Why is 6th form thought of more highly than attending FE college ?

[Summersunshinee]

I can never understand why if you say that you attend 6th form at school you are thought of more so than if you attended FE college.

I would feel that if anything it would be more impressive to attend FE college as you made the decision to go somewhere else and try something different /

Because students often go to FE colleges to do vocational subjects, which lots of middle-class parents look down on, partly because they value academic subjects more highly and partly because a lot of the students who leave school to go to college rather than staying on for sixth form are kids who are less academically able and/or kids who didn't get on with the school environment behaviour-wise and are keen to be in a less restrictive institution.

These things are to a certain extent true statistically speaking, but obviously there are also lots of able, good kids who choose college because it offer subjects the schools don't, or because they fancy a change.

As above:
6th form is academic (A levels) and progresses you into HE

college is for A level resits or vocational courses

people are judgemental

How did this perception i suppose you can say come about ?

This has already been answered.
It is different in different LAs, but in some areas, the FE colleges are for GCSE re-takes and some vocational qualifications and the schools offer A-levels.

In other areas, there are few school 6th forms and A-levels are offered at the colleges.

Something else where I live is that colleges are in the ‘bad’ area of the LA so IN PEOPLE’S MIND, going there = crappy environment, failing pupils etc… even when they are doing their A levels.
On the other side, in the nicer areas, everything is 6th form…. And no college available….

In this area, 3 out of 4 of the local schools only go up to Year 11. TBF, the one with a 6th form is the most highly achieving, but it is also in the most deprived locality.

DS started in this school in Year 7 and chose to stay on. He’s doing very traditional a’ levels so no need to move (rural area, transport is always an issue). However, some of his friends moved on for BTECs or a wider range of qualifications. Sometimes I know he wishes he had done the same.

@Summersunshinee the short answer to your question is that Sixth Forms aren't thought of more highly than FE Colleges. It's an over simplification to suggest that they are.

But ... every area is different ... and broadly speaking if you live in an area where both exist, then you may find that school sixth forms specialise in A Levels in traditional academic subjects while the colleges have a broad range of vocational subjects, including courses like hair dressing, social care, catering, construction. These courses have lower academic entry criteria than A levels, so colleges therefore attract a broader range of students. Some still offer A levels, others don't. In my area, the college that offers A levels is as "highly regarded" as school sixth forms by students who want to do A levels. The college that doesn't offer A levels doesn't interest those families, for obvious reasons.

When btecs first came out they wernt very highly regarded. That has now changed, especially since most subjects were reformed.

I know it can vary by area, transport, reputation etc.

But i would feel that if someone who is 16 and has decided to go against the grain and try something new at college that should be commended.

My local FE college only offers a very limited number of A levels, anyone wanting to take A levels there can only take a maximum of one so it has to be done alongside a Btec.
All the school sixth forms offer a range of A levels and you may 3/4 and offer a small number of other courses.
That’s why the local FE college isn’t highly regarded, it’s not the same in all areas.

I don't think there is one view, as the post 16 options vary so much around the country. It's also a lack of understanding about the differences between FE and 6th form colleges.

In Oxford/shire, most students stay on at school, and mainly go to the FE college to study vocational type courses. Whereas, in Cambridge, there are so excellent 6th form colleges (namely Hills Road). In other areas, such as Hampshire, almost everyone leaves school at 16 and goes on to college.

I have taught in 2 colleges and 3 schools over the past 20 years. The students are taught the same whether they go to college or stay at school sixth form. Some of the schools I have taught at have been more selective than the colleges, others less selective / academic. I don't think it makes a difference. The only difference I have noticed is that the staff at sixth form colleges tend to be more academic than in schools. Higher degrees tend to be the norm, with many more staff holding doctorates. At colleges, i have found more staff that are wannabe uni lecturers. I know several who have gone off / come from uni lecturing. I know of only 1 teacher who went on to teach at a uni (on a PGCE course).

This again, really?

These two threads cover all the relevant issues:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/further_education/4574019-is-it-true-that-clever-people-go-to-6th-form-and-people-who-arent-go-to-college?page=10&reply=121178613

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/education/4725459-is-college-seen-as-inferior-to-sixth-form?reply=123285643

That`s very interesting from the point of view of a tutor.

In my area, across several boroughs, colleges do BTechs and 6th forms at school do A levels, and some BTechs. It depends which you want to do where you go. Most kids who want to go to Uni want to do A levels. Quite a lot of kids do change schools to go to a different sixth form so moving school is not the issue.
The main reason why sixth forms are considered better than college is that A levels are considered better than BTechs. This may be different in other parts of the country.

I work in careers advice and think many still have the perception sixth form is better because of historical differences and because colleges offer more vocational or level 1/2 courses so they see people with lower grades going to college. This misses the fact that if you compare the same courses, ie Alevels, the colleges in my area actually usually have higher entry requirements than sixth form.

Students and parents are also influenced by teachers who want the numbers in sixth firm so will tell them things like 'you don't get as much support in college'. And of course parents often see school as the safer, closer, more familiar option too.

I've noticed though in my area, the brighter kids in the less well performing schools (or at least those with less academic reputations) do tend to apply to college, so they buck that trend a bit.

NO 6th forms attached to school's here. Local 6th form college had over 50 Oxbridge offers last year's so doesn't seem to shabby.
From what I know from university achedemic point of view they actually prefer candidates from a 6th form college due to them being better prepared for university life. That has come straight from the lectures mouths btw and was actually discussed in depth during one of my recent post grad lectures.

Where we live only the private schools have 6th forms. Dc1 had the choice of 5 colleges I think. I was quite relieved that he picked the closest one which is 6 miles away. Dc2 has his eye on a course at the 3rd nearest college which is about 15 miles away. It's a real pain for a lot of local people as we live in a deprived area and the cost of transport to even the most local college is really expensive.

Really? Here almost all the secondaries finish at year 11. Many of the people from private also leave at year 11 to go to the 6th form colleges.

In my area 6th form is for A levels and the local college is vocational with no Alevels.
Next LA over they only have one 6th form and College does both A levels and BTEC.

DD did BTEC went to a RG uni which was top for her course in UK and came out with a first , she said the students with BtEC were much better prepared for her course

I see someone has mentioned it but yes I’m in Hampshire. The 6th form colleges do A levels and it makes sense to pool together a wide catchment. The 6th form colleges have a very wide range of A levels. Just googled and the big one in Winchester does 44 subjects at A levels. It also does btech and T levels.

I have to say, I tend to think of them as lesser than A levels because I’m just not sure what the point of them is. I need to look and see what they can be used for, unless anyone can tell me? In my head they are a way of keeping people occupied, which I’m sure is unjust.

Sadly the DfE is planning to get rid of Btecs and replace with T levels but there are lots of teething problems including a lack of work placements that make up a large component on T levels, nevertheless Sixth form colleges are having to make plans to phase out Btecs. Due to the amount of time and investment to set up T levels the gap between school 6th forms offering only A levels and suitable for those capable of taking 3 A levels and 6th form colleges offering A levels / T levels will become wider.

It's the same where I am. It's thought that the clever students stay at 6th form at school and the less clever go to college.

This in a nutshell.

@CindersAgain what do you mean you don't understand what they are for (I assume you mean Btecs).
They are a qualification. Want to be a plumber/health care assistant/hairdresser/mechanic/1001 other careers....you need to be qualified.
Btecs (or equivalent alternatives) are what you need to become qualified.

As I see it there are three options 1. State or private schools with sixth forms, 2. sixth form colleges which offer a wider range of A levels than schools plus the choice of Btecs and maybe more selective for a level entry than school sixth forms 3. Colleges which don’t offer A levels and do vocational courses. I think people are muddling up 2 and 3.