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Original poster

Is college seen as inferior to sixth form

40 replies

freezingone · 21/01/2023 22:17

DH says it is. I don't get it. If they offer same courses & have same success rates... do universities view the college route as inferior?? I've never heard of this but he's adamant..?!

OP posts:
empireemmy · 21/01/2023 22:30

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the request of the poster.

RedHelenB · 21/01/2023 22:30

Why would they? Uts the A level results that are important. None of mine would have wanted to go to a school sixth firm, they were ready for the in between step of college, wearing your own clothes, calling staff by their first names, going home in free periods etc.

empireemmy · 21/01/2023 22:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the request of the poster.

Greyhave · 21/01/2023 22:35

When I was a kid it was generally the less academically able kids that went off to college. The rest of us stayed on to do A-Levels then off to uni.

PeekAtYou · 21/01/2023 22:35

Unis don't care if it's college or sixth form as long as you get the correct grades.

I have read on here that some areas only have colleges. Where I live colleges have more vocational courses where as sixth forms mainly have A-level courses. Which is better depends on your goals and interests.

Couchpotato3 · 21/01/2023 22:37

Like everything else, it depends... Of course there are great colleges and not-so-great ones. The important thing is to check out the ones locally to you and think about whether they are a good fit for your child. Some of them get excellent results and ultimately that is all that unis care about. Your DH is out of touch!

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 21/01/2023 22:37

There are no school based sixth forms in my borough. The college my DC will start at in September sent more than 20 kids to Oxbridge last year, so it doesn't look like admissions tutors are that fussy.

pinkflop · 21/01/2023 22:39

Unfortunately a lot of people still believe this but it's just not true. There are no sixth forms where I live so what else would they do but go to college? As far as I can tell the entry requirements to do A Levels at college are the same as if you went to sixth form, but colleges also offer more vocational courses.

cariadlet · 21/01/2023 22:41

My dd got high grades in her GCSEs but then chose to leave school and go to college in a different town. I think she'd had enough of school, liked the more grown up atmosphere of the college and wanted a chance to reinvent herself.

She's now in her first year at uni having had good offers from all the universities which she applied to.

So colleges can be as good as 6th forms.

Luredbyapomegranate · 21/01/2023 22:42

If they are doing A levels either way it makes no difference. Where did he get that idea from?? The uni is only going to care about the grades (unless the schools are so poor you get concession entry.)

If he means are people snotty about vocational courses, well yes they can be.

RampantIvy · 21/01/2023 22:45

No. There are a lot of local authorities where there are no 6th forms, so all the students go to 6th form college.

It's a silly and outdated assumption.

PuttingDownRoots · 21/01/2023 22:46

They've separated out the schools and sixth forms here.
The College does everything from the highly academic A levels for top university courses all the way down to Functional skills and GCSE resits. More students than a school, so can offer more courses and more choice.

Snoopystick · 21/01/2023 22:48

DS’ 6th form have minimum requirements for GCSE results which is higher than the local college requirements but apart from that I don’t think there is a difference as they could have the same result in the end.

Original poster
freezingone · 21/01/2023 22:56

Thank you. I agree. He's got outdated views with a side of snobbery... but he knows best. T**t!

OP posts:
ChristmasTensions · 21/01/2023 22:58

It’s not true at all. Maybe in the 1970s!

lljkk · 21/01/2023 23:00

Not this again. I'm foreign & will never understand why MNers ask this question.

SpacersChoice · 21/01/2023 23:01

I’ve been around here for over a decade and until the last few months I’ve never seen this posted, now it’s every couple of weeks.

Original poster
freezingone · 21/01/2023 23:02

SpacersChoice · 21/01/2023 23:01

I’ve been around here for over a decade and until the last few months I’ve never seen this posted, now it’s every couple of weeks.

Really?! Sorry I had no idea.. it's been a genuine argument in our house tonight.

OP posts:
Original poster
freezingone · 21/01/2023 23:03

lljkk · 21/01/2023 23:00

Not this again. I'm foreign & will never understand why MNers ask this question.

What's being foreign got to do with your lack of understanding?!

OP posts:
DahliaMacNamara · 21/01/2023 23:05

What? I'm like a hundred years old, and it wasn't true in my day, and it's not true now. My DC would have loved to go to sixth form college instead of school for A levels, but the distance and expense made it a bit of a silly choice, given that they'd have done identical A levels wherever they went.

newlove22 · 21/01/2023 23:06

Teacher here. Yes it is as FE College Lecturers don't have to be graduates.

Original poster
freezingone · 21/01/2023 23:08

newlove22 · 21/01/2023 23:06

Teacher here. Yes it is as FE College Lecturers don't have to be graduates.

No, but they've often worked in industry right...? Arguably better placed up educate than someone who has never been in 'the real world' .. that said, surely the A-level tutors are graduates??

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 21/01/2023 23:18

As with most questions of this sort - depends on which schools and colleges you're comparing, and then which is 'better' will depend on what suits each student.

thismeansnothing · 21/01/2023 23:18

I don't think so no. I mean where I live the only 6th form is at the boys grammar school. So it's college round here

snowtrees · 21/01/2023 23:29

Not in our area. Some say the more nature move on. The ones who want nurturing stay at 6th form. I want my DD to stay in 6th form but only as I think she'll do better there for personal reasons

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