Sixth Forms

[ToadMum]

The reference to St Olaves, a grammar school in Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, is relevant to all secondary schools, with regard to the progression from year 12 into year 13. The challenge by the parents of a group of year 12s who were permanently excluded from the school for failing to meet the required academic standard for progression established that the school had acted unlawfully. This was even discussed on the Forum at the time, although of course may have been missed by those who only read threads within their own geographical area, and who missed the discussions in the national press, notably the Guardian. The subsequent suspension and resignation of the HT was also reported nationally and on this site.

The pertinent points are that, once admitted to a school (and year 12 Is a formal, separate point of entry into 99+% of schools with a sixth form), a student can only be permanently excluded on disciplinary grounds. Which do not include 'not getting 3 grades of a particular level in one's AS exams'.

As a result, schools all over the country have been busy rewriting their 'progression' policies. Including grammar schools here in Southend. If Gloucestershire schools haven't been at least examining their own, perhaps they should.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -exclusion

The site alluded to by KCG and myself is this

https://olavesunofficialnews.wordpress. ... -criteria/

[kenyancowgirl]

...And I would advise sitting down with a cup of tea - or gin - and a bit of time to read it fully...it would be relatively funny if it wasn't about real life...

[madi06]

Hi All, At Pates sixth form how many externals do they take?

On sixth form open evening, the hint was towards half internals and half externals...does that mean 120?

[ToadMum]

Hi All, At Pates sixth form how many externals do they take?

On sixth form open evening, the hint was towards half internals and half externals...does that mean 120?

This is in the Admission Arrangements document linked to from the Gloucestershire CC website (2017 entry, though, I think):

ENTRY INTO THE SIXTH FORM (Year 12 entry)

.Pate’s welcomes applications from both internal and external students who wish to join the Pate’s Sixth Form for their post-16 education. The minimum qualifying academic requirements apply equally to both internal
and external applicants.
1 Admissions Number
The school offers a minimum of 200 places for entry into the Sixth Form each year. In a typical year about 120 internal students will qualify to enter
the Sixth Form, leaving a minimum of 80 further places for external students.
The Admissions Number may be exceeded if that enables Pate’s to improve the viability of projected teaching group sizes in minority subjects (i.e. to
preserve a broad curriculum and for reasons of efficiency) but only if additional students can be accommodated within the capacity of core
facilities and without detriment to the ethos and general purposes of the school

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/educa ... -for-2017/

[Amber]

A couple of years ago Pates started making its own students reapply for their places in sixth form (don't know if they still do this). This was as I understand it a result of incomers, many of whom were creamed off the other local grammars, ending up outperforming many of the 'resident' students (for want of a better term). One must remember when looking at Pates sixth form results that many of their students will have come in from some of the other grammar schools, especially as I understand it the girls' ones, and from indies and other schools where they will have been at the top of their year. I say this as it could be easy to be seduced into thinking good results (and if you look at the recent A level Progress 8 scores they aren't as illustrious as you might expect tbh) are all a result of wonderful teaching, but it ain't necessarily so - the cohort is already very high-attaining. And one also needs to remember that when a school (e.g. HSFG) is bleeding a lot of students at the end of Y11 to both Pates and STR, this will not only affect the incoming school but the one they have left as well.

[madi06]

This is in the Admission Arrangements document linked to from the Gloucestershire CC website (2017 entry, though, I think):

ENTRY INTO THE SIXTH FORM (Year 12 entry)

.Pate’s welcomes applications from both internal and external students who wish to join the Pate’s Sixth Form for their post-16 education. The minimum qualifying academic requirements apply equally to both internal
and external applicants.
1 Admissions Number
The school offers a minimum of 200 places for entry into the Sixth Form each year. In a typical year about 120 internal students will qualify to enter
the Sixth Form, leaving a minimum of 80 further places for external students.
The Admissions Number may be exceeded if that enables Pate’s to improve the viability of projected teaching group sizes in minority subjects (i.e. to
preserve a broad curriculum and for reasons of efficiency) but only if additional students can be accommodated within the capacity of core
facilities and without detriment to the ethos and general purposes of the school

http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/educa ... -for-2017/

Thanks that helps

A couple of years ago Pates started making its own students reapply for their places in sixth form (don't know if they still do this). This was as I understand it a result of incomers, many of whom were creamed off the other local grammars, ending up outperforming many of the 'resident' students (for want of a better term). One must remember when looking at Pates sixth form results that many of their students will have come in from some of the other grammar schools, especially as I understand it the girls' ones, and from indies and other schools where they will have been at the top of their year. I say this as it could be easy to be seduced into thinking good results (and if you look at the recent A level Progress 8 scores they aren't as illustrious as you might expect tbh) are all a result of wonderful teaching, but it ain't necessarily so - the cohort is already very high-attaining. And one also needs to remember that when a school (e.g. HSFG) is bleeding a lot of students at the end of Y11 to both Pates and STR, this will not only affect the incoming school but the one they have left as well.

Totally agree about top students heading to schools whose results are getting better, But i guess this should only be looked as a challenge for the school which they are leaving to make things better...do required surveys and see where the gaps are...Sometimes i have seen kids not expressing out of fear!

[Amber]

[Totally agree about top students heading to schools whose results are getting better, But i guess this should only be looked as a challenge for the school which they are leaving to make things better

STR has pretty much retained all its top performers for the last couple of years. The ones tempted by Pates knew what they were getting, and it is a different product entirely. Depends what suits you as an individual at that age and they ought to know themselves well enough to make an informed decision.

Sometimes i have seen kids not expressing out of fear!

What do you mean by this, please?

[madi06]

What do you mean by this, please?

Well they are just kids giving a direct feedback is not easy, I've see in work life itself where a lot do hesitate to give direct feedback...impact can be in any way(that's the fear of unknown)

[Amber]

What do you mean by this, please?

Well they are just kids giving a direct feedback is not easy, I've see in work life itself where a lot do hesitate to give direct feedback...impact can be in any way(that's the fear of unknown)

Oh you mean so if a school asks students why they want to leave they will feel afraid to say why? I am not sure about that - it is usually pretty obvious why they are going. Or do you mean that schools ought to ask children more about what they like and don't like about school?

[madi06]

Or do you mean that schools ought to ask children more about what they like and don't like about school?

Yes to this