Sixth form unnecessarily restrictive and strict

[Libre2]

DS has stayed at his comp where he got really good GCSE results (all 8s and 1 9) and had a very good friendship group.

The school was great and provided fantastic support and he got on well with staff. He has moved into the sixth form there and it seems to have gone a bit crazy. They have brought in serious rules and regulations - they have to sit in silence in free periods, with no headphones, they are not allowed to communicate with friends, they must be studying. One of DS's friends has four frees in a row and has to sit in silence for 4 hours. His parents questioned this and was told "he'll be fine".

They are giving out behaviour points for minor infringements and basically still treating them like children. DS is completely fed up with this - he has engaged brilliantly and done a lot of reading around his subjects and completed all tasks, but wants more freedom.

He is thinking of swapping schools in the city - sadly we don't have a sixth form college - he is worried about being lonely and missing friends, but doesn't really engage with them anyway as they are all maths/science and he is arts. Has anyone else encountered this or moved in the first half term?

It sounds horrid, OP. My DCs stayed on in their comp for 6th form and it wasn't like that. The youngest did their A Levels in 2022.

Or from using headphones?

I can’t study without headphones on so this policy would have been a complete waste of time for me.

Thankfully my DS’s bog standard 6th isn’t like this at all.
He would not have gone.

This is depressing. Mine are still in primary. When I was at 6 form, we could leave site when we wanted - I’d often pop for a swim, some would go for a run, some would go home. We had a great common room and it was social, but you could also do homework / group work in there. You could do your homework in the common room or library. However, that was before education to 18 was compulsory, so there was an assumption that you were still at school because you wanted to be. I would have been half as productive in the environment that your son is in, especially for revising - I liked to talk aloud teaching myself (personal weird potentially embarrassing quirk, but worked for me)!

I can't understand why so many people are supporting the school in this, this is supposed to be preparing them for work or university but all they're doing is raising a generation of people who have to ask to use the toilet and feel guilty about it.
It may already be too late but I'd move him asap. He can see his friends out of school but losing the desire to learn and engage is too hard to revive once it's gone

Sixth form was again 25 years ago for me but much the same. We had a swipe in system so we could leave the site during frees and lunch if we wanted as long as we swiped out and back in to keep the register accurate. We had a common room with music and a pool table, sofas etc and next to that was a quiet study area. Everyone was encouraged to be sensible and independent, we didn’t need hand holding because if you messed up it was your fault. Universities don’t want students who don’t know how to independently study and balance their priorities. Honestly, look around at other schools or colleges to see if they can move. Btw we had lots of pupils from other (grammar/catholic/public) schools come to ours (comp) for sixth form which possibly speaks volumes.

I couldn’t though. Hate silence when I’m studying/concentrating, it’s why I hate working in offices; total silence seems to be the expectation now. It’s miserable. I do far better with background noise from chatting/radio/TV.

I appreciate not everyone does but I was never allowed headphones “in case I didn’t hear the fire alarm”.

Well dd3 is in sixth form and in her frees she can go to the library, the 6th form hub or another space (can't remember the name). I do think they are too restrictive about going out but she can go out at lunch time.

I’d have hated this!
Sixth form frees were social things for me and my friends. The sixth form I went to was attached to my school and was very relaxed in those days, but nowadays it has a dress code and more rules. I’m glad I went there when I did because it felt more like college than school.

I have a DC who just started Sixth Form in a state grammar so technically part of a school. Free periods are either Common Room or quiet library to study. They have been strongly encouraged to spend as much time in the library “as possible”, but it is their choice. They can also do their mandatory sport afternoon off site if they choose something they already do and it includes going to the gym. Uniform is simply “smart”, no ties for girls, for example. There is LOADS of work but they are trusting them to get on with it. Kids need to socialise and be happy first, especially in the first few weeks of Lower Sixth. Again, mine has been encouraged to see pastoral as much as possible as well, which includes seeing the school pastoral lead or walking the dog around school grounds. They are encouraged to form and join societies, create their own music groups/bands etc too.
They are not allowed off site in free periods though and it will only be beginning and end of day after the first term I think (maybe October half term). That is to get them to join in. They are allowed computers and iPads to work on, but phones still have to be out of sight. I would say it is neither totally strict, nor totally liberal either. Free periods are intended for study, they are meant to be doing 1 hour work for every timetabled lesson (homework and revision). In DC’s school the peer group is very ambitious and top uni/top job focussed so the school can be a little more relaxed about mandating it, they will do it anyway, if not at school, most will study at home for 2-3 hours every evening.

Good grief!
seems no one cares about mental health anymore then? Just turning the kids into robots?
id be investing changes too, especially given you’ve tried to instigate some and it’s been refused.

This is why families really need to do their homework on different sixth forms as the culture varies wildly on how much freedom they have! I think you treat 16 year olds like children, they behave as such. It's time for them all to grow up and make choices rather than have restrictive rules imposed on them. Also studying together is a really really good thing - silence is weird! They're not doing exams. If you have this kind of sixth form, the step to university is too large as independence and responsibility should be learned at sixth form- and you can't learn this without freedoms.

Dd3 is doing IB so doesn't have many frees but at least she has some choice about how to use them. Maybe it's just a settling in phase and the rules will change. I'd book a meeting with the head of sixth form as I don't think they'd want to lose such a bright student.

Damaging and controlling environment. Definitely move him. It's not worth the impact on his mental health.

All the 6th form colleges round here let them do as they choose outside of lessons, they seem to get great results. Sounds miserable really.

This kind of environment will not help them prepare for university. I work in a small university and the Library has changed from being a place of private study to a friendly open plan space offering booths with usb points, screens for group project work. There are a a number of quiet rooms and individual cubicles for private study. However, the Library bosses recognise the need for areas that embrace collaborative work.
What about MFL students, D and T, Theatre Studies where group work is required? Many subjects require students to work together.

I'm sort of glad that we have 11-16 schools then colleges around here.

We live near one of the colleges. It gets good academic a level results and more vocational results. The students come and go as they like between 9-5. No uniform. They are treated like young adults.

Wow! Hardly preparing them for adult life is it. I understand being quiet in the library but the no headphones, no speaking, no common room. Utterly ridiculous. This is when they learn how to manage their own time, study independently, take responsibility. Not a time to be micromanaged!! My eldest has just started college - if his work is up to date he can go out to the gym, meet friends etc.

Hmm.
New SLT/HT? Ofsted due?
I'd move him, asap tbh.

I’d move him.

Personally I can’t study in a silent environment, so with a ban on headphones I’d just sit there getting annoyed. Then I’d walk off site because it’s pointless. Fast way to disillusionment and losing interest in study entirely.

They also aren’t a good school - they’ve clearly failed to communicate the plan, what they are trying to achieve, etc. They have zero interest in collaboration with either their students or the parents. So you’re in for two years of a restrictive, controlling environment.

It sounds typical of a school 6th form. My niece has just finished in the school I went to and they got rid of the common room years ago. Silent study in the library. She still loved her 6th form experience and her school is in the top 5 nationally for results.

I'm also in an area with no state sixth forms - everyone who wants to do A-levels or BTECs goes to the local college where they are treated, and expected to act, like adults. No uniforms or dress code, no detentions, come and go as you please and if you fuck up either academically or behaviourally you are out, simple as that.

From what I gather, school-based sixth forms are VERY different environments and often basically a continuation of secondary school.

The first month sets the tone of study for the year so it's good they want him disciplined and working. Talking is talking whatever it's about. Discussion about a text character should go on in lessons so all DC hear what is said.

One of the reasons DD has settled at sixth form, rather than all the issues we had with school, is because she can wear headphones now.
when she has free time she can read and listen to music.
there’s a school near me where the 6thF numbers are way down because they make them wear school uniform, they will not change it and the students just continue to leave.
part of the joy of this time is the small freedoms feel massive compared to 11 years of rules about everything.

I think it depends on the school, most have study periods and different areas like more quiet and more louder spaces but all the ones I know let you use your phone whenever, it helps in lesson with teaching and many use it to help study. They can have headphones, they may get detentions for more serious things but most teachers won't bother even if you haven't done homework, if there's a good reason you'll tell them, if not then it's on you. A mix of more independence to a point, I don't think many kick out those who are bad academically, unless they decide they want to do some thing different, doing that at the end of Y12 gives off similar off-rolling vibes to me and clearly skewers results from Y13.

Rules about talking are ridiculous, plus there's likely multiple classes so all DC can't hear what being said anyways. Plus kids help each other out and work together with people who are nice etc, if a class has that attitude they'll do it anyways. You can discuss something with 2/3 people and nor have to share it with the class, they can do their own work, and it's not their responsibility to share all ideas though they likely will if they are developing them outside of class. Group work and collaboration is useful in all forms, and if you can't trust them to do that, you have bigger issues. Soemtimes they won't revise they may chat for the hour, there should be balance of all of that. As for saying university won't have that, university is the biggest do what you want of all, not giving them a chance to get better at those skills isn't helping anyone.

Most help you if you are academically struggling they have revision sessions, you are expected to ask for help and control what you do when. Dress codes tend to be smart causal you don't need a suit and can be comfortable. I don't think these overly strict 6th forms are helpful in the long-run as this should be the time when you are given the independence with rains to pull back if you go too far.