College or sixth form

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How do you decide which is best for your child's future? I never went into higher education and really want to support my DS.

He is currently at a grammar school and doing well but he is thinking about not going to the sixth form (He loves the school but I think he just wants to follow his friend). and going to college instead, he is planning on studying the same subjects.

It's really hard to know if there is a difference in the courses ( Computer science / maths etc) and whether there is more benefit to going to one over the other.

I like the sixth form as its alot smaller and I feel as a grammar school they focus on getting the grades, they also have enrichment activities but the college is more modern.

I have looked at the results and for level 3, only 52% go on to university from the college vs 87% from the sixth form.

Any advice on where you get your qualification from or the negatives/ pros would be much appreciated.

Both of my children have chosen college, the middle was for a vocational course. My eldest chose it for a levels. She felt she had outgrown school, and wanted to be independent and autonomous. She is very self motivated and thrived at college. She feels it's given her a much better preparation for university and the self motivation needed for that. She got fantastic a level results and had a very positive experience, she was so much more confident in herself at the end of the two years.

It's interesting that the sixth form has now made a number of changes such as they can wear what they want (boys had to be in suits for 6th form and girls had to have formal wear), and they are allowed to go home in between lessons now, as they seemed to struggle to attract pupils.

Also to add, whilst both had great ratings the sixth form scored slightly higher in terms of pupils going to university. But that wasn't a consideration for us as my daughter was so motivated she was going to do well wherever she went.

@Needmoresleep makes a really good point about the 6th Form knowing the pupils. A couple of years ago DD didn't get the GCSE results she expected and her confidence took a complete knock. Her teachers knew this, knew her and really helped to build her back up again in the first term of 6th Form. If she'd gone to college she would have just been another new student.

DC's school also had quite a bit intake of new students for 6th Form so a good chance to make new friends and it did feel different.

If your DC wants to do CS I'd look carefully at the Maths results from both school and college as the more competitive universities care far more about 'A' Level maths than CS.

Both my DC had an offer for school 6th Form and College and held them right up until results day. They didn't have to make the decision until they had their GCSE results. Over the first two terms of Y11 there were a lot of students changing their minds (and trying to influence others) about where they were going so I would suggest that your DS takes some of what he hears with a pinch of salt and focuses on what's best for him.

Finally, consider the commute. The attraction of 'free periods' and not having to be in college if you don't have a class soon wears off if there's no regular bus service/transport during the day or it's not walkable.

@RomainingToBeSeen makes a great point about maths results. Not to discount, CS, but maths is paramount

Over the first two terms of Y11 there were a lot of students changing their minds (and trying to influence others) about where they were going so I would suggest that your DS takes some of what he hears with a pinch of salt and focuses on what's best for him.

DD also had this, people (including her teachers at school) telling her that the college she was considering was only for people who weren't very bright, even though it had a scholars programme of about 100 DC each year who all did four A levels. She got a lot more attention and support there than her brother did at the school sixth form, and I'm sure achieved better grades than if she had stayed. So it has to be right for the individual DC - don't be put off by other people's opinions, especially when they know less than you do.

Finally, consider the commute. The attraction of 'free periods' and not having to be in college if you don't have a class soon wears off if there's no regular bus service/transport during the day or it's not walkable.

This is also important. When DD went to the college open day they showed her what her timetable would look like if she were there that year and that was really useful. The commute was longer, 40 instead of 15 mins, but the college timetable was 'easier' than her brother's had been at school, in that she was either in all day or for a morning or afternoon, so there was very little coming and going, just once a day. Her lessons were all double length, which might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it helped with the timetable - presumably done that way because the catchment is much bigger, people travelling much further, and also much more diverse, so many more people who would struggle with transport costs.

The school made them stay in all day anyway, which would have annoyed DD, a waste of time trying to study during free periods in the busy sixth form area at school, whereas she could do a lot at home around her college timetable, or if she had a break in college, they had a library that was more like a uni library, big enough to work in and quiet.

All definitely worth considering.

To be honest, all his friends have high aspirations. The person he's being influenced by, is a girl. He's shy and basically been friend zoned by her since year 7, but I feel he is only leaning towards college because she's going and she's trying to encourage him to go.

I didn't put it in my OP, as it sounds immature but I guess lots of people have followed their hearts over their head.

I have talked with him yesterday and he seems to be swaying more towards sixth firm again after mentioning some very good points on here.

The grammar school has connections to some big IT companies and one of the pupils last year was lucky enough to get on a degree apprenticeship, which had alot of competition.

I would like to say thank you for all your informative posts, I have asked him to sign up for The Student room and had a look myself, which has lots of great information.

Very good points, and yes, it's the influencing others part that scares me. I really want him to focus on what's best for him and not think about what other's are doing.

The college is in another county so a much longer commute and it's a big town which has abit of a reputation for being rough.

Sorry to hear about your DD but glad she got the support she needed- thats very relevant to DS, as I think his confidence would be knocked if results don't go as planned.

Will have a lok at the Maths aswell. Thank you

Heck, I chose my doctoral institution partly to follow my UG boyfriend. I knew at some level that I didn’t really love him and he wasn’t good for me. Yet I was afraid if I moved away he would find someone else. Great basis for a relationship, right?

Then during my studies, a while after I had cone to my senses, I met DH who was visiting from the UK. Oddly enough distance was no barrier. Now here I am.

Some really good advice on this thread. The only thing I would add is, don’t assume both the school and college offer the same curriculum and modules. Look carefully at the specifics.

@poetryandwine I think he assumes if he goes to the same place, love will blossom 😂

Glad things worked out for you but it did make me laugh.

@Rebootnecessary thank you, I will check.