Changing Schools for 6th Form

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by Snowdrops »

Although DD is only about to enter year 10 in September, she is already looking ahead to sixth form and the differing courses/subjects on offer at other schools.

What I'd like to know (and cannot find from t'internet is, do the same criteria apply to enter sixth form as it does for year 7? I know currently at DD's grammar they request at least a 'B'result in the subject you wish to study for a level, and if you're transferring from another school you also need a letter of recommendation.

Does this apply to other schools? What about faith schools - does the 'going to church' factor also have to be met?

Please bear in mind that DD will be one of the first who has to stay at school until she is 18 (at least I think that rule is still in effect - they haven't changed it have they :lol: ).
Image
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by Amber »

My DD is planning to move to another school for sixth form. She had a look round a few schools and applied to two grammar schools. One asked for A grade GCSEs in the subjects she wants to study; the other runs its own university-style admissions procedure with predicted grades, personal statement, interviews, the lot. After which it then made an offer well below the predicted grades, as I think it can't offer external candidates anything harder on paper than it demands of its internal students.

In short, it varies. But I notice anecdotally that it is becoming much more common for students to move between schools - OH works with someone on the governors at one of the GSs here and he said they have had many more applicants than they had places this year.
aliportico
Posts: 888
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:19 pm

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by aliportico »

My dd is in the same position. The sixth form admission stuff that I've looked at seem to give very specific criteria that are completely separate to the y7 criteria. So no, I don't think church-going etc had anything to do with it if not explicitly mentioned.

Atm dd wants to do Spanish and RS A's which seem to be a rare combination, and although we have looked at write a few sixth forms' information, I think the most likely option is still the 6th form college that she's wanted to go to for years!
inkypinkyponky
Posts: 1863
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:41 pm
Location: Gravesend, Kent

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by inkypinkyponky »

Snowdrops wrote:
Does this apply to other schools? What about faith schools - does the 'going to church' factor also have to be met?
This did not affect my DD1. She's just finished year 12 at Grammar and when she made her choices a year ago she chose to do 4 A levels at the Grammar and 1 at the local Church of England Secondary - it's Photography A level so her Grammar didn't offer it as it isn't academic enough for them.

Neither she nor I could apply to the C of E school directly. I had to write a formal letter to the Grammar Head of Sixth Form asking him to apply to the C of E school on her behalf. I found out later that all he then did was phone his opposite number at the C of E school and got her a place in the September. Unfortunately he forgot to inform me or my daughter, so she had to wait for the 1st day of school in the September to find out.

Sorry, long waffle, but neither her or our church attendance (or total lack of) , nor the fact that OH is Catholic but DD1 is not christened in any faith, was taken into account at all. This may be because the school is the only one locally offering the course, so they have to take all-comers!

Anyway, some days when she goes to the school there is an assembly, so she doesn't have to attend, and other days is released 25 mins early in the afternoon, much to her delight! :D


Happy applying!
mad?
Posts: 5621
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 6:27 pm
Location: london

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by mad? »

My DD has suddenly announced she wants to look elsewhere for 6th form as well. She has just finished Y10 and so open days etc are looming. I think in part she has been influenced by various friends who have been talking about moving on. I have to admit that whilst I have not been totally happy with her school the thought of doing open days and applications again fills me with dread, I really hoped we were past all that until uni. I am insisting that she goes to the 6th form open evening of her current school as well so that she can compare gloss with gloss, she and they are not entirely comfortable with this. One of the schools she is keen on is great in that she could walk there and it achieves well. It is C of E and whilst we were precluded from going there for Y7 as a result they appear to be biting the hands off non-believers when it comes to 6th form. I assume this is about money and kudos but wondered if I was being cynical and that perhaps there was a more legitimate reason? If it is so imperative to the school's success that only those who have been intimately and actively involved in church life are allowed into Y7, why does it not matter for 6th form? Genuine question?
mad?
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by Snowdrops »

Thanks for everyone's input, it's been useful to see all the differing ways in which it's handled.

I actually took the bull by the horns and rang the school this afternoon (after ringing admissions who told me that each school deals with it's own 6th form admission).

The school DD's looking at is a faith school and I couldn't see anything on the website which stated faith was a part of the admissions criteria (it's the main factor for Year 7).

A very nice lady told me the dates to look round (October next year - so not that long away :shock: ) to pick up an application form and return it and their minimum requirements are 5 C's at GCSE preferably 4 of them being a 'B' or above. She will need a letter of reference and attend an interview. Any offer will then be made dependent on all that.

I asked about the faith element and she said it's not a requirement for 6th form, they just need to believe in the ethos of the school.

I then asked about the change in the mandatory school age and would this impact on the faith aspect of it. She said they couldn't say at this time whether or not it would. I for one don't believe they haven't thought that far ahead and I think they do know, but are not saying - am I being too cynical I ask myself?
Image
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by Snowdrops »

Oh, yes, I forgot to say, it is becoming much more usual for peopel to 'shop about' for 6th form, especially if the courses on offer are different/better/not offered in your current school.
Image
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by hermanmunster »

Can imagine which school you are looking at!!!

I too could not find any info on admission criteria - they seemed a) quite vague and b) very keen to encourage people rather than be very off putting (as they are in year 7).

We really don;t have much option for changing (distance :roll: ) - although it may be a good thing if we could - rather a high turnover of staff at DDs school at the moment....!
tense
Posts: 679
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:02 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by tense »

Hello, hope people don't mind me resurrecting this old thread.

My DD has just started Yr11 & also wants to look at other schools for 6th form. This seems to be only for 'new people / change of scene' type reasons rather than looking for different A level options. Her own school (state, co-ed, partially selective, very popular & successful) takes in quite a few new students at 6th form - mainly from 3 girls' schools :D

She wants to stay co-ed, which rules out one of those good girls' schools, leaving as her options the schools we weren't keen on when she was 11 :(

But I was interested to read that moving at 6th form is becoming more common. I suppose I am worried that moving to a less academic school might not look good on uni applications - does anyone have any views on this?
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: Changing Schools for 6th Form

Post by ToadMum »

tense wrote:But I was interested to read that moving at 6th form is becoming more common. I suppose I am worried that moving to a less academic school might not look good on uni applications - does anyone have any views on this?
They still have to pass the same A levels, and aren't universities meant to be falling over themselves to take students from "poorer" schools, rather than from ones which usually get most of their pupils into university,or has that changed again now?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
Post Reply