Repeating Y12 at another school

[TealDeer020202]

I'm at a boarding school atm (having been there since Y9) and just started Y12 and am looking to switch sixth forms (which I realise will likely mean repeating a Year). I was born summer 2008 so given that its only a few months difference I'm hoping most schools won't mind this but perhaps the really academic schools would not allow this?

It’s the first week back 😳
Why would you have to repeat a full year if you transferred elsewhere?

The first 2 weeks you can switch around in year 12 so why would you need to retake the whole year?

Some independents will only have gone back this week. Seems early to expect to retake a year. What is the issue?

We've got a 'it's not cool to be smart vibe' which got slightly better during GCSEs and thus I assumed we were on an upward streak and people would mature better into sixth form - definitely hasn't and arguably has got worse. We're of those independents who take a massive intake in sixth form (usually to boost grades) but even teachers have admitted that in recent yrs our intake has been quite weak academically (they also aren't happy with how school simultaneously demands teachers to deliver better results but allow students to skip lessons whenever for sport/music even if its a crucial moment whilst also recruiting an increasing number of academically weaker students). I'm someone easily influenced by their environment and the lack of work ethnic is genuinely impacting me.

Secondly, I think we seem to have a very unkind environment - several of my friends who left after Y11 say they forgot what it felt like for people to be actually nice. For instance, more minor but repeated incidents would be a lot of sarcasm/snarky comments relating to studying and/or taking part in academic extracurriculars (eg. debating or whatnot). I was going to change after Y11 but school convinced me to stay when other schools asked them for references by selling me a very rosy picture of six form (which in hindsight I was very stupid to believe since no other pupil the school tried to convince similarly stayed). I thought the influx of new pupils would ameliorate the situation but they don't seem that much better (maybe a slight improvement but not much) and generally I feel like my school is going backwards both academically and socially (a sinking ship so to speak).

I was wondering whether academically-focused schools would still take in pupils now - most like Westminster, Winchester, Concord, OIC (for the last two I do know they offer January start 18 month courses but they're only limited to STEM subjects) are pretty strict about refusing late applicants

You might be better considering state schools. My dd just started a 6th form in a school (her school didn’t have a 6th form so she’s moved to a school a bus ride away). Round here, those that stay in a school environment tend to be more focused academically. Others, some academic and some less so, go to college environments. DD’s school experience is nothing like you describe. They’re excited about their courses and small classes. Guessing that’s not what you’re thinking though.

Which subjects are you taking? I think if you contact suitable schools this week, there might be chance to start somewhere new this term rather than spend a year in limbo.

You need to take responsibility for your own educational outcomes and stop obfuscating by saying you are easily influenced by others. It’s a choice. Any environment can have its distractions. You can restart Y12 now if you are quick about it. State sixth form colleges and independent senior schools have mostly only just started term. But do it because you want to be with friends or some other tangible positive reason, not because you think the grass is greener.

also (thankfully I haven't been a victim of any of them) but the school is often quite inconsistent with discipline leading to some quite serious borderline criminal incidents receiving very light (or no) penalties so I would say we do have a bit of a safeguarding problem (though the inspection report recently wouldn't tell you that since we very nicely pretended along for a whole week then on our 'best behaviour'). plus I did my epq last yr and my marks got lowered by 10% because the exam board took a sample of some of our projects and found that we had overmarked by 10% in a few cases thus everyone's marks went down across the board so I dropped by a whole grade which has left a very bitter taste in my mouth. The director of epq was quite indifferent about the whole affair and when asked whether we could do individual appeals if our collective appeal to restore ALL our original marks failed he just said no and said 'That is the way things work' which may be true but certainly it was always quite clear he never gaf

I spent 3 years there and got mostly 9s and 8s, my experience was quite because the culture was crap and studying was generally seen as a ridiculous thing to do. I would probably get decent level grades here but I've only ever cried about school from Year 9 onwards - whether this is a normal thing with age or whether its to my school idk but I definitely have been quite unstable at certain points. Generally I fluctuate between periods of general satisfaction with the school and other periods where I'm randomly bursting into tears which was why I didn't switch (for the second half of Y11 I felt content). This obviously makes it more difficult to switch schools.

Though update I made a call to a nearby school (which is mostly international like me which I guess is a downside but I can deal with that hopefully) and they said they can process my application to join this month at any rate.

You are not going to get into competitive schools like Winchester or Westminster late by the back door. No idea why you did an epq in year11(alongside gcses?) but external moderation is normal. Of you were to leave you would need a clear term's notice or pay fees in lieu, until Easter now.

Are you talking to your parents about these issues, @TealDeer020202 ? They will need to be involved and presumably have a say.

I think concord has not started yet.
If you are quick you can change years now.
Get your parents on board and work out where would be a better fit.

The key issue is that your parents are going to have to pay fees to your current school until the end of Easter term, due to the one full terms notice clause. Can they afford to pay two terms of fees consecutively? Assuming they can, I would ask them to reconnect with the schools that previously offered you a place- they may have had late drop outs due to the VAT issue or just people holding multiple offers. It can't hurt to ask.