Sixth form admission rules and regulations

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

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Catherine
Posts: 1348
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:47 pm
Location: Berks,Bucks

Sixth form admission rules and regulations

Post by Catherine »

Does anyone know the rules about the admission of students from ouside the school into sixth form ?

Here's an extract of an article from the Times online

>>The government is trying to regulate the sixth form jungle. It insists that grammar schools must spell out any entry standards for admission into the sixth form — and these must be the same for incomers as for the school’s own pupils. The result is that even when schools might want to show loyalty to children who have been with them since the age of 11, they have little room for manoeuvre.>>

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 66,00.html

But one of my local schools admission policy states that 'the intended number of students to be admitted from outside the school is 20'.

Isn't it contradictory with the rules, or do the Times article refer to a proposed regulation only?

I would be very grateful is anyone could shed some light on this.

P.S. This Poll stuff is a great idea, forumadmin
jah

Post by jah »

At my daughter's school, incomers must have got at least 6 As at GCSE, including As in the subjects they are taking at A'level.
Bo Peep
Posts: 144
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:04 am

Post by Bo Peep »

My son's school made it plain to the kids from the very start of year 7 that entry into 6th form was not guaranteed. In theory, at his school, to enter Year 12, a student must have a minimum of 6 GCSEs at grades A* - B, these must include at least a B grade in the subjects to be studied at AS level. The standard is so high that to the boys currently work towards a level quite a bit higher than that.
guest384

Post by guest384 »

At my daughter's school both the incomers and the school's own GCSE girls have to get at least 6 A grades.
RR

Post by RR »

Very interesting information, and food for thought. Ive also found out recently that the grammar we're interested in insist on all pupils having to compulsorarily take each of the 3 sciences and a language at GCSE.

This doesn't appear to get any easier for our kids. :roll:

First the pressure of the 11+, then the constant pressure of gaining A's in 6 or more subjects.
This is seriously making me re-think if I actually want to put my son through this. Although he appears naturally bright, and top in year, and bored to tears with academic's within current primary school. Do I really want to put him into such a pressurised environment for 5-7 yrs??

Have grammers always been run in this manner, or has the pressure of the league tables made them become tougher?

RR
Guest1664

Post by Guest1664 »

RR wrote:Ive also found out recently that the grammar we're interested in insist on all pupils having to compulsorarily take each of the 3 sciences and a language at GCSE....Have grammars always been run in this manner, or has the pressure of the league tables made them become tougher?RR
Science has always been a compulsory element of the GCSE state in one form or another. Before the three sciences were merged into the dual-award syllabus, I believe students had to take at least one of the three separate sciences (I know because I did biology - the only one I was any good at :roll: ). Many grammar schools have resisted the dual-award syllabus for science and continue to teach the three separate sciences as this is perceived to be academically more demanding and better preparation for A-levels - in fact this was one of the main reasons why we chose to send our child, who has a flair for science, to an out-of-county grammar school. Of course, whether it is right to insist that all children study all three sciences to GCSE level even if they have no interest in pursuing science post-GCSE is another matter.

Regarding the modern language element of the GCSE stage, I applaud those schools that still insist upon it. Uptake has fallen drastically in schools where a language GCSE is no longer compulsory to the extent that the few students who do wish to study languages no longer can. I know of one very large comprehensive school where French can no longer be offered at A-level owing to lack of interest, and the handful of students that wish to continue their studies in French are forced to travel miles to another school.

IMO grammar schools that teach separate sciences and make GCSE languages compulsory are simply resisting the "dumbing down" of the curriculum that appears to be so prevalent nowadays. I don't think it's anything to do with league tables. If your son is bright and motivated to learn, I'm sure he will cope well with the pressures and do well enough at GCSE to continue at A-level. In a less demanding environment he might find himself subjected to the poverty of expectation that seems to pervade the system, and end up underachieving through lack of challenge.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Guest1664

Post by Guest1664 »

Guest1664 wrote: Science has always been a compulsory element of the GCSE state
...ooops - meant to say GCSE staGe! :oops:
Guest

Post by Guest »

Guest1664 wrote:
RR wrote:Ive also found out recently that the grammar we're interested in insist on all pupils having to compulsorarily take each of the 3 sciences and a language at GCSE....Have grammars always been run in this manner, or has the pressure of the league tables made them become tougher?RR
Science has always been a compulsory element of the GCSE state in one form or another. Before the three sciences were merged into the dual-award syllabus, I believe students had to take at least one of the three separate sciences (I know because I did biology - the only one I was any good at :roll: ). Many grammar schools have resisted the dual-award syllabus for science and continue to teach the three separate sciences as this is perceived to be academically more demanding and better preparation for A-levels - in fact this was one of the main reasons why we chose to send our child, who has a flair for science, to an out-of-county grammar school. Of course, whether it is right to insist that all children study all three sciences to GCSE level even if they have no interest in pursuing science post-GCSE is another matter.

Regarding the modern language element of the GCSE stage, I applaud those schools that still insist upon it. Uptake has fallen drastically in schools where a language GCSE is no longer compulsory to the extent that the few students who do wish to study languages no longer can. I know of one very large comprehensive school where French can no longer be offered at A-level owing to lack of interest, and the handful of students that wish to continue their studies in French are forced to travel miles to another school.

IMO grammar schools that teach separate sciences and make GCSE languages compulsory are simply resisting the "dumbing down" of the curriculum that appears to be so prevalent nowadays. I don't think it's anything to do with league tables. If your son is bright and motivated to learn, I'm sure he will cope well with the pressures and do well enough at GCSE to continue at A-level. In a less demanding environment he might find himself subjected to the poverty of expectation that seems to pervade the system, and end up underachieving through lack of challenge.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I have a couple of comments on this. My son's grammar school does the triple, double and single science (although you could could on one hand those that only do single). They have to be selected to do triple science - it is a choice of the child. The rest tend to do double. I think selection is based not only on the child's ability but on the fact that they have to achieve level 7 in the sats in year 9.

In terms of languages, I am sad to see it is in decline. I have a friend whose son is a brilliant English student. He did not do languages at GCSE BUT when he came to chose his universities to study English, a couple of the top ones stipulated that he had to have a language at GCSE level. He has had to miss out of excellent uni's because he was not aware he needed a language.
Guest

Post by Guest »

Anonymous wrote: I have a friend whose son is a brilliant English student. He did not do languages at GCSE BUT when he came to chose his universities to study English, a couple of the top ones stipulated that he had to have a language at GCSE level. He has had to miss out of excellent uni's because he was not aware he needed a language.
I can understand why this is desirable but am amazed the universities concerned get away with insisting upon it, since they must know that the GCSE language option is increasingly becoming the preserve of independent and top-performing state schools (although this situation will hopefully be reversed if Alan Johnson puts his money where his mouth is :o ..see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... eign02.xml.) Universities insisting upon a foreign language GCSE for degrees in other subjects should at least offer prospective students that did not get the opportunity to do a language GCSE the chance of studying a foreign language in the first year of their course.
jah

Post by jah »

At my daughter's school, they struggle to make up a set for double science, as most girls opt to do separate sciences.

If your son gets to the grammar school, then he will be trained to reach the appropriate standard. All that is needed is for him to put in the work! This means doing all homework on time, and reading around the subject.

If he isn't prepared to put in this amount of work, then he will not do well. Natural cleverness can only take you so far.
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