Sixth form: "pocket money" or allowance

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DC is unlikely to have much time for a paid job, we live rurally and dc doing 4 a levels plus musical instrument which we would like them to continue and are happy to pay for lessons.
I realise this is a how much is a piece of string question but what are you paying for your y12s and what do they have to buy themselves and how much are you giving them?

I think it depends on the student. It sounds like DC is a dedicated student and is studying hard. My parents were of the view that A levels were my job and they were prepared to support me, but that came from the position that between studying and the one hobby I had chosen to continue I had barely any time, and work on top of that was simply unrealistic and would have compromised either my studies or my well-being. I had an allowance, plus season ticket for travel to sixth form, and they paid the training and race fees for my sport during sixth form. It was my choice how to spend the allowance, but I saved most of it for uni. I worked during school holidays for extra money when I wanted it.

I gave mine £100 a month and paid his phone contract. I also paid for driving lessons. This was a blatant (and failed) attempt to hopefully get him to focus on working for A levels.

I think you have to base it round what you can afford, not what everyone else thinks is ok, however.

Yes, we have to take into account what we can afford too.
This one is DC1 and we have lots of expenses 🙈

How competent a musician is he? Worth paying for? If so, could he play at wedding receptions, etc? We had a music student playing classical guitar at ours and he was brilliant, everyone loved it.
Double benefit for him. £150 per session and more experience/practice.

My DD is 17 going into Year 13. Since the start of Yr12 she gets £60 per month which she can use for lunches at school, hot chocolates etc. Because she usually takes a packed lunch she has most of this for other things.
I give her extra money a couple of times a month is she is going out to the cinema or meeting friends and still contribute towards her closest friends birthday presents.

My DD is just heading into year 9
she gets the following paid for by me-

£8 SIM card with 12GB data
£16.50 teen gym membership (includes swimming) she goes 3/4 times per week
£25 parent pay top up for school lunches (I do this each payday so she accumulates some credit when there are school holidays)

£90 per month into her account

from this she is responsible for all her toiletries/make up
clothing (I buy school clothes/underwear/coat/ one pair of seasonally appropriate shoes)
friends birthdays
going out to cinema/town/where ever
she has her nails done every so often so pays for them herself
hair cuts we go halves (no colour)
bus fares
any additional money for school lunches

over the last couple of years her allowance and what she is responsible for paying for has increased.

she is very good with her money and looks after her things.

DS gets a base rate of £30 a month and then he tops up with circa £100 a month earnings most months (not always as his income comes from music gig performances or sometimes he'll work for me in my business). He doesn't have to pay for anything beyond things he wants or days out. He has a travel card, basic clothes/shoes and phone are already covered. He also received a clothing allowance for any additional clothing he wanted for college. I gave him £200 which is what I would have spent on school uniform.

My son is going into Year 12, I don't see it as any different to Year 11 so he will still just get his regular pocket money. He needs more clothes as there is no uniform, so we will pay for those too. I will carry on paying for his phone at least until he is at uni, as well as all his toiletries etc and I often give him money to go out with. He wants to get a job and he should be able to find one eventually in the area that we are in.

In Y12 DD got her normal pocket money. She goes into Y13 now and we think to swap to an allowance to start on budgeting better in preparation for university.

No job for her as well, various reasons.

I split time for our DC with my ex 50:50. I have paid for my DC's mobile (30GB data £12 pcm), allowance of £20 pcm, I pay for most clothes at mine, and tend to be generous for meals/outings out etc when they are seeing friends. That "generosity" is never reciprocated so I am not sure that many families can afford the high allowances seen on Mumsnet. I also feed their friends when over at ours. Again never reciprocated. They've had a regular job 2 days per week for the last 18 months as well as being at college. They've just turned 19 but still at college so I am now asking for housekeeping - £100 pcm and the allowance will stop. (They dont know that in reality I will save this for them for the future). There was a full top up of clothes this summer, despite no real change in size or need.

Sixth form son got £100 cash allowance a month, phone billed paid, academy & gym membership, driving lessons and then car, tax, insurance etc. Grandparents also gave him "pocket money" of £50 a month. He had a job which he enjoyed and earnt a small wage from that, but we encouraged him to take time off around exams and employer was very flexible and understanding. We also often contribute to meals out with friends and paid for clothes and sports equipment and club fees.