choose between giving up a secure place before the alternative is confirmed and retaining it as a safety net but potentially facing a significant financial liability.
I imagine this timing issue must arise quite often when pupils move from independent schools to state sixth forms after GCSEs.

Has anyone navigated this successfully? Did your independent school accept conditional notice, offer flexibility over the deadline, or exercise discretion regarding the payment in lieu of notice? Alternatively, did the state sixth form provide enough certainty before GCSE results day for you to make the decision?
I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has faced a similar timing problem. How did you manage the educational and financial risks, and how did you approach the matter with the independent school?

OP posts:

prinkleman · 05/10/2026 09:13

Are you concerned that he won’t get the required grades for the state 6th forms? Is this requirement lower at the school he’s at? If not, then you can be confident he’ll get a state place.
Your DC can apply for as many 6th forms as they like so can cover all bases from a clutch of 9s to needing to resit.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 05/10/2026 09:24

Talk to the school! Surely they’re the only ones who can give the exact answer for that setting?

If you really can’t afford 2 more years of private fees and all of associated costs then you have your answer regardless of what they say

Apply for more than one sixth form setting. Ime, none can be 100% sure whether a certain mix of A levels will be available until
they know their numbers. What are your dc’s predicted grades? Are they likely to get offers from their top choices and are they willing to be slightly flexible in their A level courses?

Ablian · 05/10/2026 10:39

You say there are several good options where you live. The chances of him not getting into any of them surely must be quite remote? Students can hold as many state offers as they like so he could have the preferred one plus three backups if needed. Include at least one that is not heavily oversubscribed. If he misses the grades for his preferred subjects at multiple state sixth forms perhaps a change of course is a better idea anyway.

It's kind of easy if you decide his current school is unaffordable. If you actually can stretch to it, that is where it gets complicated.

Do talk to school though if you haven't already. It's worth a try to negotiate an adaptation on notice fees especially as they are unable to tell you about the bursary. By definition you only qualify for a bursary if you cannot afford to pay full fees. The jeopardy can be part and parcel of taking the free money so you may not get anywhere, but it's worth a try.

State sixth form admissions are a curious beast. Big colleges seem very elastic. In theory it was nerve racking for friends whose private school children were applying because they were lower down the pecking order than local state educated children, but in practice everyone just signed up to whichever college they wanted and unless you were coming from very far away it was all fine. If you have some options that are fairly big and fairly local, and take "reasonable" grades for A levels, ie 6 or 7 rather than insisting on 8s, I think I'd give notice on the private school and trust you can find something suitable elsewhere.

Colleges are 16-19. Even if it all went pear shaped in a new college, which I'm sure it won't, you can regroup, save up and find him a tiny private sixth form to restart Y12 the following year. There's also scope to switch colleges in the first few weeks of Sept. My son's at a tiny state sixth form and every year they have some latecomers join who started at bigger colleges and didn't get on with it. His current sixth form might well have him back in this situation too - again it would be worth asking.

LateNightOne · 05/10/2026 10:43

Savvysix1984 · 02/10/2026 10:41

You’ll be in the position that the majority of 16 year olds are in. I’d hand in notice then if it doesn’t go your way with 6th forms apply for a place at the current school. Given today’s financial climate id say he will probably get a place back.

But might not get the bursery.

70scandle · 05/10/2026 16:36

pinkdelight · 02/10/2026 12:29

Just include a safer option in your state school choices as well as the top ones. If your DS is bright, he'll do as well in an average 6th form as he would anywhere. My DS got all A*s from a ropey 6th form (all the contextuals) so sure yours will be okay with all those years of private ed already stored up. Either trust to your DS and take your chances with the system or pay the term's fee as your insurance. Chances are he'll get in one of the good 6th forms anyway.

Not the point of the thread, but this just isn't true I'm afraid. It's great that your DS did brilliantly, but quality of teaching makes a huge difference, however bright the student is.

OP, in your case I would just talk to the current school and explain your situation. If you are on a partial bursary but still cannot afford it, they might be willing to extend it to keep him.

pinkdelight · 06/10/2026 14:17

70scandle · 05/10/2026 16:36

Not the point of the thread, but this just isn't true I'm afraid. It's great that your DS did brilliantly, but quality of teaching makes a huge difference, however bright the student is.

OP, in your case I would just talk to the current school and explain your situation. If you are on a partial bursary but still cannot afford it, they might be willing to extend it to keep him.

Show quote history

Ofc quality of teaching makes a difference, but I wasn't even saying send him to one as ropey as the one mine went to, merely to include an average 6th form as a safety net along with the 'several good options' OP already has. If her DC is bright enough to have got a bursary plus private school for years, they should be capable of doing well in an average 6th form along with the majority of kids.

Offtheygo · 13/10/2026 21:15

you need several state school backup options. we changed from private to private and had the same issue, we were even trading up academically and had to have a leap of faith.
is your trading up or down ? which school has the highest requirements for sixth form ? also remember that if his results were disastrous his current school might not keep him anyway

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