Sixth form in Oxford

[MonkD]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of the quality of teaching at City of Oxford College for A levels? Their google reviews are bad or mixed and I am looking for my daughter who is a very intelligent pupil but whom we no longer afford to keep in private education for 6th form. Many thanks

Is there a reason you're not considering one of the secondary schools with attached Sixth Form?

I get the impression that students who go to City of Oxford College are the sorts who either didn't make the cut for one of the sixth forms or want to study a specialist subject.

Best thing to do is visit on open days and meet the course tutors (as you would normally when considering options.)

What is she predicted for GCSEs? Has she just sat them this year? What would she like to study after? Which part of Oxford are you based, as this will help people recommend other schools as well.

It was awful a few years back, teachers never tuned up for lessons etc. Coming from private I’d suggest a local sixth form, Cherwell will be good.

We live in Witney but travel to Oxford for work, we did not apply in time for Cherwell so are on waiting list with them, she got a place at Wood Green in Witney but was so disappointed at induction and does not wish to go there, low quality of teaching and also feels level of teaching adapted to classroom average is low and will make her bored and disengage … a lot of what they will cover she already has 🙈🙈 her predicted grades are good 8s

Take Google reviews with a pinch of salt.

I'm confused as to why you think she "already has" the information and will disengage. Has her current school already started teaching her cohort A-Levels?

Different schools can choose different topics for gcse and a level (plus different exam boards) so it seems that the a level history for example at Wood Green school will cover most topics she already did for her history gcse at her previous school). The level of difficulty varies too unfortunately and it seems her GCSE’s at her private school has covered many of the techniques/content/issues the public school is planning for a levels in the subjects she wants to study (eng lit, history etc)

I presume she’s just done the taster sixth form lessons. They will be entry level, outlining what they will be doing and not indicative of core curriculum teaching.Not all the children trying the lessons will actually go on to do them at A level as they will have been encouraged to try out different subjects. Looking at the school they use EdExcel for A level history so topics wold be:
Russia, 1917–91: from Lenin to Yeltsin,
decline and collapse of the communist East German state, 1949-1990
Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, c1780-1928
Coursework: European Witchcraft
Which board has she just done GCSE history with?

She is incorrect if she thinks she won’t be stretched moving to ALevel content and there will be other children starting from GCSE level 8.

One possible issue she may have had was feeling like an outsider as a lot of the children would already attend that school & know each other well. That would obviously change if she joined the school but it may have contributed to her not enjoying being there? It can be nerve wracking to move away from a familiar set up, staff and friends

Regardless if she didn’t get a good vibe it may not suit her and it’s sensible to visit different places, definitely go in person though, reviews are like trip advisor, tend to be a bit skewed.

For waiting lists there can be a lot of shifts in Sept as people change their minds so a place may well become available depending where she is on the waiting list. Hope she gets a place she enjoys.

Thank you, sadly the school in question will not do Edexcel but AqA, thanks though for the other valuable thoughts x

Have you considered other state school sixth forms which will have high-attaining students in them? Or is it because they are all more difficult to get to? (Off the top of my head, Cheney, Wheatley Park, Matthew Arnold, The Swan School. I don't know anything about attainment at Gosford Hill in Kidlington but you could look there too.)

https://sway.office.com/a5HRMYdKGR1IpT7X?ref=Link&loc=mysways

Definitely says Edexcel on the school's website...?

Odd not to mention that new starters will be doing a different board.

Unfortunately, most, if not all, state schools will reserve teaching techniques not necessary below A level for teaching as part of their A level offer - if nothing else, it means that if the school has new entrants at sixth form level, which nearly all state schools with a sixth form do, then everyone starts on a level playing field. Rather than, There are certain skills which you will need for success at Advanced Level, but as we covered these with our own year 11 back in April, we're not going to waste time going over them again and you externals will just have to sort yourselves out.

Out of curiosity, does your DD's current school not take external entrants into year 12 (because surely, they would possibly be in the same situation), or does it just not have a sixth form?

I'm curious as to what happened with your DD in the end?