Good sixth form colleges in/around Hampshire area!

[questioner123]

Hi all.

My daughter is looking around at sixth form colleges around fleet, Hampshire area, max half an hour (ish) distance. Please not Farnborough Sixth- not had a great experience there. Thank you guys!! We are a little stuck at the moment!

Barton Peveril and Peter Symonds for academic courses.

Although it depends what you are looking for?

Looking for a-levels. Also to add, my daughter would be going on her own and isnt the most confident of people, so ideally a place where there is other people in the same position!

Sorry just seen you said fleet. My experience is all further south, sorry.

Realise this is off topic but OP can you expand on why not Farnborough Sixth Form? DC2 is quite set on going there next year after GCSEs, the vast majority of students at his current school stay for A levels and although he has good reasons for changing, it will be a big change so would welcome your opinions.

Alton College, Farnham College and Queen Mary Basingstoke are all worth considering from Fleet. There is a reliable bus to Alton which I think passes by Farnham - and you can get the train to Basingstoke.

You could also look at the sixth form at Yateley School.

Where in Hampshire? From some areas Godalming or Woking Sixth Form colleges could be an easy commute (Woking is very good pastorally and has lots of students who've failed lower sixth and restart - and still gets good results).

Regarding Farnborough Sixth, the teaching and the way the college is run is great. However, my DC has found it hard to settle in the big environment as she came knowing very few people, and found it hard to make proper friends as the large majority of students come in groups from their schools. Also struggles in the big classes etc. Hope this helps.

Thanks everyone for recommendations. Has anyone had any experience of Farnham College? Do many people go on their own to Alton college, or is it very 'cliquey' as my DC describes Farnborough as?

It would be places within half an hour isn commute of Fleet area.

Thanks Questioner, that would be my concern too. DS2 is very sociable but his current school 6th form is smaller than average and Farnborough is enormous so it would be a big change. A couple of people from his current school may change to Farnborough but no guarantees and of course they will probably be doing different subjects.

I know someone who sent her son to Farnham after a year at Godalming (I think) - she was happy with it. I also know someone who lives very close to Farnham College but commutes to Alton.
We were put off by the size of Farnborough - and the lack of personal attention. I was relieved when my DD didn't want to apply there.

DD1's just come back from her Farnborough interview.

She's not very sociable, so I asked about that while she was in her interview (was lucky enough to meet someone I knew from way back who now works there) and they said that they had safe places to meet others and they do their best to help pupils particularly if they know they are coming on their own.
However they are 6th formers and are given a lot more freedom.

Dd1 isn't sure yet whether she wants to go there or not, but I felt socially it may well be a better fit for her than her current school.

From personal experience, they said the exact same thing to myself and my DC, as of course it was important to know how they integrate less confident people on their own. However, that is not the case. Once you start, you are more or less left to figure things out for yourself (socially). To be honest, it completely depends on the type of people in your classes, which is where you would meet most of your friends. Of course, it does work out for some people though that are going on their own! Just want to make you aware.

Thank you mummytime, that is interesting to know.

Would Collingwood or Tomlinscote in Camberley be within your distance criteria? Both have 6th forms, but don't know how easy it would be to get in. It's certainly half an hour or so by car.