Can you move sixth form at the end of year 12

[Springhare76]

DS1 moved from schools after GCSEs to a new sixth form. He has an EHCP due to severe ADHD and had several exclusions and a lot of time out of school. He and his best friend moved to this new school at the end of GCSEs as it's a high performing school and they wanted to attend the same school. Whilst the school is good on paper, DS confided in me a few nights ago that he hates the school and hasn't made any friends (apart from his best friend who moved there with him). He said most people are very unfriendly and it's very snooty. I think due to its location it's probably more serious and middle class than his old school which was far more mixed which he preferred. To add to this, he is seriously lacking in motivation and is being made to resit 2 of his end of year exams (he got C, E, E) as he did no revision and the school requires D,D,D for him to continue into Year 13. I think this would be the case anywhere as he was in 2 minds whether to do A-levels and he doesn't enjoy the subjects he's doing (his GCSE grades were ok but not great so ruled him out of doing certain subjects). The question is, is it possible to move him now? Not sure we would even want to do that due to the disruption but just wondered what's possible. If he doesn't get 2 Ds in his resits next week then we may need to move him anyway. From what I can tell there does seem to be more flexibility to move in year 12/13 than mid GCSEs.

Young people get three years worth of funding for post 16 education, and it sounds like he would be better off going to a 6th form college where he could do BTECs instead of A levels.

So, it's not too late to have another start and do something new. It sounds like A levels are not for him.

I am not sure that he's goes to be any more motivated to do BTEC that he was A-levels. He is bright so motivation is the key issue. I do think A-levels will be more beneficial to him in the long run. The question is whether to just push on through this year. Good to know that he has that option if he really wants though.

Could he redo year 12 at the same school but with different subjects?

In my area school sixth forms all have application deadlines in the spring so it is not possible to move to another sixth form. If you do badly in year 12 they usually offer starting again with a new choice of A levels.
If you want to move, it has to be to a college. They mostly do BTechs/T levels and not A levels.
It is best to check options in your area and base your decision on that.

Without the EHCP - yes, but moving from Y12 at one to Y13 elsewhere can be difficult to find and to manage. Restarting from scratch would probably be easier and more manageable.

However the process is different with the EHCP. It may make it harder for him to transfer to other colleges - they would need to be consulted for whether they can meet need - so first off talk to the SENCo at his current school about possibly changing courses, and calling an Annual Review. Also research the other colleges and talk to their SEN depts. It will be hard to get something in place quick enough for him not to miss too much of Sept though. They will be busy settling in their new starters.

Yes but most people who do restart their a levels, often with different choices.

it’s not normally possible to move and continue into year 13.

He might be better doing an apprenticeship in something which interests him? Academia doesn’t sound like his thing. That’s not to say he’s not bright obviously - just that not everyone is matched to studying, A Levels particularly.

I agree with those that say he might be best off starting again in year 12 this Sept. I wouldn’t suggest continuing with his current A levels at a different school (is that what you have in mind @Springhare76 ?) would see any improvement tbh.

I have known students move to sixth forms in other schools after year 12 (starting year 12 again tho) and also colleges near me offer a range of qualifications, including Btecs and also A levels, so a PP’s experience on that score is not universal. Agree it’s worth checking what there is local to you.

I not that you say A levels will be more beneficial to him in the long run – I am wondering why you say that? Btecs offer admission to uni almost as well as A levels; if he on target for C/D/E grades then yes he might be better with a Btec – especially as his A level choices sound as tho they were a compromise. What subjects does he do? What did he want to do? What alternative quals might suit?

and the school requires D,D,D for him to continue into Year 13.

Is this a private school? Because the answer to that statement, if its a state school, is, not legally, they don't.

DD's state school used to "manage out" students who didn't achieve DDD by the end of year 12.

The students were told at the beginning of year 12 that this would happen.

I would see what is available with a 6th form college and BTECs.

He's likely to get far more support and probably come out with higher UCAS points that his current results would suggest.

BTECs are different, not lesser, and are generally a much better fit for bright SEN kids than A levels. And teach better life skills along the way as it's not all exam dependent. I have friends whose DC applied with a L3 Extended BTEC and had 5 RG offers for degrees asking for AAA at A level.

Having the EHCP might make things a bit trickier, but worth phoning round to see what is out there.

Thanks MarchingFrogs, can you expand on the legality of them asking him to leave if he doesn't get DD in the resits? He is at a state sixth form and has an EHCP naming the school.

Seems to be what's going on here.

However strongly suggesting a restart elsewhere may be the best thing for the student rather than eg DEE in y13.

Essentially, not allowing a pupil in a school sixth form to progress from one year to another during a phase of education (in this case, where the pupils have been admitted into year 12, for Key Stage 5, with the end point being the sitting of their A level exams) amounts to a permanent exclusion.

Permanent exclusions are only allowed as a behaviour management tool. They cannot be used to 'punish' poor academic achievement. (and no, not allowing year 11 pupils to join the sixth form, the school's post-compulsory school age offer, at the same school on the grounds that they have failed to meet the published admission criteria isn't the same thing).

The relevant Government guidance doesn't apply to all settings, though

This guide does not apply to independent schools (other than the academies listed above), city technology colleges, city colleges for the technology of the arts, further education colleges, sixth form colleges,16-19 academies or 16-19 free schools, all of which have separate suspension and permanent exclusion procedures.

Suspensionsandpermanentexclusionsguidance.pdf

Yes, it used to happen a lot, but the publicity around the St.Olave's case (legal challenge by the parents of some of the pupils affected) was a real wake up call for schools. Around us, there was a quiet but swift rewording of sixth form policies. DD was moving on to sixth form that year; a friend of hers in the year above had just been told that she would not be allowed back to enter year 13 (and to be fair, this was at the local grammar school most likely not to enforce the AS level requirement rule, so I don't know how bad her results were) and had actually secured an alternative place, when St Olave's hit the news and I suggested that DD should prompt her friend to mention it to her former school. Her place was reinstated on the spot...

Take a step back here. Breathe. It’s not the school is it? It’s your son. He needs to take responsibility and realise that being excluded several times in the sixth form is not usual, but his EHCP is saving him. If you move to another sixth form, the problems will resurface.
i would suggest a college and not A levels.
Start over again.

Op are you aware the as he has an EHCP he's actually entitled to further education until he's 25 not 19 as is normal.

He either needs to try and resist his A-levels with different subjects from year 12 or look at a vocational course at a college. I'll just point out this won't limit his options (I did a BTEC and thena degree, most universities will take students with BTEC's) It maybe the type needed for A-levels isn't ideal for him.

It's very unlikely that he will be able to move schools and sit Y13 there, doing the same subjects he is doing at his current school.

Firstly they may not have the timetabled lessons to allow him to do this (or space in the class) but more importantly it is unlikely that you will find a school that is doing exactly the same exam boards/units in each subject.

I have taught A level History for 30 years and teach AQA. There are a choice of 11 different topics for the first paper and a choice of 19 different topics for paper 2. We taught 1C (Tudors) and 20 (Weimar and Nazi Germany) - but the chances of moving half way through each unit to another school in the area that are not only doing this exam board - rather than OCR or Edexcel perhaps but doing the EXACT same topics is small.

The same problem will apply in other subjects, although perhaps not to such an extent. But I could not take a Y13 student unless they had done the exact thing my current students had done - in addition I started the NEA (coursework) in May, so my students will have written a first draft of that by the time they arrive in Y13.

He could begin Y12 again somewhere, but ultimately it appears he doesn't have the self motivation to succeed. I agree with others that he'd be better either buckling down massively to next year to drag something back - or going to college to do something else entirely. Either that, or looking for an apprenticeship.

He hasn't been excluded or had any behaviour incidents at sixth form. He was excluded in Year 10 and out of school for 2 months after a failed managed move.

It will depend. A college that needs bums on seats may allow a transfer into year 13 but most would prefer restarting year 12. A decent school 6th form unlikely as they fill their places with new year 12 students. Year ‘14’ funding is less than year 12&13 so will put places off.

Yes, think we've ruled that out and hopefully that won't be be necessary.

I do find it surprising how pessimistic people are. He is at the end of Year 12 and did barely any work for his end of years so obviously didn't get good results. He can't be the only one. He is bright but has ADHD so will not motivate himself until the last minute, however, he is maturing all the time so it may be that he can buckle down and do well next year. Daft advice to pull him out at do BTECs - he no more likely to make an effort for those than he is at A-levels.

I don't think it's daft advice to consider BTECs. A 100% exam course is much riskier for a student who struggles to revise than one that's mainly coursework. You're also right that an end of y12 mock grade E can be turned into a C. But that doesn't make BTecs daft.

The resits are a good opportunity to prove he can do it. Improving his grades there would make him more appealing to other colleges too, should he decide he wants to move, and just as important would be proving to himself that he's got it in him. If he doesn't improve with the resit, then I think he does need to take that seriously.

It's an odd one. On one hand the EHCP fundamentally changes quite a lot, but on the other if his main complaint is he doesn't like the other students - while having his best friend there - I think getting his head down for a year might be better than seeing that as a problem that needs fixing. But it's quite possible he'd be happier, and get on better, somewhere else and possibly doing different subjects.

I still think you should be talking to the SENCo. Are these grades evidence that he actually doesn't have all the study support he needs?

I also don’t see why the Btec advice is daft. You say @Springhare76 that he is not very keen on his A level subjects (I infer he would have chosen other ones f he had got better GCSEs in those subjects) so it’s hardly surprising he isn't making any effort.

But if he could restart and find a Btec he would be engaged by and enthusiastic about (not impossible, and likely to require lower GCSE grades so maybe close to his initial choices of subject?) then yes, he might well work harder and do better.

Also it may be that he struggles with exams, so a coursework based qual might well be a better idea. What subjects did he want to take? What is there on offer at your local college? It’s not too late to sign up for a fresh year 12 in Sept.

BTECs also have lots of deadlines, so an ADHD person who needs deadlines to work will get loads of deadlines throughout the course that maybe are more manageable than the one massive exam deadline at the end.

It can be done but is not usually a good thing.

You need both places (school / VI form / college) to be doing the same subjects with the same exam board.

I wouldn't rule out BTEC, I've seen students go from low grade AS levels (going back a bit) who then thrive on BTEC.

I'm slightly confused about this "A levels will be more beneficial to him in the long run." A Levels are to get you in to uni, they are fairly useless for anything else.

BTEC can get you into uni and is a qualification you can use to move into work.

Another thing with BTEC is that you are assessed throughout the year, you can't coast and then cram at the end of the year.