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.

It is a nightmare for Bursary students in secondary as the means testing is done periodically in some of the top schools. The parents go through a lot of anxious moments throughout the schooling period. I would recommend in the first instance to apply to more private schools, alternatively try going to grammar, although in your case it might be late in case you have missed the grammar application timeline.

There are plenty of threads addressing that point. This one is, I am assuming, simply about the options available to the OP’s son.

No need to regret ever taking the bursary - he’s had all the benefits of £££££ secondary education and sounds like he’s thrived on it. Changing at sixth form isn’t unusual - my (state) DS had to hunt around for a sixth form with the subject he needed due to lack of teachers. He ended up going somewhere he knew no one and it doesn’t have a good rep but in fact it’s been good and not an issue. A-levels are so full on and fly by so fast, he just needs a place that does his subjects and it’s no bad thing to adjust from the private bubble and find that he’s fine without all those advantages. Although it sounds like there’s lots of private/boarding possibilities to try too. I get that it’s a shock but that doesn’t diminish the good fortune he’s had so far and all the doors it will open in his future.

Have you had meetings with the head teacher and bursar and been told 100% that they will not continue to support him? That seems off if he really is so exceptional and pivotal to the music for.

He could do his A level choices at our state school in South Wales, however it’s a Welsh medium comp! I really don’t think it’s unusual for these courses to be offered. Have you looked into all of your local options? Some of my friends’ kids are leaving private at sixth form simply because the private school is too small to offer the range of courses that local
schools and colleges do. Many places need applications in fairly early (before Christmas) so you really do need to get onto this. For alternative music, especially high level ensembles, have a look at what your local county music service offer. You might be surprised - there are plenty of talented musicians who your DS won’t have had the opportunity to play with if he’s just been in school ensembles so far.

What @JustMarriedBecca says about universities isn’t quite right. Many, but definitely not all, offer contextual offers but they’re certainly not just based on where pupils have taken their A levels.

He is academic too, and wants to do maths, further maths and physics alongside music
What is the long-term plan? I get that he loves his music but if his career is going to be the maths/physics route then he needs to major on that.
It's hard but it's part of growing up and being an adult: knowing that you can have it / do it all, and that you need to prioritise.

Music can be very time-consuming. In sixth form will it be time well-spent, or should he be concentrating on his academics and making new friends in his new setting?

Incidentally- the people who move their kids from private to state to try to game the system? Morally questionaable-and Universities are on to you. @WomensRightsRenegade are you still around? If so-would you be prepared to say where in the country you are? There are state schools that tick your boxes, but no use naming them if they are a million miles away
from you.

It's hard but it's part of growing up and being an adult: knowing that you can have it / do it all, and that you need to prioritise.
Ooops. That should read can't have it all.

Come back to say that one of the key decisions your DS has to make is ‘is what is most important the Music A-level or the performance opportunities?’

If it is the A level, then it sounds like that will restrict your local 6th form options, so your effort will need to go into exploring wider options (boarding; specialist; long distances; remote etc).

If it is mainly performance, and your DS could consider doing the STEM A-levels alongside high-level performance/ instrumental teaching, then you should choose the best academic 6th form option available to you locally, and put your energy into finding all the highest quality performance opportunities, auditioning for JD etc.

Sounds like a really tough situation. As others have said, can you absolutely not cobble together the money for two years? I’m not suggesting anything irresponsible but if you can manage a bank loan or similar I would do that in this situation.

The only other suggestions I would have are applying to other private schools for scholarships - if he’s that musically gifted he surely has a lot to offer? Or applying to any local organisations like the Masons - I’m sure I’ve heard that they help out people in situations like this.

You must live in a particularly poor place for state provision if there’s no state A level music option in commutable distance from your home. Roughly where in the country are you? Do you have family who live nearer to a decent 6th form who’d be happy to have DS move in for term time? Could you move? It’s very unusual to not offer music A level in this county (for those offering A levels, not all do).

If you can’t afford private you can’t afford it, but don’t give up on music A level if that’s his strongest subject.

But in 2024 Edinburgh still had intake 31% of students from private schools.

Another alternative is trying for a scholarship at a specialist music school, boarding if necessary. DC study A levels and often do very well. I can think of a recent BBC Young Musician winner who achieved very good grades in A levels similar to your DS’s from a specialist music school. He would be expected to spend a lot of time on music though, which might not suit him, it does tend to be pretty full on in that kind of environment. And competition for scholarships can be tough.

Why don’t you get in touch with one of the rich top boarding schools that have massive bursary funds if he is that talented? They may happily scoop him up.

Alternately, there are also high achieving grammars that offer boarding in Sixth Form or Sixth Form colleges dotted around the country. You will have to pay a bit. But if he is a high achiever it will be worth it if you have nothing great locally.

Yes I agree. Find an excellent local teacher and do music A level outside school,

Have a look at Cranbrook as it is a grammar with a boarding section. They offer music A level. You would have to pay boarding fees but not tuition.

Another one to consider would be Christ’s Hospital which is private but it’s means-tested with very generous provision. (Potentially 100% if necessary). It offers boarding. And it also offers music A level.

Specialist music schools are really for people who want to music all the time and be professional. Music takes up a lot of your day. People can do well academically nonetheless but I think he’d be better off in a normal school with those A levels. Equally it very much depends on his standard of playing.

I think if you let us all know where in the country you are then we can also suggest lots of musical opportunities for your DS.
If the school are being horrible, devise a plan that works for you and him. Do not go into Year 11 letting him feel anxious about it!

Cranbrook is good and Kent County Council runs a good youth orchestra in the holidays at Benenden school I think. Which you can also get bursary funding for and is part funded by the Arts Council. There are things all over the country like this. There is of course also NYO for the very top musicians for Year 12 and 13.

However pivotal his instrument has been, they'd not have it for much longer anyway and were going to have to replace him, so with reduced funds anyway, they may well have calculated it's better to target them at new Y7s who will fill the gaps longer term. This change was coming and with tough choices to make, it makes sense for them to adjust to it now and know that your son has had a big boost from their support through secondary, and he's repaid it with his playing. The move to sixth form is a natural watershed for many students to switch education providers and while it's a shame when he wasn't wanting to move, it was always a possibility to be planned for. It's come as a shock, but you've got time to absorb that and reframe it and make the most of other possibilities. He sounds super smart and talented and will likely learn well wherever he lands.

Oh dear - I just checked and both Peter Symonds and Cranbrook are now around 20k a year to board! So not cheap at all. I guess that most be the actual cost of boarding then.

Idk about Peter Symonds but Cranbrook offers bursaries for its boarding fees.

I see you have not said where you are in the country. Are you in an area with county music service? You mention 6th form so I assume you are in a sixth form college area. I find it hard you don't have one that does music. I went to DC county music concert and they have multiple state educated kids going to Guildhall school of music and Royal Northern College of Music. It's not true everywhere state school kids go nowhere with music. I admit it's not as good as private, but then nothing is.

I see someone just mentioned Peter Symonds. That's our local sixth form college. It's the one most of the kids in the area who want to do music goes.

@OneChicHazelHedgehog
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.

Sounds as if it's not just Labour that's the problem.

I also know kids who travel to Royal Academy of Music in London in the weekend for lessons. I think it's this one https://www.ram.ac.uk/study/departments/junior-academy/course

My kids aren't going to do music at university so this is all info from listening to other parents in ensembles.

A level music is generally a nice to have rather than a requirement.

if your son is looking at a performance degree in music (ram or similar) it’s pretty much by audition.
academic music degrees also do not necessarily require it.

depending on what instrument he plays there will be ensembles available through the county music service - most offer multiple orchestras and wind bands or similars,

if he plays a brass instrument or percussion there are many many brass bands in the country that would welcome him with open arms - we’ve just recruited a couple of 16 year olds to ours.

if he’s a singer then church/cathedral choirs are always looking for men as are frankly any other choir.

there’s also summer and Easter residentials for most instruments - my DD did national youth choir (singing) who have summer and Easter courses (you need to audition) there’s also national youth orchestra, national youth brass band etc. both my kids did this type of thing and they really enjoyed it and it really developed them as musicians.

(it also convinced one of them she never wanted to be a professional musician as it was way too hard work!!)

music is actually one of the things you really can pursue to a very very high level outside school.

focus on getting him into a good place to do the maths, FM and physics and look for music opportunities outside school. There will be many.