Looking at 6th forms, Autumn 2018 start

[lljkk]

Anyone fancy a chat?

We're looking at 3 next week. Existing school (if dd gets good enough grades), sixth form college (massively oversubscribed and even better grades and she can get herself there) and a comparison school. What are your plans?

I am learning to let go & realise that DD will choose.

What kind of transport options are yours looking at?

I'm here.

Due to a few issues, DD has decided she needs a change from her current school so we've looked at a college, our local state school and two independent schools. Top choice is currently the furthest from home.

Next week is the sixth form evening at her current school so it all might change and several more times before she makes a decision.

Our deal is that if she can get herself there she can go where she wants. We live equidistant from current school (where ds also goes and they get the train to) and 6th form college (where she would have to get a bus - maybe two).

We're rural and live in-between the two major towns - each about 18 miles away.

What options are your dcs thinking of?

One is walking distance, current school is one bus and college would be two buses. One school has been dismissed completely. Preferred school is 45min walk/train/walk journey.

Option choices change on an almost weekly basis but always geography.

She is looking at possible degrees and working backwards for A level options. She's pretty sure wants to do a degree.

Where we live, secondaries don't usually have own 6th forms, so most kids have to move. DD doesn't like walking distance-away 6th form (sigh). Alternatives are in the city, about an hour of walk-train-walk away.

DD (assertive, outgoing) wants to do sciences+math. She was a quiet shy little girl who I thought would grow up to be a historian. :)

Good for her. She sounds well balanced
Mine is looking at Social sciences/languages. Thinking about doing Philosophy or PPE at uni. Interested in ethics. Mostly because she likes arguing her point, I think.

DD has been advised by school to go and look at Uni early to decide a. What course and what requirements and b. If it's for you.
Anyone else?

Gosh, that sounds like a lot of advance planning, Uni courses & their requirements might change a lot in 2 yrs, I imagine.

Do you guys care what kind of 6th form? I like our local community 6FC, but DD wants the sharp, big city cut-throat feel, instead.

I agree and her a levels might make her change her mind!
I'm not sure. One sixth form (current school) is about 400 and known quantity. Other is much bigger about 4000 (again both years) and I'd worry about her starting again etc as especially lots will come from the surrounding schools. But it's her choice. One is school and traditional (v trad school) and one is like uni really.

I agree with the wibble!

DS2's first choice is to continue where he is, but he will need high grades for the subjects he wants to do.

His second choice is a sixth form a bus journey away. He liked it at the open evening and has submitted an application, but we may live too far away for him to get an offer.

His third choice is our closest sixth form; I'm taking him to look around it this week.

DS has decided he wants a change although will apply to current school. He has got a place at a sixth form college, which is a train ride away (and only half hourly service) but good reputation. The other option he likes is a school sixth form that’s either a long bus ride or a short train ride with 20 minute walk.
One requirement for him is not having to wear smart business dress. Anyway, I am happy with any of the three possibles and he will choose.
But his A level choices keep changing! I thought he was looking at maths, computing and physics originally with music as a fourth if offered or instead of computing.
We now seem to be looking at maths, biology and psychology with possible music or Music EPQ.

DS1 didn't make up his mind about two of his A-level subjects until half a term into Y12. I sincerely hope that DS2 is going to be more decisive.

I definitely think a final decision will have to wait until after he gets his gcse results, which is fair enough. It’s a bit of guesswork on the application forms, though!

My DD has submitted to applications to her current school and the city’s college sixth form.

Her preference is for the school she’s currently at as it offers the subjects she really wants to continue (history, classical civilisation and art).

It’s also important to her at this stage to remain somewhere familiar if she can because she has additional support in place due to long term health conditions.

If she can achieve the grades she needs, she’ll be hugely proud because her health is proving quite the problem.

Best of luck to everyone.

I'm the director of a Sixth Form if you have any questions? I might be able to help/offer insight?

Having a really crap time with my DT’s over 6th Form choice. Neither will look any further than their current school. The school has a good 6th Form but are very prescriptive around pathways and choices and neither of DT’s can seem to shoehorn their choices into the right ‘boxes’. Also because the school is now outstanding I think just hitting the entry requirements might not be enough. I need to check that out more though.

Anyway neither of them have an alternative They have not been to any other Open Days or made enquiries to anywhere else. We do live in a quite rural/ remote area so tbf there isn’t many alternatives but there are some!

Do you think I need to make sure they have at least one alternative in place? Or just deal with the fallout after GCSE results if one or both of them don’t get a place? I don’t know if it’s me being overly cautious and not well informed.

@Splatattack: honestly, in your opinion, how well a kid does in their final grades -- how much is that due to the environment 6th Form provides & how much is due to inherent stuff inside the kid when they arrived (or their home environment, and other factors you can't control about the pupil)?

Chunters: I think I'd try to get them to come up with a Plan B. Their PlanB whatever it is, but get them to state what it will be.

The main thing is the student and how focused and able they are. Support from home is a big thing too. Yes, teaching quality varies but if your child is willing to consolidate independently and is conscientious then that will make the biggest difference. All specifications have now changed so no teachers are confident about exam format as there just isn't enough evidence/past papers yet...so all are in the same difficult position. Does this help?