UTC year 10 entry - any experience?

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Does anyone have any experience of UTC Oxfordshire year 10 entry - or any UTC at entry year 10 really?

We have been sent a letter by our county council about it. My son is quite academic, very interested in maths and science, loves sports. He would do well at his current school I am sure, but there is no sixth form so he'd be moving in year 12 anyway.

It looks and sounds great, I would like to broaden his experiences - it feels like he has already outgrown his secondary school and another 2 years there won't do much for him developmentally. But then again, the stability of staying in his current school for 2 important years of study is also worth a lot.

I am a bit thrown by the choice and wondered what others' experience has been - longer school day, no homework (it says!) and broader choice of subjects/qualifications.

Thank you!

Is there actually a broader choice of subjects tho? I don’t know the Oxford one but the UTC near me has IMO quite a limited KS4 offer, with no history, MFL, music, drama, RS, CS or food tech. Fair enough as it is STEM focused.

Again the local one to me has a not-great rep for behaviour – I think for a while it was a place where students went who couldn’t get on in mainstream. That may have changed (I do know a parent whose DC is there who is v happy) and ofc yours may be different. but I would interrogate that closely.

My DS started Yr 12 in UTC Oxon in Sept but I have friends whose children went in Year 10. These are my takeaways:

• There is not a big focus on sport / PE
• students who transferred weren't particular happy in their current school and it seemed like a chance for a new start
• f your son has any interest in arts / humanities subjects there is a limited outlet for these.
• current staffing issues in engineering (DS's timetable is limited until Christmas and may well involve some online teaching.

I know someone who went to UTC Silverstone (Northamptonshire) which is very STEM based.
He only did Year 10 and 11 but enjoyed it more than his previous school and got a decent bunch of GCSEs.

Thanks everyone for taking the time reply, much appreciated!
It sounds like a UTC for year 10 is probably not right for him but maybe for year 12. And it might well be right for my middle one in time, just year 7 now, it's certainly food for thought, thank you! 😊