Leaving private school for state 6th form - experiences?

[WomensRightsRenegade]

I did ask this once before but it was quite a while ago now so I was just wondering if this was something more people were doing/ thinking about doing?

Thanks to the VAT increase my son had his bursary halved (from 100pc) and it looks like it’s about to be reduced further or removed. I guess they have no need to rush confirmation seeing as they will know parents will do almost anything to avoid moving schools for year 11. It’s all been quite nasty really. Seeing behind the gloss and the taglines about how they care for the boys like family has been illuminating.

Anyhow DS is utterly heartbroken at having to leave when he is so happy. He is very talented musically and was so looking forward to continuing in the ensembles and taking Music A level there. It’s going to be an agonising last year as he can’t even let anyone know he’s leaving until April. No local sixth forms to us even offer Music A level and the nearest college is a lottery system.

Are other people facing having to remove kids against the child’s will? I am so worried he will always think we could have found a way, even though he’s said nothing to us except that he understands the situation totally. Academically I’m sure he’ll be fine if he works hard, but socially and musically it feels like it could be a very abrupt end. If I could go back in time I would never EVER have accepted the bursary. This was always the risk.

Just a matter of waiting to see the details, really I suppose…

No. It’s really how one school decided to manage the policy. Removing one of the very few 100% bursaries in the private sector from one of the poorest of their pupils is shit, but I presume intended to be less upsetting for the more privileged parents. Particularly doing it without any discussion.

No, it's really how many schools are having to "cut their cloth" as Labour told them to. You were happy to support the policy when we said that removal of bursaries would be 1 of the impacts.
In fact I think you disputed that it would even happen. Well now it is, across the whole sector and not this isolated incident.
Don't blame the school, blame Labour!

Only country in the whole world to raise money by taxing education 👏👏👏

Exactly. Posters pointed out it would be a downside. And here we are.

The pp can be happy it’s having that impact.

It's all part of the gaslighing. First of all deny that it will happen. Then when it happens blame the school. Classic gasligting playbook

I presume intended to be less upsetting for the more privileged parents.

What have you made up now? This is just bizarre.

Please explain, that statement. Define ‘more privileged’ too please.

More privileged=not eligible for 100% bursaries.

Less upsetting=costing less money.

I wonder why they didn’t listen when posters said bursaries will be impacted. Too late now for dc having to move.

Oh I see. You’re defining privilege using a monetary value. Makes sense. That’s all many people, mistakenly, assume privilege is.

Less upsetting - I see. Also defining that using money.

I see.

Because they agree with it amd like Labour, they gaslight any criticism of their policies.
They are on the wrong side of history with this one, especially as £0 of any money (ha ha) raised is going to state schools! Starmer said it is now going to housing....so there's that.

When in reality it’s actually going on things like expenses for labours use of plane travel

https://archive.md/boTY1

In this particular context that is how I was using the word, yes. In different contexts I use it differently.

And things like €1500 taxi bills to take Lammy and his wife on a skiing holiday in Italy

If you are still looking for experiences, my husband moved from a private school to 6th form grammar, but in the early 90s (Upton Court grammar). The family also moved from up north down south. He was bullied in the private school and felt much better in the state school. There are interesting state schools around, like Holyport College - if you are in catchment, you can go there for free, but if you’re not, they take boarders for a fee and it’s less expensive than proper private schools. Perhaps there are some schools like that that you could afford and that would provide a good mix of music, maths and physics? But it will be also good life learning experience for your som - sometimes life happens and you need to adjust, adapt.

Try not to blame the school, even if they have handled it badly. Blame the government. VAT being introduced so quickly has been a nightmare all round. Especially bad for pupils whose schools have suddenly shut down in the middle of their A Levels and can’t find anywhere with the same exam boards or subject combination. Awful for all the staff in rural communities losing their jobs when the major local employer closes.

Lots of my child’s year are now going elsewhere for sixth form due to addition of VAT, and at their school it doesn’t seem particularly fair that it’s the pupils who are on bursaries that are the ones who are unaffected by it, whereas we have struggled to pay full whack (in effect subsidising others), but won’t be able to afford sixth form ourselves. This isn’t a nice way to think, I am just very angry with the government about VAT on education. No easy choices for schools. My child will be very sad to leave their school at the end of Y11,but we are trying to focus on how fortunate it was that they were able to attend a school that was a good fit for them for several years.

Hate the way private school parents are thought of as people who would never use the state system. We’ve had great experiences with several state schools and I teach in one, but for one of my children moving them to a particular private school was a sensible choice at the time. Hate Labour now for this policy, funny as I used to be a party member.

I know many that choose to leave, it’s pretty common so he won’t be alone. Are you sure about music a level - my dd did it at state sixth form college and went on to degree level, all state schooling?