Applying to state sixth form

[NoComet]

Anyone know when DCs have to decide by.

I thought they had until their results, but one school wants them in after GCSES in june

it depends on the college.
DDs choice college closing date is the 13th of this month,
others cut off in February, some in April
I'd be very, very surprised if a college with good courses was taking fresh applications only five working days before they start

I think most will expect you to apply well before the summer.

Application date, or decision date?

Round here, you have to put three choices in order on a form, then hope for conditional offers from them. You can hold a form and an insurance offer -- it's like a mini version of UCAS applications here!

Then you hope the GCSE results are what you wanted next August.

June of year 10 here!

My dd applied to 3 different colleges and let them know which one she had decided to go to after she had received her GCSE results.

my dd did the same as dexter's- applications to 3 colleges and decision when the results came out

Around here they generally apply from November onwards. Some apply to 2 or 3 sixth forms.
They actually enroll after GCSE results.
DS2 is dithering about subjects and they have told him he can put down up to 7 subjects and doesn't need to firm up his choices until August, they will hold a place for each one.
This is a large 6th form college and he is predicted good GCSEs so others may well not be as flexible.

November here too for applications.

Well she has an offer from the collage who start in October, but she wants to change her subject choice, so she needs to write to them again.

Her own school haven't got their act together yet
and she doesn't want to go for an interview at the nearest obvious other school (the one that starts sixth form in June)

We are on a county boundary and there really doesn't seem to be any consistent system at all.