Anyone heard from Tiffin Boys Sixth Form - interviews?

[Vive42]

DD is keen to go to Tiffin Boys for sixth form.

We found on another forum website that by now, last year, a lot of people were having interviews and had heard from the school.

So far we've received no further communications from Tiffin Boys about DD's application.

Posting here to see if anyone is having interviews and if we should expect a rejection. 😞

[dredded]

Nobody will have got letters this week because it's half term. 🙂

It's usually mid to late Feb, but they send the letters out gradually.

[Vive42]

Thank you, that's a good point.

Would you know if a grade average of 8.125 would be enough to get a place?

[dredded]

Depends on the subjects. Probably not for the most popular subjects (by which I mean popular with their internal candidates who have priority). Those places are filled quickly by external applicants with the highest grade averages. But it might be fine for subjects that they find a little more difficult to fill. I don't like to perpetuate stereotypes, but that's one reason why their external year 12 intake always has a high proportion of girls - they lean towards a different range of subjects than their home-grown boys.

[Coronateachingagain]

What are the least popular subjects at Tiffin Boys then?

[hockeygrass]

@Coronateachingagain , I'm not sure why you are asking as you aren't a parent at the school and a few clicks on the website lists the number of entries for each A level subject.

FYI Tiffin had 41 Oxbridge offers this year.

[Coronateachingagain]

@hockeygrass Not sure what's the problem as obviously prospective parents would like to know.

Not sure what Oxbridge has to do with it either?

I can look at the website alright but it doesn't answer the question. The number of entries has nothing to do with capacity for the subjects.

What I am trying to understand is - what are the A levels Tiffin Boys finds least popular from candidates applying as another poster suggested.

[newmum1976]

Looks like languages, art, music, RE and drama are less popular. https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/136910/tiffin-school/16-to-18/subjects-entered

[Vive42]

She applied for maths, further maths, chemistry and maybe physics, I can’t recall. so she probably won’t get a space then. Going to be very sad 😞 a friend is applying too, it’ll be so hard if friend gets a place and she doesn’t.
Can you change your choices to other subjects to gain a place last minute?
She’s started working in the last few months and grades have shot up but not enough. She needs four more points to reach the magic 8.5.
She was considering maths further maths, chemistry and English lit. Perhaps she’d have had a better chance with that.

We do know a girl who has deliberately chosen Art and a language so she’s more likely to get a place at tiffin boys, in this year’s applications but we couldn’t have done that as DD definitely wants maths.

[dredded]

@Coronateachingagain

What are the least popular subjects at Tiffin Boys then?

It's easier to say which are the most popular - STEM subjects.

Don't give up hope @Vive42 . Maths is so popular that, provided they have enough teachers, they may create extra classes to cater for demand. Once created, they need to be filled. For this reason, Tiffin's sixth form has expanded massively in recent years (bearing in mind the external 'PAN' in the policy is just a minimum - they can admit as many as they have space for).

Also, when your DD gets her real grades in August, if she does better than predicted, let Tiffin know. If she has better grades than anyone that they have admitted to the same courses via only their subjective predicted grades then they should offer her a place (if they don't, then you will have a strong appeal case, and the burden of proof will be on them).

[Vive42]

Thank you dredded that’s really helpful. Thats just the sort of information we need. She’s been a bit deflated the last few days thinking that she won’t get in. But if there is a chance that after results come out she could, then it’ll help her keep her motivation high.

Do they continue to use the top 8 subjects for entry after GCSE results come out? So if she got mostly 9s she’d be likely to get a space? If for example, she got 8.5 average and there were others there with grade average of 8.5 she’d get in?

Im guessing also there may be one or two who under perform and maybe then those places are given away? It’s such a tough process and I don’t wish that on anyone either but curious to know, if you have any idea.

[dredded]

@Vive42
"Do they continue to use the top 8 subjects for entry after GCSE results come out?"

Yes.

"So if she got mostly 9s she’d be likely to get a space? If for example, she got 8.5 average and there were others there with grade average of 8.5 she’d get in?"

Only if the others were choosing the same subjects. She is competing for a place in each of the subject groups she has selected. e.g. She may have a higher grade average than the lowest-performing external applicant admitted to Eng Lit, but if it's lower than the lowest-performing external applicant admitted to Maths then she wouldn't get a place. (Ok, she could change her subject choices, but that would be crazy unless she is wavering on them anyway - if she is, it's worth letting them know in case it makes a difference. Also let them know if the grade predictions go up, or if she does better in mocks than the predictions, as they will take that into account too).

"I'm guessing also there may be one or two who under perform and maybe then those places are given away?"

Depends what you mean by "underperform". Once they have made a conditional offer to an applicant they stand by it. The offer letter says they have to meet the minimum academic entry criteria for the sixth form, which is a total grade score of 56 from 8 of the subjects on the list, plus the minimum entry criteria for each subject (e.g. a 9 in maths to do Further Maths). However, they don't have to meet their own grade predictions (which are only used to prioritise external applicants for the offer process).

[Vive42]

so does that mean those that are offered a place only need 8 x 7?!! Which is 56?

Obviously need 9s in subjects they do for A level but that would allow for some 6s even for offer holders!

DD got an 8 in her mocks for history but is still predicted a 7 by her teacher. Would Tiffin take that into account? Should I email them with that information?

Shes got 9s in two of the subjects she’s chosen at A level maths and chemistry but predicted an 8 in physics. I expect she will get a 9 as she still has time to improve and she didn’t revise that much because she’s got 8s consistently for some time now. Sort of sees it as mostly ‘sorted’ so it’s gone to the back burner while she tries to improve other areas, getting her 7s up to 9s.

She is pretty undecided for her A Levels. She likes most subjects.

She loves English literature (predicted a 8) but is worried that it won’t be STEM focused enough in a mix of a levels. DH works in STEM and is very keen for her to do math, further maths, chem, phys. Says she can do anything after with that. Poor kid is quite confused. Has no idea what to do for career.

Biology comes up too as a possible option. It’s all so up in the air. She likes them all.

[Vive42]

And thank you dredded for all the information. It’s been so helpful.

[dredded]

@Vive42"so does that mean those that are offered a place only need 8 x 7?!! Which is 56?"

Yes (plus minimum for each course). This is the threshold for their internal students to transfer, and they're not allowed to have different academic entry criteria for externals. They use the predicted grades to manage oversubscription the external offers. However, once a conditional offer is in the bag, it's relatively plain sailing.

"DD got an 8 in her mocks for history but is still predicted a 7 by her teacher. Would Tiffin take that into account? Should I email them with that information?"

If you have a formal report, with her mock grades, then send it as evidence. If you read their admissions policy carefully it says the offers are based on "our assessment of" the predicted grades, which provides scope for them to consider contextual info.

"She loves English literature"

Has she looked at the A Level syllabus for Eng Lit? Worth doing, in case it's not to her taste.

[dredded]

Fwiw, last I heard, they said their most popular subject is Economics, with Maths a close second. But I don't know if they measured that by the number of applications or offers.

[dredded]

@Vive42"She's got 9s in two of the subjects she’s chosen at A level maths and chemistry but predicted an 8 in physics"

The minimum requirement for physics is just a 7. See clause 5.3:
https://tiffinschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sixth-Form-Admissions-Policy-2024.pdf

[Vive42]

Thank you again for the information. She’s read it all tonight and is feeling more positive!

[RedFluffyPanda]

@hockeygrass

@Coronateachingagain , I'm not sure why you are asking as you aren't a parent at the school and a few clicks on the website lists the number of entries for each A level subject.

FYI Tiffin had 41 Oxbridge offers this year.

34 and not 41
14( Oxford)+ 20(Cambridge)=34

[dredded]

@RedFluffyPanda

34 and not 41
14( Oxford)+ 20(Cambridge)=34

Is your 34 figure from last year? I think Corona was referring to this year's figure of 41, which may not be on the website yet. It was in the headteacher's newsletter a few weeks ago.

[RedFluffyPanda]

@dredded

Is your 34 figure from last year? I think Corona was referring to this year's figure of 41, which may not be on the website yet. It was in the headteacher's newsletter a few weeks ago.

2023 results and they are very much on the Tiffins website.
What do you mean by this year figure? The deadline for application just passed 3 weeks ago

[RedFluffyPanda]

Here. I don't think 2024 results are possibly available.

[hockeygrass]

Yes at the end of Jan 24 the head told the students that Tiffin had 41 Oxbridge offers from this cycle.

[dredded]

@RedFluffyPanda

2023 results and they are very much on the Tiffins website.
What do you mean by this year figure? The deadline for application just passed 3 weeks ago

This year's figure for the number of offers for Oxbridge so far. It was in the Head's newsletter about 3 weeks ago.

The deadline for applying to Oxbridge is earlier (15th October) so offers are already in.

[RedFluffyPanda]

@hockeygrass

Yes at the end of Jan 24 the head told the students that Tiffin had 41 Oxbridge offers from this cycle.

What about those who applied at the end of Jan?

Wouldn't that need to be added?

[dredded]

@RedFluffyPanda

What about those who applied at the end of Jan?

Wouldn't that need to be added?

For Oxbridge they need to apply by 15th October, so if your DC applied after that then they missed the deadline.