6th Form choices

[Guest55]

Make sure she talks to students doing the new linear Geography specification.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... vel-reform" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The new courses have only just started ...

[kenyancowgirl]

Hi
Thank you all for your advice and views.
DD is in HBS and they want their girls to do 4 A levels, unless they struggle to keep up.
We have not yet been given predicted grades but she is doing pretty well (fingers crossed)

DD keeps saying she doesn't like Biology so medicine is out of the way, but she is not sure what she wants to do. I was just concerned about the combination of Geography with Physics and Maths.

I have asked her to speak to her senior girls who take Geography and find out what they think of the subject. Funnily she enjoys both Geography and Chemistry, but at the end I want her to make her own choice.

I agree with Guest55. Get her to look at the new Geog specification - it will be different to the one the current girls are studying. I would also advise that she spends some time in the school Careers Library and talking to the school Careers Adviser...Whilst it is perfectly understandable that she may not have firmed up her career ideas at the moment, she needs to be sure that she is not making any essential errors for any potential careers, ruling out any possibles because of her A levels choices. For example, Biology is NOT essential for medicine; Chemistry IS - she obviously doesn't know this, if she was ruling out medicine on the basis of disliking Biology. Geography goes well with Maths as there is an element of statistics in it, maths goes well with Physics and, Art, as I have already said, goes with Physics and Maths.

[ToadMum]

I'm guessing that she doesn't feel much of a passion for Medicine, though, or she would have investigated the requirements by now? Granted, it's not something to go into like a fairy tale, so to speak, but nor should it be 'what I ought to do just because I'm clever' i.e. without a real feel for it. Which unfortunately still seems to be the case in some households, all the 'reality check' volunteering requirements notwithstanding .

[ReplayMum]

I so agree with you Toadmum. DD doesn't want to go into a career just because it's what everyone else does. We have a few members in family doing medical career just because of parents.
DD can't stand blood, so doctor/surgeon/etc is out.
I have asked her to go and speak to the career advisor in school so am hoping she will have better idea. For now I'm asking her to concentrate on her GCSEs

[kenyancowgirl]

Sorry - I was just using medicine as an example, not suggesting she do it. My point was that her career ideas are obviously at a very early stage if she is still thinking things like Biology for medical careers and that if she has any ideas - no matter how vague - then checking that she isn't ruling anything out with choices is one way to progress.

ReplayMum, whilst I understand you want her to concentrate on her GCSEs, the Careers Adviser in me says she does need to start to think a bit more further afield before she chooses A levels. She may not be at a point of firm job idea - > uni degree (or not) -> A level choices (or alternative) - > GCSES but needs to be aware that they all link in so starting as far ahead in the top down approach is her best bet for now, rather than a bottom up approach from GCSEs.

[Daogroupie]

When does the form need to be in by? At our school current Y11 only have two weeks left before the form needs to be in.

You need to be looking at the columns and making sure it all fits. And also have a backup.

Dd1 got an offer for the HBS sixth form a couple of years ago which specified that she could do the subjects she had applied for.

When she went in with her GCSE results in August she was told that the combination she had been offered was no longer available and she would have to change.

I am sure that would not happen with Science subjects but if you are looking at Arts subjects it might be a risk. DG

[Guest55]

When does the form need to be in by? At our school current Y11 only have two weeks left before the form needs to be in.

You need to be looking at the columns and making sure it all fits. And also have a backup.

Dd1 got an offer for the HBS sixth form a couple of years ago which specified that she could do the subjects she had applied for.

When she went in with her GCSE results in August she was told that the combination she had been offered was no longer available and she would have to change.

I am sure that would not happen with Science subjects but if you are looking at Arts subjects it might be a risk. DG

School dates vary - some have not even had their Open events yet.

You are scaremongering DG - why was your daughter looking to move anyway if she was 'so happy' at DAO?

Not all schools block options at this stage - some allow open choices then block.

[Daogroupie]

Yes they do vary but as this was a sixth form that we applied for we know what the dates were and they do not tend to vary from year to year.

It is possible that internal applicants are given more time but probably not that much more. DG

[ToadMum]

Sorry - I was just using medicine as an example, not suggesting she do it. My point was that her career ideas are obviously at a very early stage if she is still thinking things like Biology for medical careers and that if she has any ideas - no matter how vague - then checking that she isn't ruling anything out with choices is one way to progress.

ReplayMum, whilst I understand you want her to concentrate on her GCSEs, the Careers Adviser in me says she does need to start to think a bit more further afield before she chooses A levels. She may not be at a point of firm job idea - > uni degree (or not) -> A level choices (or alternative) - > GCSES but needs to be aware that they all link in so starting as far ahead in the top down approach is her best bet for now, rather than a bottom up approach from GCSEs.

DD has already had to decide what A levels she wants to do - one of the sixth forms she has applied to is the one at DS2's school con the closing date for external applicants was last Friday. Internal applicants do get longer at all the schools and me course the colleges can give them a bit longer to think. DD has similar but slightly different A Level 'requests', depending on what each establishment offers.

[ReplayMum]

Wow....as always this is the best place to get advise.
Thanks kenyacowgirl for your advise too.
DD has rough idea which is why we are confused.
Her one side of brain wants to do something to do with art. Something like animation or designer.
The other side wants to do architecture sort of.
And then she is confused because most she f the girls in her school are taking medicine.

They have to submit their choices by Feb, so still some time.
But we are also applying into our local school whose closing date is mid Jan.

And her current school hasn't set any blocks for choosing their A levels. We have been told that most combinations are going to be available so not to worry.