Tiffin Sixth Form

[Moonlight75]

My daughter wants to apply to Tiffin for year 12; she is academic and doing well at school.

Anyone with experience of this sixth form that can provide advice? Is teaching good? How do the girls feel there considering there are 320 boys and only 80 girls?

She is looking for a happy school with great teaching and opportunities.

TIA

My son went there as a new sixth former, from a mixed state comp, so he was used to being around girls and being friends with girls. It was a good experience for us and for all the girls he knew there. I think "320 boys" must be across year 12 and year 13 as there are only 180 in each of the lower school year groups. The admissions policy says they let in a min of 40 externals to sixth form each year but it was at least double that in my son's year group, and most were girls. I guess it depends on how many boys transfer from year 11 to year 12, so the number of places will change from year to year. Teaching was excellent in 2 of his 3 subjects and just ok in the other. The extra-curricular opportunities and support for uni applications were excellent.

Thank you very much; that’s very helpful. I read they take 80 girls in year 12.

My understanding was 40% external including 80 girls

No. Look at their admissions policy on their website, clause 15.4. It says a "minimum of 40 places" for externals after their own year 11 have been offered places. So it'll be 40 places plus however many places are vacated by year 11s who leave. Their website blurb says its usually about 100.
The blurb also says they expect around 50 of the possible 100 places to be girls but that's just marketing really because it depends who applies. They're not allowed to discriminate in favour of girls in their admissions policy. Most of their external students do seem to be girls, but I'm not sure why. Maybe because they're filling up empty places on courses favoured more by girls than boys.

Thank you; yes, just read the admission criteria for 2023 and it says minimum 60 external depending on spaces.

Also, i think you have to live within 14km straight line and we are slightly further so not sure if she has any chances

Yes! My friend's daughter shortlisted Tiffin. They were new to London so didn't know where to begin in all honesty, so they've started working with a company called Tayberry who have a much better knowledge of the schools etc. They came as a recommendation from my cousin who'd used them for her son, and my friend is really happy with the support they've given her

Thank you. Will check them out; however I think we just need better sixth forms near where we live so she has more choices.

She is still going to apply for Tiffin but not sure she will make it because of distance

@Moonlight75 , do be aware that although it's not written down anywhere your dd has more chance if she chooses subjects that are not filled by ds who are already at the school - ie Art etc. If she wants to study maths, further maths, chem and physics then the courses may be full before she applies. Tiffin would never admit to this.

Thank you. Doesn’t look like she has many chances then. She wants to do Maths, Chemistry, DT, and either Geography or Economics if they do 4.

@Moonlight75 , just be aware when you apply to manage her expectations more than anything.

Does anyone know when do we normally find out if they are going to be offered a place?

Around Feb/March. They invite the top-ranked (by predicted grades) applicants for a meeting (not an interview, just a chat about chosen courses etc) and a tour and tell them they'll be getting a conditional offer, which comes in the post a few days later. If applicants don't get invited in I think they eventually get a letter saying they will stay on the waiting list and can send in their actual results in August.

That’s helpful. Thank you. How do they know the predicted grades? Do they need a letter from current school when applying? Is the application straight forward? Online?

I am not english so new to this process as it is our oldest child

It's an online application. When we did it I think we told them the predicted grades and then they asked my son's school for a reference to confirm them. They also asked us for a copy of his last school report.

Great. Thank you