Private or state sixth form

[34and3]

My kids are at an all-through private but I keep hearing that it can be better to do a levels at a state sixth form as universities give more places. How true is this?!

Not this one again.
There's been 2 or 3 threads recently hashing this one out.
Private school kids are still disproportionately represented in better universities.
They are just trying to close the gap.

If with all the advantages of private school your DC gets AAA, and another from an average state school (not a super selective grammar) gets AAA, then the state educated DC has probably has had to overcome more obstacles to get there.

Try this thread for starters to see the arguments

www.mumsnet.com/talk/secondary/3737793-State-private-school-university-admissions

It doesn't matter what type of school it is. What matters is the grades in that school. The clue is in the word contextual offers.
Please look up the many, many threads on this recently.

Thanks I'll take a look.

So making the most of a privileged position all the way through, then gaming the system at the finishing line at the expense of someone less advantaged? How would you feel about that, how would your children feel and what message do you think it gives them?

They look at the school where you did your GCSEs and use that in conjunction with a levels. Your ucas form asks for this information. It’s not a way for people with money to gain advantage.

Good! I despair of humanity sometimes. Not an ounce of self awareness either.

DC at state 6th form college. Lots of opportunities to attend uni summer camps, weekends etc.
However none of them available for dc as did GCSE at a private school.

Universities who are trying to work out which candidates are state educated will certainly look at where they did their GCSEs - they are not that daft!

Send your kids to the SF where they will thrive - plenty of teenagers from both private and state schools go to Oxbridge, and most teenagers from both sectors will not end up at Oxbridge anyway.

But is it just oxbridge who do this or all Russell universities? Ie look where they sat GCSEs

all universities look at where GCSEs were taken

👍🏻

Different universities look at different contexutal factors. For some it is more of an emphasis than others. It doesn't often give a substantial advantage, for example an offer might be AAB or ABB instead of AAA. Which sounds good, however you have to factor in the disruption to your dc's studies - making new friends, different teaching styles, class size up to about 25 for popular classes. Potentially more disruptive children. Students who struggled more at GCSE and lower GCSE requirements to study an A level, meaning that time is spent in class revisiting GCSE topics so the full syllabus is not covered. Less availability of teaching staff to give 121 help outside of lessons. Grammar schools do not usually get contextual offers either. That is why the offers might be reduced. Your dc might get a lower grade at a state school, especially if used to small class sizes without disruptions.

All great points @Unexpecteddrivinginstructor

It is more focussed on gcse school not sixth form.

So they offer these but say 'not you...you were at a private school' and actually offer to only some of the students?

I don't know if any university that makes differentiated offers SOLELY based on whether the applicant went to/is at a state or private school.

If you want to game the system OP you need to send your kid to a really shit school for A levels, AND you need to make sure the unis your dc is aiming for take this into account. Many won't. Simply going to the local average achieving comp/sixth form college won't make any difference whatsoever.

My nephew moved from a famous (academic) boarding school to a state sixth form - needs must - Covid impacted parents’ income. He got offers from all the unis he applied to and the friends he left behind averaged one offer each.

I’m fairly sure it’s because he’s at a state school - he is no different from his friends academically and couple of the friends were academic scholars.

While unis consider context - at the end of the day he’s still a state pupil thus good for their state stats.

I’ve read your post three times and still can’t understand what you are trying to say. Can you explain more clearly?

Shamelessly following with interest

DD went to private secondary and got good GCSEs but is now at state 6th form. Entirely by personal choice as desperate to get out of the small private school mentality (she did go to state primary too). She is thriving at a large college. We have been told that one or 2 uni’s have a relationship with the college and may offer one grade lower for A Levels. But not considering for one moment she will get preferential treatment by going to a state college.

Don't forget to also move to a deprived neighbourhood, where few people get degrees. Also try to ensure that neither parent has a degree. If you can ensure that your child has caring responsibilities too that would help. Those A level grades are looking less and less achieveable.

How about letting them choose the school which best meets their needs? There might be different subjects on offer, they might prefer the independence of college, they might prefer the sport at their independent school.

They are in a fortunate position of having choice.

Not true at all. They need the A levels their selected university and course asks for.