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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

From independent girls to co-ed state at 6th Form - thoughts?

36 replies

bytheseasidebythesea · 10/10/2020 13:14

Looking at 6th form options for our DD. Currently at an independent girls school and wants to go co-ed.
Budgets are tight and we are looking at possible state options including the local academy and a couple of sixth form colleges.
She wants to study maths and art A level, other options as yet undecided.
Anyone have experience of moving out of indy into a state and did the transition go OK?
I'm sure there are lots in a similar position to us right now and I'd love to hear about how it's gone.

OP posts:

Neim · 10/10/2020 13:33

Yes!
Not with my own DC (currently too young for 6th form) but me personally.

The transition for me was ok. I had a lot of questions about what it was like in private school and how lucky I was to have gone. But I settled ok - I’m quite outgoing so that might of helped - I will talk to anyone.
It wasn’t a huge culture shock (I’d been in state school before at primary).
I found that the ones who were there for 6th form actually wanted to be there and would work. The 6th form had a totally different culture of learning compared to the rest of the school because of this.

I love it, it was nice to mix with boys for a change (and contrary to popular belief, not all girls from girls school go mad when they see boys!)

Going from independent to 6th form prepared me better for the real world than independent because I was around people from all walks of life where previously I wasn’t. A lot of people were very hard working, more hard working that the ones who continued to 6th form at my independent because they appreciated the value of education, and as a result this made me work harder and a I came out with better grades than my independent school friends.

The biggest difference I noticed was the shorted school days - which I preferred. And the lack of compulsory sports and games - again, I preferred this. I found my class sizes at 6th form were small and in some cases were smaller than the classes in my independent. Also, the pastoral care was 100x better.

If our DD wants to co-Ed state 6th form then absolutely go for it!

SeasonFinale · 10/10/2020 13:48

Neim - I fear you are talking of a time before compulsory education between the ages of 16-18 so indeed with people who chose to stay on unlike nowadays.

Like most education advice on here I guess it would depend on what indie you are leaving and what state 6th Form you are thinking of.

superram · 10/10/2020 13:50

I’m a teacher, we get a couple every year. They are fine. Assuming your daughter will do a levels? Pp talked about not all kids want to work hard-they don’t but I would say the majority of a level kids do, and we suggest alternative courses if they don’t. We don’t let them dick about for 2 years.

Neim · 10/10/2020 13:57

@SeasonFinale your right. I hadn’t thought about that. Yes, that could make a difference.

Pumpkinnose · 10/10/2020 15:02

I think it’s increasingly common, much more likely to get into oxbridge/Russell group from a state. I think there’s definitely some tactical movement going on especially in London.

Stilllookingfor · 10/10/2020 17:11

@pumpkinnose that is not necessarily correct. If you have done GCSEs in the independent sector then the universities will pick this up, so no tactical advantage to move really.

Pumpkinnose · 10/10/2020 19:44

Indeed, but I suspect the universities can still use the “they came from state school card“ which is getting increasingly important...?

Twizbe · 10/10/2020 19:46

It was very common at my sixth form for people from the local private schools switching.

The college didn't like it and started to reject candidates from the private sector

BellsaRinging · 10/10/2020 19:49

I did exactly the same as Neim. It was an easy transition, both good schools, but I was ready for and relished the freedom at the sfc. Not much of a transition-because everyone was new it was easy to settle in.

Stilllookingfor · 10/10/2020 21:20

@Pumpkinnose I read somewhere they see through it if you did GCSEs in private, especially Oxbridge. So you don't get a lower offer or anything a true state student that went all state in secondary would get. So if you want to play that game, you need to go state before GCSEs

Pumpkinnose · 10/10/2020 21:51

Good! No desire to play that game so glad they’re seeing through it for grades. I just cynically wonder if it helps for an individual university’s own stats...?

nostaples · 10/10/2020 21:57

Both my dds did this. DD1 ended up with 2 A* and and 2A at A Level and now at university. Absolutely no regrets. DD2 still at college. Much better prep for university and independent schools far too 'cosy' esp if they've been at the same school for years. Too easy to be complacent and not to understand how the world works/

Original poster

bytheseasidebythesea · 12/10/2020 05:58

Neim / BellsaRinging - that's great to hear that the transition was OK for you, and that it was also good for your DDs nostaples.

My daughter has no plans to go to university so we're certainly not doing this to try and play the system to help make it easier for her to get in!
It's a financial issue for us.
Plus the indie is over an hour's travel whereas the state is a 30 minute walk away. The catchment area for it is very small so she never got in in year 7.
The problem at the moment is that due to covid the state doesn't have any open days so we're going at this blind.

OP posts:

bringbackfonzi · 12/10/2020 06:30

It's lucky the state system is there when you need it...

scothols · 12/10/2020 08:30

My son did this. From boys independent to mixed state 6th form. Not for financial reasons & schools had similar results. We felt based on the kind of person he is he would make a better transition to uni socially and academically.
Definitely right decision for us/him.

lekkerkroketje · 12/10/2020 08:49

There were quite a lot in my grammar school sixth form. They mostly did poorly, but that was because in my area you only went independent if you didn't get into the grammars first time round so they weren't that smart. The independents held their hands through GCSEs, so while they got the paper, they didn't really deserve their grades and came unstuck later. Culturally they seemed to do fine, although some expected help to come to them and they had to learn to be proactive.

TheEndisCummings · 12/10/2020 12:28

This reply has been deleted

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ListeningQuietly · 12/10/2020 16:19

Peter Symonds in Winchester takes dozens from the private schools every year
its a non issue

ditto Barton Peverill
ditto Brockenhurst College
ditto Alton College

ask the college how many transfer every year

Ginfordinner · 12/10/2020 16:25

An awful lot of students go from the indy schools in the next city to a 6th form college that is very highly regarded. They go there because it has an excellent reputation, there is a much wider choice of options, and it is free because it is state run. The indy schools don't have a great reputation for A levels as all the bright ones leave to go to the 6th form college.

The college is pretty much a halfway option between school and university.

farangatang · 12/10/2020 18:50

My DD has recently done just this and seems to be really enjoying it (not just the freedom of 6th Form, but the co-ed mix).

From a parent's pov, you definitely get what you pay for in regards to the extra sport and clubs, but in regards to academics and pastoral care she seems just as happy. Doing very little extra-curricular as there is little on offer, but that could be related to covid restrictions not just the school.
We chose for financial reasons also. It's wonderful from this perspective!!

foxesandsquirrels · 12/10/2020 20:22

If she is not planning on going to uni what are her plans? It may be better for her to do a different course than A Levels. Careers guidance in independents always favour the a level route and she's unlikely to be informed about other options.
There's not much you can do after a levels aside from uni.

SeasonFinale · 12/10/2020 20:37

@bringbackfonzi

It's lucky the state system is there when you need it...

But isn't it great she hasn't been an extra burden on the state for the past few years when she could have been?

OrangeApples · 12/10/2020 20:39

@foxesandsquirrels some higher level (level 4, 5, 6) apprenticeships require A-Levels (but some (most?) also accept BTEC etc)
Some lead to degrees and others Foundation Degrees or HNC/HND as well as having the work experience and training. A lot of companies are preferring taking on higher level apprentices from 6th form who have good A-Levels over graduates.
I do agree that careers advice in independents is very biased towards A-Levels and degrees though so the OP might want to encourage her DD to have a really good think about what she wants to do if she's not interested in university and the right qualifications to get her their.

OP, if your DD is happy and wants to make the move the transition shouldn't be a problem. Most transition problems come from when DC don't want to move but parents say they have to/make them.

AdoptedBumpkin · 12/10/2020 20:41

It might be tough if someone take against her due to her previous school, but could also be good for her social development.

ListeningQuietly · 12/10/2020 20:45

Adopted
In any decent state 6th form they will NOT tolerate that sort of thing.

In Winchester the parents who went state all the way through often have rather more disposable cash than those who paid fees after all

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