Pate's Sixth Form

[Ellen-Jane]

Indeed. The students (and their parents encouraging them) going for the money. Medicine, engineering, finance. Fewer going to uni to study for the love of the subject, possibly. It costs so much now, maybe they feel the need to get more monetary value out of it? Though engineering didn’t pay that well IME!

[Bambi 175]

Interesting food for thought. So good news is my daughter is predicted a high score, but in bad news she has chosen those popular subjects! Hadn't even considered the choice of A-Level might come into it so thank you.

[Ellen-Jane]

Ah, it’s definitely worth applying. Those popular subjects are what Pate’s is well known for. At least with sixth forms you can hold as many offers as you like. Pate’s sixth form open evening next week.

[CK666]

Hello, anyone know last year entry requirement for external student Y12? If I got over 67 in my predict grade will I get a conditional offer? What will happen if my final actual result is below my predicted grade, can I get the place? It's worth travel from Bristol to Pate's for sixth form? Thanks

[Bambi 175]

It's only ever hearsay, but I heard it was 64. Having been through the process I feel there is not much I don't know anymore! 67 would definitely get you an offer. Go with the highest you can as long as your current school will sign off on it. I know one child "inflated" their application grade and got in and a student who was more honest with 63 got a no yet this student got much more than the other in the end. There are loopholes to exploit and people do. IMO if the cut-off is 64, you should have to get 64 whereas once you get a conditional offer, you only ever have to get over 57. I wouldn't travel from Bristol. Pros are there are a lot of opportunities to get involved with to put on your personal statement but nothing you couldn't organise yourself. Cons - pastoral care non-existent, they couldn't care less about the student, it's actually a joke that there is a dedicated person for this, externals and internals are not as integrated as they have you believe - there is a LOT of division, teaching quality patchy, mandatory to do 4 A-levels even if you can't cope and lots of "jollies" which seem a waste of time like mandatory house events etc. I should add I have another child there who has been there from the start and has had an entirely different experience, I just think what you hear at the Sixth Form Information Evening is definitely not reality. Happy to answer any other questions.

[dodie102]

Cons - pastoral care non-existent, they couldn't care less about the student, it's actually a joke that there is a dedicated person for this, externals and internals are not as integrated as they have you believe - there is a LOT of division, teaching quality patchy, mandatory to do 4 A-levels even if you can't cope and lots of "jollies" which seem a waste of time like mandatory house events etc. I should add I have another child there who has been there from the start and has had an entirely different experience, I just think what you hear at the Sixth Form Information Evening is definitely not reality. Happy to answer any other questions.

I'm relieved I read this post as this is very much the feel I got from their Open Evening. I was wondering if I was being an inverse snob as I teach at a comprehensive in the county. My daughter even heard a current Pates student say "God there's so many externals here!' in a rather derogatory tone. That didn't make a great impression. Also to hear that the Chemistry teachers are scary (a key subject for my daughter) and there was just a sense that you had to be very much a 'self starter' to survive there. Our younger child got a place at Pates after the 11+ but he was desperate to go to another school as he didn't like the feel of the place.

We might be swayed on the extra curricular which seems to be very good but I just wonder if my daughter would get a bit lost and might not have the supportive teaching that she will no doubt need.

Mind you she's climbing the walls at her current school so who knows!

[Bambi 175]

That doesn't surprise me at all. My daughter said that they had to extend the induction period last year by 2 weeks because the internals refused to talk to the externals. It's really divided but at the Open evening they try and make out it's all seamless.

My daughter is currently doing Chemistry. One of her teachers is terrible - no teaching input, just teach yourself from a booklet, nothing is marked by the teachers, the students are expected to mark their own work from a mark scheme provided (but only if you ask for it) and the teacher doesn't reply to any emails from her or me. Really arrogant at parent's evening and so unhelpful.

I would say if your child is going in a big group with other people from another grammar school or secondary, then it will probably be ok. If they are a single person from a school I think it's really hard. Pate's don't care at all, I told them my daughter's medical issue had got worse since starting Pate's, they didn't even reply. She's counting down the days until she's done.

[ToadMum]

That doesn't surprise me at all. My daughter said that they had to extend the induction period last year by 2 weeks because the externals refused to talk to the internals. It's really divided but at the Open evening they try and make out it's all seamless.

My daughter is currently doing Chemistry. One of her teachers is terrible - no teaching input, just teach yourself from a booklet, nothing is marked by the teachers, the students are expected to mark their own work from a mark scheme provided (but only if you ask for it) and the teacher doesn't reply to any emails from her or me. Really arrogant at parent's evening and so unhelpful.

I would say if your child is going in a big group with other people from another grammar school or secondary, then it will probably be ok. If they are a single person from a school I think it's really hard. Pate's don't care at all, I told them my daughter's medical issue had got worse since starting Pate's, they didn't even reply. She's counting down the days until she's done.

Do you really mean 'because the externals refused to talk to the internals? If so, I'm not surprised that current students at the school weren't exactly ecstatic at the number of potential external applicants attending the sixth form open evening. Pretty inexcusable whichever way round, without very good cause, but do you mean that a whole new - presumably quite disparate, in terms of schools of origin - group of students turned up at the school and, as an organised effort, refused to interact with those who were already at the school? Weird. Why choose to apply there in the first place?

[Bambi 175]

My bad, I meant the internals refused to interact with the externals. Obviously. The reverse, as you say, would be a bit weird!

[hermanmunster]

My bad, I meant the internals refused to interact with the externals. Obviously. The reverse, as you say, would be a bit weird!

It is interesting where schools take in large number in year 12, it can change the whole atmosphere of the school - I knew of one where a large number left after AS and went elsewhere, something just working in that 6th form