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.

We found it impossible to move or start again. Dsd’s college (described as 6th form college but not part of a school) would not let her re-do y12, even if she chose totally different courses. They offered her to drop the course she was failing most and take up a one-year course alongside the remaining subjects, but there was only 2-3 options none of which she wanted to do. They also took so long to give us the information that we couldn’t even try to apply to other colleges as it was right at the end of term.
Now she’s just doing 2 subjects for y13. We had extenuating circumstances but they wouldn’t give any consideration to that.

My DS is about to start Year 12 again at a different school. We're in London.
His school didn't kick him out, exactly, but because he hadn't done well enough in the first year exams they told him he couldn't continue with one of his subjects. He wasn't enjoying it anyway. He'd really joined just because most of his friends were staying on, so by default, I guess.
If his new school had provided the same subjects he absolutely could have joined in year 13, but they didn't. So he's starting again, quite happily.
It is possible.

@NerdyBird that sounds really unfair especially when she has already gone through more than most.

Several of our friends have found the flexibility we were sold at college didn't appear in reality. Hard to tell if it is a common problem or just our local colleges.

May I ask which area or school that is?

So DS did the resits this week and term starts next week on 3rd September. Not sure when we are supposed to get the results but how does the timing work if he fails? Leaves us no time to find another school.

How is your research into other options going? It's hard in school hols but I suspect some staff are in between results and new term starting.

My research if focusing on whether the school can force him to leave if he doesn't get DD in his resits. That's what I want to know.

No, they cannot. This was confirmed by my own 6th form yesterday.

They can invite him to leave, and they can refuse to enter him for a course they don't believe he'll pass.

He could restart sixth form at a different school or college. The funding is for 3 years up to age 19.

Assuming this is not an independent school, they cannot force DS out because of his results. See the guidance @MarchingFrogs linked to and the St Olave’s case she mentioned. It would be unlawful.

With an EHCP, moving placement before the start of term is highly unlikely. You would need an early review of the EHCP. The LA may or may not agree to an early review. If they don’t, you don’t have the right of appeal, you would need to either wait for the AR or request a reassessment of need (which does have the right of appeal if the LA refused). Even if the LA agree to an early review and they agree to amend, your preferred would need to be consulted.

The school could request an early review. However, if it is your preference, the bar for the LA not naming it is high. And the LA doesn’t need the college to agree.

Moving from Y12 in one institution to Y13 in another isn’t straightforward. Even if the new sixth form offers the same subjects, the timetable might not allow that combination. In subjects that have choices within the specification, the new sixth form may not do the same options. And things may be taught in a different order.

With an EHCP, funding isn’t limited to 3 years. The EHCP can continue until 25, or 26 in some cases, if necessary.

Is DS receiving all the support he needs? Does his EHCP need amending regardless of placement?

Given this is a recent statement from him could it be more back to school nerves rather than a major problem with the school?

You are very anti BTECs, which are far from a daft idea. A level 3 BTEC is equivalent to an A level and as a previous poster has said the more frequent deadlines can really help a lower motivated student as they get much more immediate feedback. Why are you so opposed to them?

They might have done that in the past but it is now not allowed -- as a matter of fact, it probably wasn't then... (see as pp said, the St Olave's case).

https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/removing-sixth-form-students/

Thank you, very helpful.

So they can't make him leave. Do you know if they can force him to switch courses or do a BTEC? I think they only do one BTEC where he currently is (which he doesn't want to do and seems pretty useless from a qualification standpoint),

Because I know my son and doing BTEC won't make him any more motivated plus, despite a million mumsnetters trying to convince me otherwise, they are just not as well regarded as A-levels. Nor does DS want to start afresh again in a new place for another 2 years. He wants to either finish his A-levels or drop out.

Btecs are perfectly well regarded and for a candidate looking at lower A level grades, will certainly be fine from that PoV.

If your ds won't work at a Btec tho, then that's not the best idea for him.

What does he plan to do tho? If he doesn't get the grades his school requires, it's going to be very difficult for him to move to a different setting and pick up at the start of year 13. Does he really want to stay at a school he hates doing subjects he doesn't enjoy (your words)?

It really sounds as tho a new start would be better, but obvs it's not our choice, it's yours and his (and to some extent his school's). All the best to him.

I disagree that they are very well regarded. A-levels are must better regarded.

I also disagree that a fresh start is needed. He has only been there 1 year and has less than 1 year to go before he finishes school. He hates school so I highly doubt is going to be happier or more motivated anywhere else. He needs to get his head down and try to get the best results he can. He will get a B or A in his other A-level subject so we just need to focus on the 2 Ec. He revised a fair amount over the summer so has hopefully done better.

Hey @Springhare76 high grades in Btecs will get you into most unis (not COWI I guess), so I'm not sure about A levels being "much better regarded".

Does he plan to go to Higher education?
If he wants to turn a C at end if year 12 into an A grade he will have to work very hard. Not sure really what want from this thread but moving him to do year 13 and finish A levels in a different setting (which I feel is the only option you would be happy with from your op, but your mist recent post contradicts that anyway) will be challenging, especially as we are now in Sept and term starts this week.

Let's just say that a Distinction at BTEC is much more highly regarded and will take you a lot further than a C or D at A level is ever likely to.

So I suppose it depends if you think your DS is likely to be getting those top grades at A level in 9 months time?

If he's not suited to the way of studying on a BTEC then I would also gently suggest that university is probably not his future path as they are far more alike than A levels and university.

I wanted to understand if the school he is currently at can force him to leave at the end of year 12 if he doesn't get DD in his resits. From the responses I understand that they cannot but I am still not sure if they can force him to drop subjects/take the one BTEC they offer.

Not sure about uni - he's going to take a year out next year.

He should be able to restart year 12 elsewhere, assuming there are spaces and the sixth form/ college agree. I know of teens who have done this, due to poor end of year results.
Not sure about moving and going into year 13 at a different sixth form. I don't know of any teens who have done this, but that's not to say it can't be done. Could you contact the sixth form your dc would be interested in moving to and ask them?

Not sure about moving and going into year 13 at a different sixth form. I don't know of any teens who have done this, but that's not to say it can't be done. Could you contact the sixth form your dc would be interested in moving to and ask them?

The problem is that another 6th form would have to cover the same topics in the same order with the same exam board, and that is vanishingly unlikely.

It would be far better to either get tutors in to bring him up to scratch or restart year 12, either at the same place or elsewhere.

Just coming back for some more advice.

DS1 stayed at current 6th form as he got DD in his re-sits alongside a B in French. However, he has done literally nothing since then. His attendance is 55% and just found out he got UUU in his A-level mocks. We have his annual review meeting today for his EHCP. Not sure what the school or LA will say but I am no longer sure there is any point him staying in school. His predicted grades as CCC but seems unlikely he will get there as he's barely going into school. He stays up all night and sleeps all day and there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to change that. Any thoughts/advice very welcome.

Sounds difficult. Does he have any ideas?

With the EHCP he could stay on in education eg to do a BTEC, but that only really works if he attends and of course now he is probably too late to switch for this academic year.

What does your DS say?

@Springhare76 I am sorry your DS is struggling so much. It really sounds as tho he is not engaging with his courses at all. If he got a B in French at the end of year 12 he must have decent ability (even if French is his mother tongue, a B grade needs work and knowledge). Yes, what does he say about it?

What is his ultimate aim? It sounds to me as tho university, where you need to be very self-motivated, may not be a good choice for him (which is fine). So maybe he should look at getting a job?

It’s tricky, as if he drops out now he has nothing to show for 18 months in sixth form. OTOH it doesn’t sound as tho he stands a chance to gaining A levels at all, having missed so much and with Us in his mocks.

The options I guess are:

• Drop out now, try and find a job with his GCSEs
• Continue with his current course with a new attitude and make a big effort to catch up to where he was in September, with a view to taking A levels in the summer – but bear in mind that this might end with UUU (and in fact the sixth form might refuse to enter him for the exams)
• Drop out now and look for a new course to restart year 12 in Sept 2026 – his EHCP as I understand it means that will still be possible. It would need to be something that really engages him tho, and it sounds as tho the A levels he would enjoy are closed off to him bc of his GCSE grades, so he might need to really have a careful look at what was on offer

I have to be honest and say that the first one sounds like the most practical option. If he later wanted to go to uni, there are access courses available which could be an option him. But there is nothing wrong with working and there are plenty of roles in society which don’t need a degree or even A levels. An apprenticeship might be an option as well.

Yes, you can move... but A-Levels are not the only way to get into university or a lot of jobs. There are more vocational routes that are more inspiring than sitting in a classroom. I have both A-Levels and went back to do a more practical City & Guilds course... which served me better, I got higher grades, and would have been more likely to get into university with the equivalent of an A/B than I would with my A-Level results.

Can I ask what is it that's going wrong for him? Is he not attending because he is scared of failing? Or is he avoiding something else? Is anyone giving him support in his revision, or is that all down to him?