Page 2 | Moving for 6th form

YesYesKitten · 2024-12-14T07:46:17+00:00

How long is a piece of string but do state school sixth forms tend to fill their c.25 places for external pupils? DD really liked a 6th form 6 miles away but distance rules apply - thanks {mention:Family}Edition for making sure I read the admission rules properly. So would have been very unlikely in Y7 but they were VERY encouraging of external applicants at the open evening. It's an aspirational school, very impressive destinations list, but not one you would have heard of if you're not local.

Original poster

YesYesKitten · 21/12/2024 18:14

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 20/12/2024 23:16

In my experience as a parent the schools have certain thresholds for each subject, e.g. if you want to study Chemistry you need a 7 in Chemistry etc. Getting a 9 will not put you at the front of the Chemistry queue. They then also apply any entrance criteria so often this is a threshold amount- e.g. score over 6 in at least 8 GCSEs then all those scoring over 6 are ranked by distance. One school I know ranks pupils by grade average, highest ranked get offers first. Distance is only used as a tie break.

The schools all do things differently so you need to be familiar with the entry requirements for that school. As others have said though you can apply to multiple sixth forms and your place will only be confirmed on or after results day. My dc had to ring up to give results then wait to have offers confirmed. Even after results day you usually have a day or two to accept. This means there might be a cascade of offers after results day.

For example Toby might apply to four schools/ sixth forms A, B, C and D. School A Toby doesn't make the grade requirements so is rejected. Sixth form college B Toby makes the grade and he is offered a place on results day. School C Toby meets the threshold but on results day there are other people living closer so doesn't get an offer on results day. School D ranks the applicants and offers to the top 150 scorers. Toby is ranked 152 (although probably is not actually told the rank). On results day Amelia is offered school A, C and D. Amelia prefers school A so releases the places at school C and D. Toby is next nearest to school C so he is given a place at school C, he has to decide between B and C. He decides to stick with sixth form college B so rejects the place at school C. The place at school C is then offered to Sam. Sam is already holding offers at school A and D but actually really wanted to go to school C so he then rejects the places at A and D and accepts school C. Finally Toby is offered the place at school D because Amelia and Sam have rejected their places and he is next highest ranked so he now decides to reject his place at sixth form college B and accepts school D.

Imagine that multiplied over many students and throw in some teenage angst in which Toby has a crisis of whether to accept or reject School C, rejects it but then is unsure whether that was the right choice because his girlfriend is going to school D and school D is nearer to sixth form college B but then school C offers economics whereas sixth form B only offers Business Studies. Toby is finally happy when offered school D because they offer economics, it is close to home and his girlfriend is going there (even though they will then split up just before Christmas). It can be a few days or even a week before it is really clear which school/ college they are going to and even once term starts there will probably be some who change their minds and go back to their original school.

The system is as chaotic as a teenage mind is at that stage yet somehow the head of sixth forms and the admin teams smile on through it all. It probably helps that lots of students will opt to stay on at their original school or maybe choose to go to the sixth form college so there is some flexibility in the system.

I read this out to DD who also found it hilarious. She's worried about Toby!

I can't wait to tell DH who thinks I'm over- thinking this, but clearly there's a lot to think about.

OP posts:

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 21/12/2024 18:32

YesYesKitten · 21/12/2024 18:14

I read this out to DD who also found it hilarious. She's worried about Toby!

I can't wait to tell DH who thinks I'm over- thinking this, but clearly there's a lot to think about.

Show quote history

It is and it isn't complex. Essentially all she can do is apply to as many as she is interested in, do as well as she can in her GSCEs (always useful anyway) and then see what happens on results day and in the week or so afterwards.

One of mine just applied to and stayed on at the same school, just went to the taster at that school. One made 3 applications - the original school (didn't go to taster day), attended taster at one school which was meh and the other school didn't have induction days but did offer a place which was accepted. By that stage they have finished GCSEs so unless away/ working the induction days were just a bit of time in an otherwise very long summer holiday.

It does seem like a huge decision at the time, and moving isn't always easy (tears some days in first week) but actually really good experience for going to university and making new friends, being in a different institution, etc.

Gleeanda · 21/12/2024 18:45

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor "The system is as chaotic as a teenage mind is at that stage yet somehow the head of sixth forms and the admin teams smile on through it all."

This sums it up perfectly!

I with your husband OP, mostly it plays out ok and tying yourself in knots over it won't achieve anything. If they're applying somewhere they're unlikely to get in then they need to have a realistic alternative lined up, but for many DC they just get their pick. Admissions teams can be very helpful and at this age they will talk to you directly, as well as to the student.

Original poster

YesYesKitten · 22/12/2024 09:33

DH was trying not to laugh but when we got to the bit about the GF in @Unexpecteddrivinginstructor 's scenario he had to concede

OP posts:

TinyCarpetRake · 23/12/2024 07:31

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 20/12/2024 23:16

In my experience as a parent the schools have certain thresholds for each subject, e.g. if you want to study Chemistry you need a 7 in Chemistry etc. Getting a 9 will not put you at the front of the Chemistry queue. They then also apply any entrance criteria so often this is a threshold amount- e.g. score over 6 in at least 8 GCSEs then all those scoring over 6 are ranked by distance. One school I know ranks pupils by grade average, highest ranked get offers first. Distance is only used as a tie break.

The schools all do things differently so you need to be familiar with the entry requirements for that school. As others have said though you can apply to multiple sixth forms and your place will only be confirmed on or after results day. My dc had to ring up to give results then wait to have offers confirmed. Even after results day you usually have a day or two to accept. This means there might be a cascade of offers after results day.

For example Toby might apply to four schools/ sixth forms A, B, C and D. School A Toby doesn't make the grade requirements so is rejected. Sixth form college B Toby makes the grade and he is offered a place on results day. School C Toby meets the threshold but on results day there are other people living closer so doesn't get an offer on results day. School D ranks the applicants and offers to the top 150 scorers. Toby is ranked 152 (although probably is not actually told the rank). On results day Amelia is offered school A, C and D. Amelia prefers school A so releases the places at school C and D. Toby is next nearest to school C so he is given a place at school C, he has to decide between B and C. He decides to stick with sixth form college B so rejects the place at school C. The place at school C is then offered to Sam. Sam is already holding offers at school A and D but actually really wanted to go to school C so he then rejects the places at A and D and accepts school C. Finally Toby is offered the place at school D because Amelia and Sam have rejected their places and he is next highest ranked so he now decides to reject his place at sixth form college B and accepts school D.

Imagine that multiplied over many students and throw in some teenage angst in which Toby has a crisis of whether to accept or reject School C, rejects it but then is unsure whether that was the right choice because his girlfriend is going to school D and school D is nearer to sixth form college B but then school C offers economics whereas sixth form B only offers Business Studies. Toby is finally happy when offered school D because they offer economics, it is close to home and his girlfriend is going there (even though they will then split up just before Christmas). It can be a few days or even a week before it is really clear which school/ college they are going to and even once term starts there will probably be some who change their minds and go back to their original school.

The system is as chaotic as a teenage mind is at that stage yet somehow the head of sixth forms and the admin teams smile on through it all. It probably helps that lots of students will opt to stay on at their original school or maybe choose to go to the sixth form college so there is some flexibility in the system.

This is utterly brilliant and also quite terrifying!

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 23/12/2024 09:03

TinyCarpetRake · 23/12/2024 07:31

This is utterly brilliant and also quite terrifying!

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If you think that is terrifying consider the poor parents of Amelia who will discover in the June of year 12 that to visit all the universities she is interested in studying medicine at they will need to time travel back to the Autumn of yr12. She will not however know which universities might give her an interview until she sits the UCAT exam in August so wants to visit ten different universities. Due to train strikes, wanting to see two universities thirty miles apart in one day and that Amelia won't pass her driving test until October, they will end up on a 250 mile road trip over the weekend. She will end up deciding to go to the one which they decide to visit on the toss of a coin because it clashes with one of the other universities she is interested in.