6th forms SW London

[kramburd26]

I am really scratching my head here on behalf of my DD who has struggled at her current secondary school socially. She's a good student who wants to do A levels ... but where should she apply apart from Esher College (which i don't think will suit her)? Hampton Court is a possibility? Does anyone know it? Is it worth trying any of the state 6th forms in RuT or are there any particular private schools where she will be welcome by both pupils and school? What about college? Thank you for any advice.

it might be worth looking at orchard park in croydon or harrodian in Barnes x

If she has struggled socially in her current school I wouldn't put her into a school with established social groups, some of them possibly going back to prep years.Try looking at the private 6th form colleges in South Ken, MPW, Ashborne etc. as then everyone will be new.

Only really know the indies
What about Putney High- the girls I’ve met from there all seem v nice?
Tiffin If she’s academically inclined
Kings in Wimbledon
Epsom college
Surbiton High

Is Woking College too far out?

Why did she struggle socially? Any particular issues or just didn't fit in at her current school?

Thanks everyone. cakeisalwaystheanswer is right - although sending her to a private 6th form seems the best option, the social aspect of breaking into established groups is a problem. Does anyone know any schools that take a lot of outsiders in Year 12?

Arewedone Tiffin School is appealing now they are taking girls ... only 40 though so I expect huge competition and she is unlikely to get 10 x 9s.

Does anyone have DC at Esher and can give the low-down? What about Kingston or Richmond College? Or anywhere else? Alsoplayspiccolo Woking College prob too far, assuming it is in Woking!

montenuit we moved from abroad and she joined in Year 9. She got rejected from the first group she joined and it's spiralled from there: totally lost confidence etc.

OP, many of the local schools have only had sixth forms for a few years and they're still quite small. Definitely worth looking. Turing House will be opening its sixth form in 2020 too so that'll be a new option, and likely to be small at first (though no prospectus online yet as far as I can see).

Esher College gets identical results to Peter Symonds, a high performing 6th form college in Hampshire which is quite rightly constantly praised on MN. You don't hear the same stuff about Esher probably because there are so many selective schools in the area to compare results with. But it is an excellent 6th form college.

From DD's friends Tiffin seems more down to your A level selection than predicted results. They seem to have lots of spaces for new pupils looking to sit languages and English but very few for sciences and maths regardless of predicted results. I think Richard Challenor may also have a girls entry for 6th form which may suit. Reeds does take in girls for 6th form so they are all starting together. It's a lot of money for similar results to Esher, but it could be worth paying just to have a happy child.

DD starts 6th form this year and I looked around for her and unless she was willing to board there actually isn't a huge amount of choice. I begged her to go to Hurtwood House which is pricey but looked to be an amazing experience but she wouldn't go. She is supposed to be going on to one of the South Ken colleges but has recently changed her mind and thinks she will stay at her co-ed Indy. This is a child who hasn't even chosen final A level subjects yet so although I have lots of information about 6th forms I am completely unqualified to give advice!

What subjects does she want to study? Maybe start with schools that have strong departments in those subjects.

Seems to me that the best way to maximise chances of your DD making friends is to go for something fairly local that takes in mostly local students. It's much harder to socialise if you all live miles apart.

Thanks for the advice again.

That's interesting about subject choices as after her 6th form taster day at her current school she announced a complete change from maths/science to english, history and french. So maybe there is hope at Tiffin ...

Re Esher College, apart from being outstanding results-wise, does anyone know what it's actually like on a pastoral, day-to-day level? DD is not "cool", which has been part of her problem where she is.

My kids are younger so no direct experience but I've heard positive things about Farnborough college recently and it's trainable from Clapham junction but nearer to London than Winchester.

Try St Catherine’s 6th form. Small and my geeky girl has lots of friends. New girls seem to be integrated easily.

Thanks Wheresthebeach I know a few girls there and their parents and others have said not a great idea to move there for the 6th form (I wonder why?) so I had ruled it out.

Maybe because it’s very small

DD went to Tiffin girls DS Esher college both made new friends easily.
Also same exam results though DD went to Oxford.
Greycourt Richmond probably equally as good one of DS friends got 5 A* at A level.
Avoid Richmond and Kingston college.

Esher pastorally - not sure tbh, neither of mine needed to try out their pastoral care.

However, it's a large college, with kids from all over the area. Lots of opportunity to make friends - plenty of geeky uncool kids.

Have you applied though? Looked around?

I know a few kids who have gone to Esher after a rocky time at secondary and all have settled well and been very positive - but I don't know whether that's been 'luck' in falling into the right gang or the pastoral support per se, tbh... Is there a reason you feel it's not right?

AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore the local talk is Esher is full of flashy rich-kids which is no-doubt idle chit-chat from people who know nothing about it. Mostly though it's becase a lot from her current school will go there.

titchy we're going to see Esher next week.

DD is not a geek. It might be easier if she was! Just very lacking in confidence / has panic attacks as a result of what she has been through.

Lolly49 interesting about Richmond/Kingston colleges. Any particular reason? I notice they don't do languages.

Mainly because they didn’t provide the A levels my two
would have wanted.
Depends what your Dd wants to do I would say they are both more vocational than academic.

Richmond college is restructuring and its new building is opening soon. May be worth looking at, as some prevailing views may be out of date.

Strodes College in Egham is one that sometimes gets mentioned in the same breath as Esher - popular with those on the right train line.

Castle Ewell? Not a bad train journey

the local talk is Esher is full of flashy rich-kids

Whaaaaaaat?!!!! No it's not! Geek or otherwise, there's enough kids that there will be like-minded others. She has to pick an extra- curricular activity as well which gives her access to another group as well as those in her subject groups. And they often make train friends.

I can see Esher's location might set off flashy/rich kids reputation, but none of the kids I know who go there would fit that description - surely the indie section round here hoovers up most of the flashy rich kids?!