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Further education

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

Original poster

Can DD change sixth form twice?

3 replies

polly6868 · 16/04/2025 21:57

Hi,
So DD is currently almost at the end of year 12, she started out in a sixth form a while away from our house and in November she moved to a local college to study a vocational course (Health and Social Care) as she was struggling with friendships. Now she's saying she regrets the move and wants to go to a closer sixth form to do A Levels, around the same distance away as her new college. I'm scared universities will penalise her for moving again, but she says it will be fine. If she is adamant she wants to move I will obviously support her, but I need some advice. Thank you.

OP posts:
6namechange3 · 16/04/2025 22:12

I work in a sixth form school, students make mistakes, move to colleges , do Y14s etc, etc. I don't think universities care that much. For most courses in the current climate if they match the entry requirements they get an offer. Things can be different for the most competitive courses, but the majority of students aren't going for medicine or Oxbridge despite what you read on here!

clary · 16/04/2025 22:14

As I understand it you have funding until the year you turn 19, so in effect up to three years of sixth form or college.

If she is only at the end of her first year, that's only like a peer of DD's who left their school at the end of year 12 to restart in a different school. I don't see any reason why universities will know as such, so I wouldn't be too worried about that.

Tho you or she might want to interrogate carefully what she sets out to do now. Was she struggling with the A level work in the earlier setting? Will she take up the same A levels as before – and will the new sixth form be OK with her time away from the subjects (if they are maths/science/MFL it may be an issue)? What is she planning to switch to and why will it be better than her previous two tries?

Original poster
polly6868 · 17/04/2025 00:28

clary · 16/04/2025 22:14

As I understand it you have funding until the year you turn 19, so in effect up to three years of sixth form or college.

If she is only at the end of her first year, that's only like a peer of DD's who left their school at the end of year 12 to restart in a different school. I don't see any reason why universities will know as such, so I wouldn't be too worried about that.

Tho you or she might want to interrogate carefully what she sets out to do now. Was she struggling with the A level work in the earlier setting? Will she take up the same A levels as before – and will the new sixth form be OK with her time away from the subjects (if they are maths/science/MFL it may be an issue)? What is she planning to switch to and why will it be better than her previous two tries?

The A Level work wasn't an issue as far as I'm aware, she struggled because it was a small sixth form and she made a bad choice of friends and felt like she couldn't escape them. She's planning on keeping 2 of the same A Levels as before but swapping out the 3rd as she wasn't a massive fan of it, but it wasn't difficult, she just found it boring.

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