To think asking for 6 level 7 (A) GCSE grades to enter the schools sixth form is a bit intense !

[firefly400]

DD is year 10 and to get in to her schools sixth form requires 6 level 7 ,and 2 level 6 GCSE's this is equivalent to 6 A and 2 B grades on the current grading system. I think this creates unfair pressure on pupils who most probably left to their own devices i.e not have to have 'sleepless' nights would achieve.

The school has problems with some girls suffering from Anorexia , Bulimia and self harming . The school should have a more reasonable (though appropriate expectation for A or level 7 grades in just the A levels required for study).

This alone would reduce the 'fear' and concern on my own daughter. Do they want to make their own 'very' bright pupils anxious for some kind of power race with over schools !

'We have more stringent entry requirements than you ' though our girls are always afraid of not getting an A*

Secondly getting 8 A at GCSE does not always equate to 3 A at A Level similarly as demonstrated by my Nephew getting no A at GCSE (only 4 A grades) does not mean you can't get A A level he got 2A and 1 A. The 2 A were in English and Chemistry ( Chemistry Dept did not think he was up to it since he only scraped a A at GCSE)

The final point what a pupil is at 16 is not comparable to the pupil at 18 !

"It looks from the chart that Blackdoglet sent that 7 is only just an A, with two levels still above that. So it is like a high B really."

No- it's an A.That's just the sort of thinking that panics high achieving kids.

There are three levels of A there. 7 8 9. So though it is indeed high, it is not so ridiculously high as at first seemed from the start of the post.

When you look at papers from the late 70's and 80's the emphasis was very much on factual retrieval/recall and learnt techniques/formulas etc..

I am not sure that is true. The questions were often essay based with no right answers exactly. Maths could be trickily word based.

There are three levels of A there. 7 8 9. So though it is indeed high, it is not so ridiculously high as at first seemed from the start of the post.

There aren't three levels of A. A 9 is definitely an A rather than an A. An 8 is in between and A and A.

We've been told 9 is higher than an A so A*
8 is between A-A*
7 is between A & B

Whatever a grade 7 is eventually agreed as being equal to. The entry requirements to DDs sixth form are very strenuous and likely as discussed to be among the most demanding of all sixth forms.

The fact that 97% of pupils from the school manage to be accepted in to the sixth form does not stop the 'sleepless' or worrying they suffer.

I thought was 'illegal' for a school to have different 'minimum' 6th form entry requirements for entry for current pupils and prospective pupils.

The only way that it can happen , though not officially is if the school accepts the current pupils on the designated requirements but effectively auctions a rump of 20 places or so !

All the grammar schools here are asking for 8 B grades for 6th form entry this year. A minimum of a 6 I think for maths and english. So yes- that does sound high. Maybe look elsewhere.

Well my DCs Comp kind of has different requirements for new pupils, as there is only room for 25 new pupils but they will take any existing ones who meet the requirements for each subject (including "A*" for further Maths).

Ds's school requires a B in all the A levels they take. Thank goodness!

I have been looking around school websites and agree it does seem your DD's school is being very selective.

Some famously selective private schools are asking for that as a minimum, saying many entrants get far higher, some asked for higher (some or all A*), and some have their own exam for what prospective students hope to study at A level or Cambridge pre-U or Baccalaureate; but some other extremely good private schools are asking for less.

I agree lots of girls are under immense stress from all the exams and the never ending high expectations.

In my opinion, it would be a shame if able pupils from schools where such high GCSE grades are very difficult to get do not get the chance to apply - so if a school ever lowers expectations for applicants from outside, perhaps that is why.

I don't think they're ridiculously high for somewhere which is "super selective".

The school where I teach (state comp) technically only requires 5x A-C or 9-4 for admittance to sixth form, but that only allows you to do BTEC/vocational courses. Students who want to do mainly A-levels need to "have largely achieved all A-B grades", with a specified grade (generally an A, but varies) in the subjects they want to study.

It's true that some students wont cope in a really pressurised environment, but there are always alternatives (e.g. comprehensives or less-selective grammars)

How can the requirements be ridiculously high if 97% of students at the school attain the grades?

My school sets the bar at 4Cs, which probably 97% of our students achieve. Does that make the bar ridiculously high because 3% of our students won't make it?

I don't think the requirements are high for a selective where all children have entered at an above average level.

Our local super selective expects 4A's and 2B grades including maths and English. Musicians are expected to be grade 8 in their primary instrument on entry to sixth form and students wanting to take further maths will undergo an additional maths test as well as the expectation their maths gcse is held at an a* grade

They're one of the top schools in the country and I can see why reading their admissions criteria!

97% of pupils might attain those requirements but i just think they are very high.

A number of parents have commented on the requirements (especially as pointed out nobody quite knows what the new GCSEs grades mean in reality)!

However, no parent has got the 'bottle' to speak to the head .

The head is a throwback to the 1950s ! where even the parents are on their 'best' behaviour and expect to be told to stop 'slouching' in that chair .

You know your child could go elsewhere for sixth form if you don't think they'll get the grades

If you're unhappy with the education your child is receiving, you can-
speak to the school
change schools

Your child does not have to attend this school, if it's not the right environment for her.
The head sounds like they know what they're doing- you don't get outstanding results by being sloppy!

But you also don't want to talk to the head, right? If they have 700 applicants for 100 places and 97 percent of students achieve the grades, (which seems very high to me) then I'm unsure how you wish them to select.

I'm really not sure of the problem here, you say your daughter and her friends are predicted to achieve the grades, yet you continue to rally against how wrong the system is. If your daughter is stressing and suffering now, honestly it's going to get tougher in sixth form, maybe she would be better at a more gentler college? I know she wants to be with her friends, but clearly something is driving uour posts, and if it's concern she's not coping mentally, and is under too much stress it's not going to get better it's going to get worse as she progresses, the fact her friends are there will be an irrelevance.😞

I thought was 'illegal' for a school to have different 'minimum' 6th form entry requirements for entry for current pupils and prospective pupils.

What makes you think it is "illegal"?!

Surely that is obvious 'discrimination' to 'openly' ask for higher requirements for the same courses !

The way some schools get away with this is to say places will automatically go to any current pupil who meets the minimum requirements. However, any subsequent places available for external students , will be allocated on the highest grades attained at GCSE.!

They have not officially declared higher requirements , because that is obvious discrimination. The school have opened an 'auction' for the places available to get round the legislation .

Op why was it okay for the school to select at age 11 if not at age 16?

It's perfectly legal...

Sixth form isn't compulsory remember. The school has no statutory obligation to provide sixth form education.

Still don't know why you're moaning though. If you or your child object, go elsewhere not that you will because you like the high standards

Surely that is obvious 'discrimination' to 'openly' ask for higher requirements for the same courses !

I am pretty sure they can "discriminate" all they like as long as it isn't based on race, disability etc.

The way some schools get away with this is to say places will automatically go to any current pupil who meets the minimum requirements. However, any subsequent places available for external students , will be allocated on the highest grades attained at GCSE.!

No, they don't. They state the minimum requirements for external candidates on the website and then the places are allocated according to who is nearest the school.

"No, they don't. They state the minimum requirements for external candidates on the website and then the places are allocated according to who is nearest the school."

That's certainly not how it works round here!