do lots of English schools stop after GCSEs?

[PineappleDanish]

Lots of posts on FB and on here about 16 year olds who are now no longer sitting GCSEs and have "left school". They are planning on going back to do A-levels in September but are going elsewhere, either to another school or college.

Is this a common practice for children either to switch schools after GCSEs or schools not to offer A-levels at all, just chuck them out at 16 into some sort of college provision?

We're in Scotland so things are very different but all schools go right through to 18. (well, apart from literally a couple on the islands where there are far fewer people). Some kids leave school after 16 and go off to college to study hairdressing, or mechanics, or other vocational courses. But if you're staying on to do academic study and doing things like English, Maths, Science, you stay at school. The same school you were already at - no switching. Colleges offering Highers are usually for adult learners or people who have left school at 18 without qualifications they need. Also schools don't chuck people out at 16 if they've done badly in their first set of exams.

Is this a common thing?

We're in Hampshire: mainly separate sixth form colleges here. You still have to attend- after all, there is a govt requirement to be either in education or apprenticeship scheme, but it is much freer: you attend for lessons, wear what you want, can leave the school premises. Both mine started at the same college in another town, ds later transferred as he changed his mind about his path. They had school shows and a brilliant choice of clubs and other activities (including DoE) but it was voluntary. Dd spent a lot of time on her drama shows. Ds was never much of a joiner but he did a programme that was very physical so he got plenty of exercise. There was an online function for reporting illness. Dd's Sixth Form college had a particularly good drama department and quite a few students have gone onto drama school and into the industry. The other college she looked at has the highest number of students accessing Oxbridge of any state school in the country. (she decided against it because of her interest in drama).

Worked very well for my two. Gentle nudging into adulthood. I'd have been terrified of sending them off to uni or work if they'd got to 18 without even being able to handle the small amount of freedom involved in leaving the school at lunchtime and turning up again in time for the afternoon class.

Very similar to my education in Scandinavia, though there the freedom aspect started much earlier. A child would have to have very severe SN there before people started thinking they needed constant daytime supervision at the age of 17.

In my town there is not a single school (from 5 comprehensives) with a sixth form, so yes, they all have to either go to another town to do A levels, do vocational training at college or do an apprenticeship at 16.

Our LA has only one school with a 6th form. Students need to achieve the right grades to stay there for A levels. Anyone wanting to do BTECS or other post 16 qualifications have to go to the local 6th form college. Quite a few students leave the school to go to the 6th form college in the next local authority as it is one of the best in the country, but it is a 40 minute train ride on infrequent trains, with a longish walk at the other end. DD stayed at school, which was the right decision for her.

Most of the secondary schools around us have 6th form, but they are increasingly working together. There aren't enough kids to run 4 further maths classes, so all the kids travel to one school for that, but might still do maths and physics in their original school. 2 schools offer chemistry, and you can mix and match to suit your timetable. We have 4 secondary schools in a 15 mile radius.

This was part of the problem when in England the 'stay in education or training until 18' came in because so many schools don't have Sixth Forms. My hometown has 3 secondary schools but it used to only have the Area Sixth Form which was based at one school. There is also a Catholic school that had a very small 6th form but didn't offer many subjects so some people did maybe a couple of A levels there but came across the road to the Area Sixth Form for subjects their school didn't offer (the schools were next door). The Area Sixth Form building was small - built in the 60s and based on the concept that about only 1 in 10 pupils would 'stay on'. It was over crowded when I was there (1990s). Different now as the schools are all academies although one has only just been given planning to add more space to the school building for a 6th Form.

I went to an 11-18 secondary school, but it was optional if you stayed after 16 to go to the sixth form. I’d say out of the 300ish people in my school year 50-60 stayed at the sixth form and everyone else went to other colleges or work.

Most schools in our area were like this.

And it was for A Levels only, if you wanted any other qualification you had to go to college.

Where I am, last year a local secondary school closed their sixth form because too few of their students went onto it. There are a few big good & outstanding colleges with a lot of options in easy public transport distance so it's not a big surprise that our very much not secondaries are struggling to keep numbers.

My oldest is at the local college and he's expected to call in himself if he's ill, but I get a short end-of-term report that includes his attendance rates and teacher comments. He wears what he wants, though is required to wear steel-toe caps shoes when in the engineering building (he also has coveralls, but has never actually worn it - the fuss they made about us buying those). He was in Monday-Wednesday from 9/9:30 - 3:30/4:30 depending on the day, but his was a part-time pre-16 course for GCSEs & Engineering. Next year he's meant to be full-time, but we're not sure yet with all that's going on.

Most schools here have 6th form, but kids apply to go to their own school or any other in the area

DD school didn’t offer the A levels she wanted so moved schools

They wear business attire, covered, so no spaghetti straps, bare legs for example

They have tutor groups, extra curriculum like D of E other projects which I forget! Assemblies and take part in team building activities and sports outside school hours.

They are allowed off site at lunch times, usually involves driving to McDonalds! They can have pizza delivered.

They need a note for sick days or appointments from parents.

They also have parent ‘day s’ which is a 10 minute slot in the day and most parents can’t attend.

They did a year 7 intake evening showing parents around, which earns them a contribution to their prom/leavers

She’s loved being in a new school with loads of new friends. I’m glad she made the jump.

All schools where I live have sixth form and uniforms. Didn’t realise some schools did not.

There are no sixth forms at our local schools. Thankfully there's a very good college!