Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Y12 son wants to change sixth forms now

18 replies

kitnkaboodle · 01/02/2019 19:56

Anyone had any experience of this?

Son has been at a high-pressure grammar school since September - long journey to and from school and long days.

He's been anxious and demotivated since Christmas, and has just told us he's exhausted and unhappy and wants to change to a comprehensive nearer to home. We'd be fine with that ourselves, for the sake of his mental health, but ... is it possible at this stage of the year? He is a high-flyer so I don't think he'd have much problem with his subjects ...

OP posts:
Somethingsmellsnice · 02/02/2019 14:12

It will very much depend on what boards the comp is doing and whether they would accept him.

Also even if the same boards some exams such as History OCR A Level have 15 or so different choices for each component.

So check whether they are same boards, same components and even what order they are teaching the courses in. He may have covered stuff they haven't and end up doing it again. But they may have covered stuff he hasn't and he would need to catch up which even for a straight A* level student at gcse would be tough when you are about a quarter of the way through the A level course. If he is demotivated qould he be motivated enough to put himself under this type of stress?

An alternative might be to repeat year 12 from September at the comp if they allow him to.

Dairyqueen2 · 02/02/2019 18:12

Thank you. He's doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry, so maybe not that much difference in topics from one board to another...? I honestly don't know. Yes, sound advice, and need to talk to both schools next week ...

Iwantedthatname19 · 02/02/2019 18:17

so sorry your ds is having problems. Have you spoken to the existing school - maybe they could reassure your ds about his progress if that's the source of his concern? But i realise it may go deeper than that.

When you speak to the potential new school, you may want to ask if they'd consider taking him into yr 12 next September if this term isn't a go-er - other pp may know more, but I have seen it said that you are entitled to 3 yrs of sixth form, so they may get funding for him to restart?

Coronapop · 02/02/2019 18:23

Does he have friends at the local school? Just wondering how he would settle given that friendship groups will already have been established. It is generally inadvisable to change sixth form part way through the year but if he is sufficiently able and willing to work to do any catching up then it may be worth looking into. I suggest contacting the local school and asking for a meeting for you and DS with Head of Sixth form. There is no certainty that they would take him though.

Dairyqueen2 · 02/02/2019 23:05

Thanks for your replies. He has friends at both schools - his GCSE school doesn't have a sixth form so kids from there get scattered around different sixth forms. He doesn't seem to be struggling with the work - parents eve in December was fine. He's developed a lot of anxiety - can't face the bus to school now so we've been driving him in the last couple of weeks. Sad Some big discussions to be had next week ...

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 02/02/2019 23:27

Dairy, your other thread has been deleted. Hmm

Dairyqueen2 · 03/02/2019 12:45

So weird ... it said I was a troll Shock but now reinstated in AIBU. Thanks for advice on both threads... need to talk to him tonight...

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 03/02/2019 15:38

Yeah, weird. I remember you as kit from last year. Confused Probably a slip-up by MN. It’s hardly a controversial thread.

CottonSock · 03/02/2019 15:41

I hope you can sort something for him. I felt like this during my masters degree, and being able to change my course saved me (and stopped me dropping out)

Dairyqueen2 · 03/02/2019 22:51

Going to phone his current school tomorrow or go and see them. He was in a real state tonight, embarrassed about me phoning but didn't actually tell me not to. He's adamant that restarting Y12 in Sept will ruin all his chances, but that isn't based on anything but fear, and we need to be informed of all the options.

catndogslife · 04/02/2019 11:04

Hi OP
For the Sciences there is less difference between the topics covered for the new specs than there used to be and the fact that exams aren't usually taken until Y13 may make a school transfer possible asap.
It's even possible that his current sixth form being a grammar school may have covered areas faster than a less selective school. So I wouldn't necessarily assume he will be behind.

Mishappening · 04/02/2019 11:07

Most 6th form colleges or schools with 6th forms are pretty flexible. Now is the time to do it rather than wait.

He has picked subjects that leap up in difficulty between GCSE and A level, so he could do without the stress of travel.

Myshinynewname · 04/02/2019 11:25

It is worth getting to the bottom of why he wants to move. I did those A levels as a straight A /A* student and really struggled with the leap up from GCSE to A level. I did manage but I can imagine if I had moved to a Grammar I would think I was being pushed too hard when actually that was just the level required (I stayed at my own school 6th form). It did work out fine for me, with a lot of work!! So is the school he is unhappy with or the work?

Dairyqueen2 · 04/02/2019 12:05

Myshiny... I think it's the work. Just been in to see his head of year - very sympathetic. Suggests a controlled return to school with subject teachers all aware. Poss consider dropping FM if it continues bad, but I don't think DS would contemplate that (wants to do aeronautical engineering). Just having a coffee before going home to talk to him (He was still in bed when I left). Also contacted the comp to see what their opinion of in-year transfers is. But I take your point that the workload might be just the same there

anniehm · 04/02/2019 13:40

Most schools don't allow in year transfer, boards and options differ. In addition most schools only allow 3 subjects - something else to consider. The people I know who have changed had to restart in September.

anniehm · 04/02/2019 13:44

Ps dd has been accepted onto a very prestigious engineering course without further maths.

Myshinynewname · 04/02/2019 15:23

I hope your chat goes well. I found A levels ridiculously hard compared to both GCSE and my degree! It’s worth considering that if he is already finding the workload difficult it isn’t going to get easier by moving colleges and having to try to slot in to their lessons. Even if the curriculum is identical it may be taught in a different order, so he ends up doing some areas twice and others having to be covered entirely at home.
My parents actually paid for a tutor for me (very short term) when I started to struggle. It helped my confidence a lot to be able to go over things one to one which I wasn’t clear about.
It’s worth also considering that some intelligent students don’t ‘learn how to learn’ at school because they find the work easy and grasp concepts immediately. It can be a real shock when you don’t just understand and you have to work out how to make sense of it after the lesson.

Dairyqueen2 · 05/02/2019 20:37

Thanks all - talking it over with DP, we think it may have been the Christmas hols that messed it up - stepping off the treadmill completely for 2 weeks probably worse than keeping it ticking over, as happens in other holidays.
Anniehm - he's interested in Imperial and Cambridge. Both say they take students without FM as they understand that not all 6th forms offer it. However ... He's at a high-achieving grammar school where they most decidedly do offer it, so it's a tricky situation...

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread