6th form offers problem

[monet3]

My DD has been accepted into two schools for 6th form, one wants her come what may and the other will only accept after GCSE results. She prefers the one that will only confirm once GCSE results are out
The other school wants a reply straight away so I will have to decline that place, hand in notice to her current school and wait for a place that may or may not come up at the other school whilst burning bridges with her current school.

The system is crazy. She might end up with no school if I hand in notice and she is refused a place at the GCSE results school.

What to do ?

Can you only accept one offer? e.g accept the first place and then if she gets her GCSEs take up that place instead and turn down the unconditional one?

I could do that and pay the £1000 but she didn't really want to go there we just used it as interview and exam practice.

He current school is lovely but a lot of the clever girls leave to go to grammar schools, most of her friends are going. I am worried that there wont be enough (sorry to say this) brainy girls for her to bounce of in 6th form.

The school she wants is super academic on the entrance test day there were lots of Chinese girls, although shes predicted all A* I dont think she can compete with the Chinese girls.

Im so stressed.

Oh, are these private schools?

In that case try for a place at a state school with a good sixth form.

Yes they are selective independents.

I dont think a state school would be a good option for her at this stage.

With respect, you have a number of options if you are genuinely concerned that your dd may not make the offer requirements. Your only problem is that none of them are free.

You can pay the deposit for the non-conditional offer.
You can not give notice at the current school until after GCSEs.

She is predicted all A*. How likely is it that she will not meet the offer? You're not in the different system from anyone applying to 6th form are you? Other than it is unusual to get an entirely unconditional offer at this stage.

well if she doesn't really want to go to the Unconditional Offer school, don't accept the place!

Why can't she go to a state grammar with her friends?

It sounds as if the schools are just making money out of people's deposits or late turning down of places.

Chinese girls?

I think it's outrageous of a school to turn down a girl they have educated purely on the extreme of extreme exam results. Where do they expect their pupils to go?

Thanks ladymuck, I think what you have suggested is the best option, that way it keeps all options open.

A friend's DD was kicked out of her indie when she didn't quite achieved the GCSE results expected - I thought if was outrageous - and her parents had to find a new sixth form place in a week or so

It is reasonably common for schools to set a minimum pass at AS level as well before allowing you to progress to A2. So not only might you not get into 6th form int he first place, but even when you are there, you have to show that you can stay there.

It is also much harder this year to get the A* the schools might find a lot of children not matching the criteria for 6th form.

Relatively few schools specify A* for anything other than maths I thought?

The schools DD has applied for specify at least five A*

monet We were in this position a couple of years ago. I assume that when you say that they won't accept your DD until after GCSE she has a conditional offer dependent on results? In which case it doesn't matter who else is applying, (and ethnicity is irrelevant, and it was a bit dodgy deploying the stereotype ) she only has to meet the target set for her. I am not sure I would be in the least bit interested in a school that was quite so ruthless as to only take the ones with the best results in August, no commitment on either side means they risk not getting the best. Even Westminster doesn't do that.

Also when results deflate the schools know about it. Last year was a bit of a shock but once the schools saw the general pattern of the English results, within about 12 hours the requirement for A /A* was being relaxed to a B.

Also there is a shift about at sixth form. Even the most selective girls' schools lose girls. They set a minimum standard for entry but often don't fill up. Coed schools on the other hand tend to experience more demand and become more selective. There is also a variation in subjects, even at Westminster for some subjects in some years it can be a little easier to get in than for other subjects (no idea of which, and it may vary year to year)

And there is also a bit of a shift about after GCSE. With 10 A*s your DD could find she could have other choices and indeed that spaces have become available in schools even if she does not.

ps Have you been reading Tin Tin and the Yellow Peril or similar?

Oh dear! no, why?

It's just that it was books like Tin tin who peddled all sorts of stereotypes about China. My DDs have quite a few Chinese friends and they experience the same successes and failures as they do, they just are not homogenous, and neither do all their parents share the tiger parent stereotype.