Explain to me about sixth form colleges

[RaspberryCoulis]

Because these institutions do not exist in Scotland. Once children have sat their National 5s they stay at (the same) school to do their Highers if they are able, more National 5s or National 4s if they are not, or to do a mix of other qualifications. Some will leave to take up an apprenticeship or go to college to take a practical course in something like hairdressing, joinery, building.

But from what I see from friends with kids the same age in England, many schools require minimum grades in GCSEs to win the right to return to school post 16, if they operate a 6th form at all. Do no kids in England not do great in their GCSEs, but return to the same school the next academic year to do maybe one A-level, a couple more GCSEs and an external qualification in catering or something?

So your child leaves school at 16 and heads off to "sixth form college" for their A-levels - how does that work? Is there homework? A uniform? Compulsory attendance? Parents' evenings? Are they in full time, 9-3 monday - friday? Do sixth form colleges take anyone who turns up or do they set entry requirements?

And what happens to the kids who do badly in their GCSEs, aren't allowed to return to school but want another shot at taking them?

Having taught in a school sixth form setting for many years and now in sixth form college I am very firmly Team College. I think strictly academic students probably do better at school (although are in no way held back by college; we have lots of high flyers) but the college experience is so much better for students I actually feel kind of sorry for students who never get to find out because they just automatically stayed at school. It helps of course if college is the norm in your area as moving away from friends is a massive thing. But as a stepping stone from school to uni they’re basically the perfect invention and I can’t see why they’re so marginalised and overlooked.

It depends where you live in England. Where I grew up the schools all had sixth forms but there were also technical colleges. They offered A levels but other courses like hairdressing or bricklaying or whatever.

But the area I live in now is very much the 11-16 model, although the private schools often still have sixth forms. And because of county boundary changes some state schools still have sixth forms too,

My son has just finished at a sixth form college. He didn't wear a uniform, they were on first name terms with the tutors and I think they're a good stepping stone to university (not so much in covid times, but generally speaking they would be).

I wore a uniform but it was different to the rest of the school and quite relaxed (though I don't think it is anymore, I think it's much stricter!) and generally you were treated differently. There was no calling the teachers by their first names though.

The secondary my DDs will mostly attend doesn't have a sixth form. But there's a sixth form college next door. It's 'shared' with another local school... Both are relatively small (5 class entry) so shared sixth form gives a lot more chances.

I went to school in London and my school only went up to age 16, so the choice was sixth form college, FE college or join another school sixth form.

I went for sixth form college because it was more focussed on A levels and seemed like a bit more freedom. Since it was so big (1200 students in only 2 years) there were fantastic opportunities - Oxbridge, medicine and law degree coaching, dozens of societies, trips to CERN, met so many people from different backgrounds. I was lazy and didn’t make the most of it but looking back it was great.

6 form colleges can really pull a intelligent but disenfranchised child round, as they offer the same A levels plus Betecs, but the atmosphere is very unschool like.

I never thought of it as a mini university before, but yes it kind of is

We haven't had school 6th forms for years here. When I read about them I never like the sound of them. College was wonderful for me and a real turning point in my life. I was ready for a change. I got away from school and the bullies there, the entry requirements for college and behaviour/achievement requirements once there meant that most kids there were pretty serious about studying and getting to university and I found it far easier to fit in and make friends.

DS school has no 6th form so we have to find a place for him elsewhere, he is off to agricultural college. DD had same and went to local grammar school for A levels. If DS doesn't get the required grades he will have to go elsewhere or do a lower level course. DD collected gcse results and we went straight to 6th form to enrol. There were kids there who were turned away because they didn't get the required grades. When I was at school my comprehensive had a 6th form so I just stayed on. I'm in England

There's multiple options, some schools have sixth forms, you can do a levels or retake GCSEs. Stand alone sixth forms (mostly cities) a levels or retakes or there's tertiary college with a far wider range of subjects and have older adults returning, pt students, apprentices on day release etc

I studied my a levels at a college!

Tbh it was a much better experience than staying at my secondary school because it was much larger and modern. State of the art facilities with a wider range of a level options. Better standard of education imo

Lessons started at 9am earliest and finished at 5pm latest. We had 3 lessons per week, per subject. Sometimes lectures for each subject were adjacent, sometimes there were 1-4 hours in between. Which was fine as you could either chill with your mates, go to the shops/Starbucks, take a driving lesson, go to the library etc. Go home and come back even.

Tbh it wasn’t much different than university in terms of independence

Is there homework?

Yeah, but it’s not as basic as homework. Think essays which will be graded etc.

A uniform?
No

Compulsory attendance?
Yes. If your attendance drops you might get withdrawn from course

Parents' evenings?
No

Are they in full time, 9-3 monday - friday?
Answered before, but no. Different courses have different schedules.

Do sixth form colleges take anyone who turns up or do they set entry requirements?
Entry requirements