Admissions experts: Query about Sixth Forms

[rigardiggar]

We're looking at applying for a few sixth forms and one college. I'm curious about the application forms because they all ask for way more information than should be needed for the process - things like hobbies and interests and aspirations for the future. I'm a bit of an admissions geek and have read enough adjudicator judgements in my time to think they're on dodgy ground. Surely at the application stage they should only be asking for info that is directly relevant to the admissions policy?

6th form admissions is totally different to school admissions. It's more like applying for a job and indeed many carry out interviews. In my experience having had 2 children go to 6th form, they want to get a sense of your general character and what you want to do. 6th form is comparatively short and students will need to be considering their choices for afterwards really quickly. Also the jump from GCSEs to a level is big and requires a much more independent approach. They want to guage not just who might meet the entry requirements but who manage the other expectations.

Thanks 3teens, I know that's their motivation, but the National School Admissions Code says schools can only ask for information that is directly relevant to the admissions criteria.

You don’t have a right to a sixth form place in the same way that you do a school place. There’s sixth form, colleges, apprenticeships etc, all which you have to apply and be considered suitable for.

I'm afraid both the responses you've had on this thread are wrong. The Admissions Code applies to entry to sixth form at any maintained school or academy. You are correct that they can only ask questions that are directly relevant to their admission criteria. They should not ask about hobbies and aspirations. They are not allowed to make decisions based on this information.

It's more like applying for a job and indeed many carry out interviews

Any school that interviews applicants for sixth form places is breaking the law. They can have a meeting to discuss options and courses but this must not form part of the decision making process.

At our local Hants 6th form colleges (A levels or vocational) the application form requests a personal statement, and they interview you.
But these interviews are to check you are applying for the 'right' courses, and they aren't a mismatch with your aspirations.

e.g. Someone writes they want to be an architect but has product design, chemistry and statistics not maths, physics, art - hat kind of thing.

Or someone applies for sociology but doesn't really understand what the course entails.

My son is year 11 and obviously looking at what he will be doing next and this is exactly how they have explained the process of 16+ education. I’m shocked that they are allowed to lie/ bend the truth....

Interesting ... we're looking at 6th forms and most places don't ask or just have a single question (with 1 line to enter an answer) at the end about why you want to come to that particular 6th form.
Wonder if this is an area dependent "quirk"?

PRH is totally correct about what can and cannot be asked for students entering the 6th form. I think that quite a few 6th form facilities are sailing very close to being illegal in what they are asking at interview or what they are asking for as written evidence. I fully accept that when this is a student arriving into a school or college and they have no information on the student that there is a need to ensure that they are wanting to do a course which is appropriate given their GCSE performance. But that does not mean they can ask questions outside of the areas in the admission guidance.
I think that there is also a similar sized issue in colleges "letting pupils go" at the end of year 12 when they are not achieving the high grades colleges want to see. That is becoming much more prevalent and there have been some high profile cases around this issue but it is not stopping other colleges from weeding out their struggling students rather than working with them.

At my DD's college, everyone gets called in for an "interview", but everyone gets offered a place after these "interviews". they are actually a chat about what the student wants to do afterwards, checking out the subjects are suitable and checking the student has a realistic chance of succeeding in those subjects. And sometimes might suggest a plan B (eg BTECs) if the student is borderline.
But as I said before everyone gets offered a place. They have a chance to change subjects up to and beyond registration.
And if they discuss interests its more to see if there is a suitable extra-curricula activity on offer (everyone has to take one).