Henley Sixth Form College

[Ventress]

We're in the process of looking at sixth form colleges and my son really liked Henley Sixth form college.

But I'm concerned because their A level results are quite poor - way below any other school or college we've visited, and below the Oxfordshire (and England average).

The main draw towards this college is that it offers two subjects my son would like to take which no other local school/college offer.

Does anyone have any experience of, or insights into, Henley, particularly around results please. TIA

We have quite a few kids from our village go there. The kids I know who have been there enjoyed it.
Both our local grammar and local comprehensive expect kids to have a 7 in the GCSES they want to do for 6 form - kids without these grades consider Henley College. I suspect Henley College accept much lower grades for entry hence the lower A levels.
I think Henley College also lets kids who have not passed English GCSE (and maybe also Maths?) redo these exams while taking A levels. My cleaners son achieved an 8 in gcses for maths but a 3 for English - so he went to Henley College who allowed him to resit his English while redoing A levels I think.
The overall impression I get is Henley College is a good resource - it means kids who might have had mixed GCSE results can still access A levels.
As you have discovered Henley College also offers a very broad subject offering - much broader than any school.
I have twins in different 6th forms - my daughter chose her 6th form based on the subjects she wanted to do and she is really enjoying all three of them.
My son wanted to stay at his existing school and more so choose his three subjects because that's what they offered and while he is enjoying two subjects he finds his third subject less interesting.
6th form is all about independent study - there is no reason why your son can't do well at Henley College - particularly of he is passionate about these two subjects.

Thanks @Ohnoooooooo that's interesting. Grade 7 seems very high - the other schools/colleges we've been to have asked for 6's in most subjects, 7 in maths and 8 in maths if you also want to take further maths. Looking a the Henley requirements for, e.g. English Lit, applicants need 5's in language and lit and a 4 in Maths.

My son does like the campus style of the college and the extra curricular offerings (links to Henley Hawks rugby and Henley rowing club for example). He is academic and reasonably motivated. Like your daughter, he wants to take subjects in which he's interested, rather than the stay with the familiarity of school but having to take a third subject that he isn't really interested in.

He will apply and give it some thought over the winter. He's also applying to several other schools and colleges, including one super selective which is the only other state school within an hour of our home which offers Classical Civilisations!

Ventress I think you'll find that because Henley College takes kids who can't stay at their existing schools due to getting lower grades than they expected at GCSE - which they only discover when they get their results at the end of August - that your son has plenty of time to make his decision. He can apply (January or February deadline I think) and I suspect being a government school applications are free so he has nothing to 'lose' applying.

I've done some digging, and spoken to a cousin who has a child in one of the Bucks grammars, and she confirms what you've said @Ohnoooooooo

I'd forgotten that Bucks have grammar schools. We're in the opposite direction (Berks) and only have comps so I hadn't thought of this. I spoke to my son - he's going to apply anyway. He will take time to decide as he really wants an academic school with excellent outcomes and a dedicated "high fliers" program. He has several schools/colleges on his short list and is doing a "taster day" at one of them much closer to home next Monday.