6th Form Application

[Northkentmum]

Well here I am again 4.5 years since going through the trauma of the 11+ and finding solace in this forum Im back now going through the trauma of choosing and applying for sixth form and I can feel the stress building once again!!
My DD wants to study medicine (yes I know she'll need straight A*'s) and have shown her some of the advice already on here regarding this so she has sensibily come up with a plan B which would is to be a science teacher however we're only at the stage of 6th form (but we like to plan ahead )
Sadly her current school does not have a 6th form and so she has her sights set on a local grammar that specialises in the sciences, my question is apart from good grades is there anything else she can do to make herself stand out from all others applying as I know in our area there are only so many palces in the grammar schools many more applying than there are places, plus is she at a disadvantage being an external applicant?
She has participated in all school activities throughout the years and is now Head of House ( "proud mum smile") so hopefully her reference from the school will be good but what else can she/we do to up her chances of getting a place in her chosen 6th form?
Thank you in anticipation

[Guest55]

Hi

Most schools have a number of places that they allocate to external applicants - it should say this in the prospectus. It should also say how these places are allocated.

Most Grammar schools, if they are oversubscribed for new students, will allocate on points score at GCSE and they may require a reference from current school. It is the academic results they will look at first ... good luck

[Northkentmum]

Hi guest55
Thanks for your reply, I'll check all the prospectuses when they arrive, Plus hope for excellent predicted grades!

[Guest55]

Places won't be confirmed until results are out in August.

[obmum]

There is a girl in my friend's daughter's 6th form at TWGS who failed her 11 plus and then went to Mayfield. This girl didn't apply for grammar places until late last August when she got her results. She had achieved 12 GCSE's of which 10 were As or A*s with a couple of Bs her parents called all the grammars in the area, managed to get offers from 3! one of which is a Catholic school and she isn't a catholic. This would indicate that the grammars in and around TW certainly don't fill all their places until results are out and then go by final outcomes.

[mystery]

Probably true, but really no reason why this girl shouldn't apply to every possible grammar sixth form now in case the good ones are filled up with people who read the information in time. The schools all have a sixth form admission policy, and all the stuff you need is usually on their websites, so there's no need to wait for one of those glossy prospectuses that looks like an expensive and unnecessary photoshoot.

I think academic performance is primarily what they go on, but you will find out when you read the policies on-line for each invidual school.

[solimum]

Standard requirement around here seems to be an A/A* in the subjects wanted at A level, perhaps a minimum number of A/A* grades overall. Predicted grades in line with this will be necessary to be in the running for the offer of a place, probably also with an interview and/or a reference from the existing school. Also most schools will be likely to give priority to internal applicants when it comes to popular subjects and may have limited places for sciences owing to lab space. However they will also (as described in previous posts) be happy to consider a last-minute candidate with a string of A* in August if they can fit them into the timetable

One local girls grammar requires nothing less than a B overall, which when my DD's Eng Lit result came back unexpectedly as a C (later upgraded by the exam board to a B) confirmed her feeling that she didn't want to go there anyway (they did actually still offer her the place, but she had made her mind up to stay at her existing comp...)

DS2 transferred at 6th form to a top boys grammar and fitted in very well. For a while in the process there was some anxiety about whether he would be able to take chemistry as it is very popular and they could only accommodate 60, but it worked out fine in the end.

[scary mum]

At DCs school it is done on the number of points at GCSE (something I don't understand yet, but I'm sure I will soon!). I don't think there is an interview or anything, but as far as I know there aren't many external places available as most stay on, so yes, I would say get your appliocations in early if you can.

[trixiebell]

I would look at a school that offers the IB in the sixth form. If plan A does not come to fruition then as the IB curriculum is so varied, it allows one to diversify.Perhaps consider DGS, many students go on to become medics etc.