6th School and Colleges in North London

Discussion and advice on Sixth Form matters

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vinb7
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:14 pm

6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by vinb7 »

Hi All

I am after advice on good/best 6th form schools and colleges in North London (Grammar, State or Independent) for my DS.

We live in Barnet and DS is academic and hopes to do science A levels.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Vinb7
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Daogroupie »

DAO, Latymer, Habs, St Albans are the most academic. DG
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Daogroupie »

You could also consider City and Highgate. DG
Middlesexmum
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Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Middlesexmum »

Woodhouse Sixth Form College in Finchley is very good, 3rd best in the country.
loobylou
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Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by loobylou »

Yes Woodhouse has a great reputation but does seem to be rather Marmite. I have friends who have had children there who love it and others who have been disappointed. But one of my friends with a child there currently (doing sciences in the back of a string of 8s and 9s at GCSE) and they think it's fantastic.
Other than the schools already mentioned, Southgate, East Barnet and Ashmole get a significant influx of new students for sixth form buy I don't know enough about their academic credentials in sciences.
Stokers
Posts: 358
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:48 pm

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Stokers »

DS is at Woodhouse having come from an excellent, if very structured, local all boys school. It is excellent but I would only recommend for self-motivated, well-organised student who is ready to take responsibility for own learning. The freedom that the timetable allows could easily (and does) lead the less self-controlled student astray. DS has had to become vv responsible and self-disciplined after receiving a series of disappointing and certainly not med school set of grades after christmas. These are qualities that will stand him in good stead in future life but I would think twice about sending my just as bright but less self-motivated DD there.
Daogroupie
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Location: Herts

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Daogroupie »

Such a great preparation for university though.

My dd has experienced witnessing a number of colleagues really struggling because of coming from a very structured environment at school and finding the transition to self motivated learning very difficult.

A couple have already dropped out with plans to return in September. This was the decision of the department because they were unable to keep up.

One of our local private schools (which is day and boarding) has prep sessions after school every day.

Parents have told me how wonderful it is to have it all organised for their students.

Must be a real shock when they get to uni and have to do it all themselves.

My dd, coming from a semi-selective, has been doing this for years and can't understand why some of the other students have got themselves in such a mess.

This is something that should be learnt before going to university and not painfully in the first year. DG
silverysea
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:32 pm

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by silverysea »

Daogroupie wrote:
This is something that should be learnt before going to university and not painfully in the first year. DG
I feel this applies more generally to our children, from an early age-it is so tempting to do everything for them and feel bad when they come across a problem (and so often blame everyone and everything under the sun except themselves).

How much better to have to deal with some unfortunate events - detention, angry disappointed teacher, bad grade, loss or theft of carelessly abandoned item, getting lost in a strange part of your own town, breakup of friendships- when you are at least still within your family and without everything else that uni and adult life throws at you. At least you may find some cake in the fridge!
Hera
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Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:50 pm

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by Hera »

At least you may find some cake in the fridge!
:lol:
Always in our house. It made me laugh as just as I was reading this DS, who is in the middle on UCAS school exams, was rifling through the fridge deciding between some banana muffins and left over chocolate birthday cake.

I am guilty of doing far too much for my kids, although not on organising academic work. I think University might be a bit of a shock for DS.

St Dominic's in Harrow is good too and is not just Catholic.
2childmum
Posts: 523
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 4:02 pm
Location: S E London

Re: 6th School and Colleges in North London

Post by 2childmum »

Most of the school sixth forms round here are really structured - any study periods have to be spent in a supervised study room, often with set work to do and adults there to sign them in and make sure they do it. They seem to set loads of structured homework, not leaving any time for any self-motivated study. It might lead to high grades, but not to students who can cope with independent study at uni

I heard an interview on the radio earlier this week with a member of staff from a uni (not sure which one) saying that students need more support at university with learning how to study - I'm not surprised, when the sixth forms are behaving like this.

One of the reasons we chose the sixth form DD is at is because they are expected to develop good independent study skills and are not chased up every second. DD commented that, now they are in the middle of end of year 12 exams, lots of them are saying how they wished they had studied instead of sitting around in the sixth form common room chatting!
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