Independent v State Sixth Form Dilemma

[Daltec]

DD’s co-ed school doesn’t have a sixth form, so we are now looking for a school/college for her to attend in September 2015. She wants to study Maths and 2 sciences for A level. We are on a low income but could just about manage independent school fees if she were to get a very generous scholarship (no mortgage and could make cut backs and look at ways to generate income e.g.no holidays, get a lodger etc.). DD says she doesn’t want to go to private school because they will all be snobs and she won’t fit in. We went to an open day at an all girls independent recently and were made to feel very welcome by pupils and staff alike which I think changed her view. She’s still unsure though and I think it should be her decision (DH disagrees!). One of the main issues for her is that there are three girls going there from her present school and she can’t stand any of them. Worse still, they’ll be studying the same subjects and the groups will be small. Another problem is that the school has a very large intake of Asian students and DD thinks that they will stick all stick together (common culture, language and fact that they’ll be boarding together) which means that she will have a limited pool from which to make new friends.

One of the teachers said that, results wise, it doesn’t make any difference where you study A levels as A levels require much more independent learning. So now I’m wondering whether I’ll be getting value for money by sending her privately. She has some confidence issues, but would two years be enough to make a difference? Is is worth making all of the sacrifices we would need to make as a family? I’m really torn and DD said that she is worried that she’ll regret it if she doesn’t apply.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Look at the total numbers doing maths. One big advantage of DS' school was they had so many taking maths that they could set, thus allowing having the advantage (in his view) of not having the super-clever mathematicians in his set. They were also able to reset after AS so those retaking a module or two were in a separate set. Different modules (mechanics, statistics etc) were taught by different teachers.

Consider consistency of teaching. Good maths teachers are hard to recruit. (Some may be good mathematicians or good teachers, it's finding those that can do both which is he issue at A level, which is presumably why a lot of schools don't offer double maths.) There are certainly some weak teachers in the Private sector. However schools recruiting overseas students into the sixth form will live and die by their results so may need to ensure that the teaching at this level is as it should be. Equally if the state school has a big sixth form, strong sciences and lots taking maths this may be the better option. For sciences co-ed can be better than single sex as more boys will probably take STEM subjects.

If your daughter is taking STEM subjects she is likely to encounter plenty of O'Seas/EU students at University. Great to discover at school that whilst O'Seas students may typically work harder (which in itself is a good influence) they are not all intimidatingly bright. And indeed once you get to know people in your class there is a good mix of personalities and some good potential friends.

The main task of private schools, especially selective ones, is to get their students onto the "next stage". They should have lots of experience of sending students to RG Universities. You should expect good advice to both parents and students on subject/University choice and Personal Statements. Really importantly they should be on the ball on results day, helping students who have missed their offers. If offered a place and having a choice to make, ask them about what they do.

If you daughter takes double maths through to A2 and wants to study a maths based subject and has to take STEP, you want to know what help they will give.

Allow for a certain amount of disruption for a change in school. It is quite a lot to be in a new environment as well as dealing with the step up from GCSE. Great for a girl who is ready for a move. But if she is well known and liked at her current school and on track to be Head Girl or hockey captain, she might get more out of staying where she is. Remember either school may start writing its school report for UCAS at the end of the summer term. Not great if you don't hit the ground running and therefore are struggling to be noticed.

Friendship groups reshuffle at sixth form with the scientists spending more time together. If there is a reasonable intake at this point, integration won't be a problem and you don't need to mix with others from your previous school. I assume also that this is partly why the school is offering incentives to non-Asian new entrants, as this should help overall integration.

First step is to look closely at the results and destinations for those taking sciences. Add some weighting for the selectiveness of the intake. If both are getting good students to where they ought to go, try for both and then ask questions.

Sorry realised your daughter has to move anyway. In which case my school reference comment will apply to the one where she is more likely to be able to make an impact in things like sports, drama, music or leadership.

Are there really no decent local state 6th form options? Do you live very rurally?

I would definitely clarify the further maths thing with the independent school before opting to try for the scholarship. In your case I would be trying to balance the academic with the pastoral offerings from a 6th form. A larger 6th form might end up being a better option for your daughter confidence and friendship wise. I would want to know for sure that there were going to be other girls in the maths and science A level classes, if you opt for co-ed 6th form. But provided there are, it's likely the girls would then end up sticking together as friends, as they would have a lot in common having chosen that path.

Consider the pastoral care. If your daughter does has confidence problems, do any of the sixth forms or schools offer anything that could help support her in this area? It's most unlikely that others' confidence would just rub off on her, at this late stage, if that's what you're hoping for from the independent school. Alternatively, if you opt for state 6th form, you would have the funds to pay for some counseling and potentially send her out into the world a more resilient young adult.

Does she play in a sports team or orchestra? If she does then does either option give her the chance to do those whilst in 6th form? That would extend her friendship circle.

Good luck with your decision.