These schools are so successful primarily because they are so selective. When they have picked the very best, it’s not really a surprise that they achieve the best results.
And to then carry this trend onto the 6th Form and A Level results, they need to do the same again. By then, they have more data - the GCSE results. Most these days don’t say students can’t return to the 6th Form, but will have stringent requirements for individual subjects. It’s not uncommon to say 9 needed to do Maths and 8/9 or at least 7 for other subjects. For most, this is fine, as even if they have a grade or two below this, they have enough subjects at the required level to find subjects they can do at A Level. Where it’s hard, is for the small handful of students who don’t fit the norm and have a string of lower grades. And when you look at school results and see the small number of grades below L8/9 or below L7-9 (depending on how selective the school you’re looking at is) it’s actually often, that a small number of students account for a large proportion of the lower grades. There will only be a couple who achieve the lowest grade the school gets, in multiple subjects. It’s just how it is.
For those students, it’s hard. They might still be considered bright or average in another environment. Grade 5 and 6 might be perfectly good enough for A Level study in lots of places, but in a very selective school, might be seen as shockingly low. Despite what people say, if you always feel you’re at the bottom for pretty much everything, it does take its toll. Even if you’re reminded that you’re still able, you probably won’t feel it and knowing you might not meet the grade requirements for certain subjects, can means a demoralising fear through GCSE years. Students like these are far less likely to be ‘culled’ than perhaps a few years ago, as it gets such a bad press and parents hate to think it could happen to their child. Instead, they might be offered a very narrow range of options that don’t appeal, and consequently choose to go elsewhere. They haven’t been culled, but often they feel like they have.
Is it right or wrong? On lots of levels, being at a very different level to the majority just isn’t a satisfying experience and if the class will move at a fast pace because everyone else is at that level, it might be unpleasant, and slowing significantly not realistic.
Persoanlly, I think it’s worth always thinking of 6th Form as a different phase of education. In schools that run to 18, most might stay, but pretty much all should at least consider what all the options are, even if they then decide to stay where they are. Being somewhere different is quite often a good thing for some students and not necessarily a bad thing. In most schools a number move for all kinds of reasons, like preferring college or wanting to go mixed instead of singel sex, etc etc. So, with that in mind, don’t worry too much about 6th Form. In all likelihood, your DC will be fine to remain in the 6th Form …should they choose to…and they might not, plus actually sometimes somewhere else would actually be better and going to that place instead of remaining is actually far better, even if initially it doesn’t feel like that.
If your child has a place at one of these very good schools, they are very fortunate. They will have great opportunities and a chance to do well. Quite what that means for them individually will only become clearer as time progresses. And then you can think about 6th Form once you have a clearer idea. And again, you are in the fortunate position of being able to access somewhere really good again.