Can my DS accept more than one 6th form offer?

[Bat120]

Apologies if this has been answered elsewhere but I couldn't find it if it was! My son is toying between staying at his present school and going to another sixth form - both state. Can he accept both offers and decide later? Or does an acceptance now (he has until April to accept) mean that he has to commit to a decision?
Thanks in advance - can't find any guidance on this on the local authority website so I thought I'd try here.

[KenR]

Sadly you can - and many do

[hermanmunster]

The offers of places in sixth forms are conditional and many do hold more than one. The movement at sixth form level is very variable around the country - on some local areas many of the schools don't have sixth forms at all and the kids do lots of trips round all the GS and 6th form colleges etc etc to decide what they want to do - probably good practice for Unis...

[Bat120]

Thanks - it just seemed wrong to do it but if he hasn't definitely made up his mind (and, as you say, they are conditional) then I suppose he needs to accept and hold both. Must be a nightmare for the planning as a school if this is common practice!

[Guest55]

Some schools ask if they are your first choice on the form.

[hermanmunster]

Certainly at DD's school some girls appeared in the 6th form who, it was assumed, had left to go elsewhere - somehow there was a change of mind somewhere along the line - also others who came to the induction day didn't appear on day 1 of year 12.. yes must be hard for the schools.

[ToadMum]

There are lots of sixth forms to choose from in our area - more choice than at 11+ as they are all co-ed, and not to mention 2 colleges offering A levels - and I think the schools are well aware that students will accept more than one offer. DS1 held two and attended induction days in July at both; at least, all the days at "Pref. 1" and the first one at "Pref. 2" (the second day there coincided with the first at the other school ). On results day, fortunately he qualified very comfortably for his first choice, so we whizzed round there to get him enrolled and emailed the other school to turn that place down.

[Rob Clark]

I don't see what is wrong with this.

Surely they are only provisional offers, dependent on GCSE results? It seems to me to be perfectly reasonable, and indeed quite sensible, to have a first choice and a backup plan – much like one does when applying to university.

Of course, schools should be informed asap once results are known and a decision made, for the benefit of both the schools and other children, but until that point why is there anything wrong in holding 2 offers?

[Muggle]

We encourage our students to accept several sixth form offers. The offers always depend on exam results, so it is prudent for students to make provision for all possible outcomes. It is also fairly common for sixth forms to change their curriculum offering at the start of term due to low take-up or over-subscription of subjects.

[Warks mum]

The paperwork at DD's previous school didn't allow for a place to be declined! Even though DD knew she wanted to move and wrote to decline the place she was still invited to the induction day and sent all the sixth form paperwork. Several pupils were undecided until they'd been to both induction days. I suppose that's one way of testing things out.

Interestingly, DD's old school has since instigated a 'be a sixth former for a day' for Year 11. Perhaps to discourage leavers?