Is it true that clever people go to 6th form and people who aren't go to college

[thistimeiknowitsforreal]

Evening all,

It was always drummed into me that after GCSE`s that if you are intelligent you went to or stayed at school and went to 6th form depending on your previous circumstances.

But if you weren't good enough you went to college instead.

Whats your experience in this area ?

My daughter had great fun telling her peers she had the equivalent of A star, A star, A at A'level, an unconditional offer at uni for occupational therapy, her uni finance and accommodation sorted out all before her friends finished their A'levels at school because she attended an FE college. She was the first to start her career and now, having established herself is going off to travel for 6 months!

DD did the same , she got 168 ucas points for her Health and Social care at our local FE college, finishing half a term early so she could go do Camp America. Now an OT with a First from an RG uni.

That`s good.

If i had my time again i would have loved to have done something like camp america or travelled when i was younger.

@pointythings

I just wanted to say i am sorry.

What i have said is not right and i am sorry if i caused any hurt.

@thistimeiknowitsforreal apology accepted, OP. I know this thread has been heated in places, but I think a lot of us have learned things from it. At least we agree that UK education needs to do better and be more diverse!

Op studying a levels in sixth form secondary school or sixth form college is the same thing! I don't understand the thread.

Forget to mention I chose to study my a levels at college. I did this because I found the sixth form at my school very immature; I wanted to feel more grown up. We had some students transfer later to college as they hated the sixth form.

No it`s not.

In my experience if you say your in 6th form at school people look at you as though you are intelligent.

Whereas if you say you go to college people think you are stupid for some reason and pat you on the head.

*Not a personal attack on anyone you the perception

In my experience if you say your in 6th form at school people look at you as though you are intelligent.
Whereas if you say you go to college people think you are stupid for some reason and pat you on the head.

In my experience (as admissions tutor for a very competitive degree course with entry requirements above AAA), this is not even remotely true.

I thought sixth form college was a private expensive crammer type education and sixth form was just the normal extension of school
yr 9 or sixth form was English it was 1st yr to 6th yr for me

I thought sixth form college was a private expensive crammer type education and sixth form was just the normal extension of school

No. The crammers are usually called tutorial colleges, although names vary and are often misleading. So far as A-Level students are concerned, sixth-form colleges are just regular sixth forms in areas where many/most schools don't have sixth forms. They will provide a wider range of post-16 qualifications than school sixth forms can, but that's not particularly relevant to students who are just moving on from GCSEs to A-Levels, unless they want to study less popular A-Level subjects that schools might not be able to offer.

@thistimeiknowitsforreal why is it not? Are you saying a levels in sixth form school are different to a levels at college? Can you elaborate on what you mean by this?

In my experience if you say your in 6th form at school people look at you as though you are intelligent.

Whereas if you say you go to college people think you are stupid for some reason and pat you on the head.

Not true. It's just something you believe.

I've worked as a careers adviser in schools and colleges and in recruitment and admissions at universities. I now do research on young peoples career decisions and can tell you that it isn't true.

Just like dozens of other people have told you it isn't true.

My ds did 6th form my dd college both at uni. Dd just felt college course was better suited to her than staying at 6th form.

The A levels will be the same (how could they not be really) but the environment in which they are studied will be different.

No. Our school, and the other local ones, didn't have a sixth form, and there was a local college everyone went to. No 6th form option.

’The A levels will be the same (how could they not be really) but the environment in which they are studied will be different.’

Different how?

School 6th forms have say 200 places. They are at a place that also has 11yos. They tend (not always) to have tighter rules and restrictions, as the pupils have to be setting an example to the younger ones.

Our nearest college doing A levels has circa 2000 (not a typo) per year, with youngest age 16.
No uniform or strict dress code. Come and go as you please. Parents evening only for under performers. A halfway house to university. Great for those who are mature enough, a bit of a nightmare if not.

@TeenDivided our 6th form is attached to the local secondary - they used to be in separate buildings but are now back in the same (new) building. The 6th form has not reverted to having a uniform, has a very relaxed dress code (clean, no offensive slogans), come and go as you please, parent evenings for everyone but much more a consultative process looking at forward planning than anything else. It works well. There is a mentoring programme where the 6th formers mentor Yr 8s and 9s - that works too, despite the 6th formers not being in uniform.