Central London Tutorial Colleges for sixth form...

[SW9Mum]

I am looking for central London tutorial colleges for sixth form for my 17 year old. She has severe depression and cannot cope with mainstream school. But she wants to get her A levels and is very bright with good GCSEs in spite of her condition. Is a tutorial college the right environment, given she has already missed a couple of years of school and will be starting AS levels at 18? Any suggestions or recommendations greatly appreciated.

It can work well. Not least there a lot of highly motivated overseas students studying A levels with a view to applying to top universities. However we know a surprisingly high number who are at tutorial colleges having wasted the opportunities afforded by their expensive private schools. I'm not sure who you work out which college attracts which group.

One relative did extremely well at Ashbourne College, so maybe worth a look.

Not current experience but I went to MPW about 15 years ago having got rubbish a levels due to lots of personal issues. I only spent a year there re-sitting a couple of subjects.

Plus points- a lot of very bright, very motivated, very grown up international kids sitting a levels for first time. Absolutely fantastic inspiring teachers. Amazing no-nonsense attitude balanced with a lot of independence which is great preparation for uni. So doors are locked when classes start so latecomers have to ring the bell. They then are made to wait and explain to the head why they are late. Any offences will mean phone call to parents and that and other misdemeanours mean you are put on study duty in the library for a week or so, so you have to study on site all day. But otherwise you can do what you want in your free periods. So a good balance.

Downsides- a lot of kids who have failed first time round which inevitably means a certain proportion of natural trouble makers and with bad attitude. However it's NOT tolerated or encouraged, but plenty of opportunity to fall in with the wrong people outside classes. Very grown up streetwise international kids- someone less worldly wise might struggle socially? Also blatant drug taking outside college when I was there. But at the same time way less cliquey than mainstream school. Very much live and let live when I was there, you could some and go and do what you want. No peer pressure.

It got amazing results. And it had an amazing atmosphere of taking no shit but not being tense or negative if that makes sense? So if you messed about and got into trouble, it wouldn't be held against you other than meaning on a practical level they flagged it up with your parents and kept a close eye on future misdemeanours. You did the punishment and then went to class and were still treated like a valuable capable person with potential. It didn't foster resentment which was an amazing technique for taking the wind out the sails of the kids with real antagonistic attitude problems, and really got the best out of everyone.

Hope you find the best thing for your dd.

Another vote for MPW.