If your school does not have a 6th Form...

[Madsometimes]

Where did your dc go? Were you satisfied with their options? Did they need a settling down period in their new school/college or did they hit the ground running?

Most of the schools I am looking at do not have 6th forms. At 16, some of the children get a place in a different school that does have a 6th form and some go to the feeder 6th form college. Places at schools are hotly contested. I think I would prefer my dd to go to a school rather than a college for 6th form, but a place is far from guaranteed.

[mumeeee]

Our DC's school did have a 6th form. DD1 stayed on to the 6th form. DD2 and 3 went to different colleges, DD3 is still at college. At that age we gave them some advice but let them make the final decision. They each ended up doing what was best for them.

[tokyonambu]

"I think I would prefer my dd to go to a school rather than a college for 6th form"

Why?

[mnistooaddictive]

I grew up in Hampshire where we have sixth form colleges and no school sixth forms. There are numerous advantages. Much wider choice of subjects, range of extra curricular. All the teachers were experts at teaching Alevel and knew the syllabus and how to teach it. Atmosphere more focused at our le3vel etc. It worked for us with many people going to oxbridge etc. Fresh start for those (like my brother!) who needed it! I could go on! Don't judge without knowing all the facts.

[Madsometimes]

Instinctively I would prefer a school for A' Levels because my dd is an August born child, and I think that fifteen is rather early for leaving school. I accept that my dd may surprise me with her maturity in the next 5 years. However, at age 10 her personality has not changed markedly since the age of 3!

I know that for many young people college is the right choice. It may be for my dd when her time comes. However, I cannot help but feel that annoyed that she will only have the choice of going to a college or a different school.

My fears are partly based on my own experiences. When I was at school the 6th form was abolished one year before I was due to start. I went to the 6th form college that the school fed into. It was a miserable experience socially. Academically it was not bad, but I desperately missed my old school.

So yes I know that I should not project my fears onto my own daughter. But I am human and I cannot help it. I was inspired to write this thread by another one about lack of 6th form provision in Richmond. I was just wondering if anyone else felt the same whatever area of the country you are in.

[Madsometimes]

By the way I am glad to hear of positive experiences such as mnistooaddictive. Hopefully my dd will also enjoy college.

[tokyonambu]

mnistooaddictive's experience mirrors mine. The technical college I went to wasn't a pure A Level shop, that was more a treat for the lecturers who were mostly teaching ONC, OND and HNC, but it worked very well. It would have been a problem had I been applying to Oxbridge, this in the days of the separate entry exam, but that applied to most state schools as well.

[Niecie]

None of the school round here have a 6th form and we have a very good 6th form college so it is not a decision I am going to be faced with.

I would find it a bit odd to go to a school with one myself but that is just my experience.

I found college to be a good half way house to university. If we had stayed at school, still wearing uniforms and being treated like children it would have made the jump to university harder. Plus the college is geared up to 16-18 yr olds and was able to offer a wider choice of studying options that a school would have done.

If it makes any difference I am an August born child myself and found the transition to college easy. I also found that opposite to your Madsometimes, it opened up my social life - maybe because my parents viewed me as more grown up now that I was at 'college', maybe because everybody was the same age and at the part of their lives and it was easy to make friends.

[Niecie]

Oh, I'm also in Hampshire!! Somehow missed that on first reading mnistooaddictive!

[Lilymaid]

Nearly all state schools in my county do not have sixth forms, so students normally then go on to sixth form college (one of which is one of the best in the country). Generally, they need to be able to "hit the ground running" as the step up from GCSE to AS is such that they can't afford to take it easy.

[Kez100]

I went to a school with a small 6th form but because they couldn't give me the choices I needed, I went to college. It was brilliant - no uniform, spoke to and treated like an adult. Lots of travel which helped me adjust to the next stage - which for me was work.

We don't have a 6th form at our school and I am positive about for the reasons above but, also, because the school has no self-interest in their future options, so they can give advice completely independently. Most children from our school go to one of six places. There is transport available to each. It gives them a huge higher education curriculum to choose from.

[scaryteacher]

I too grew up in Hampshire and went on to sixth form college, and I boarded as well. Totally agree with Niecie, it was a great place to do some growing up, and I was so convinced by the whole experience (and it is 28 years since I started there) that I am sending ds there if I can get him in as a boarder in 2 years.

[sharbie]

hants here too and ds 16 (at end of june) started a few weeks ago at college - loves it much more grown up and diff to school.

[BellsaRinging]

I went to school in an area where most schools do not have 6th forms and pupils generally go to a sixth form college for A-levels. Personally, I found it great. It was a big college, but the teaching was great and it was able to offer a brilliant range of A-Levels, and extra-curricular activities. It was also very well geared up for uni applications and other career advice. In addition, it was a good springboard for living away from home, as it was a more adult environment, but still with the cushion of living at home.

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I think 6th form colleges are a good idea if all the schools are up to 16 only, so all kids have to go to a 6th form, whether doing A level or vocational stuff.

I do think there is a disadvatnage where some schools have 6th form, and there isn't a seperate 6th form college for A levels (only GNVQ type stuff). Locally, the kids who go to a school without 6th form and wnat to study A levels have to fight tooth and nail for a place in 6th form at another school, or go to another college miles away. So when we moved here I was adamant that dd wnet to a school with a 6th form, as I think she would be at an adcvantage.

[senua]

If you go to a school without a sixthform then the teachers only teach to KS4. You don't get that 'extra' of knowing that the teacher could tell you all about current AS/A2. I know teachers will probably come on here all enraged at this slight but knowing the theory of sixthform study and actually doing it on a day-to-day basis are different IMO, with education changing so frequently it doesn't take long to get out of date.

Also, if you transfer to another school for sixthform then you know that you will probably be, effectively, a second class citizen. Any perks of sixthform (prefect, sports captain, lead part in the play, etc) will go to home-grown students. In this respect, you may be better off going to SF College where everyone is in the same boat.

[MumInBeds]

Around here only the catholic school has its own sixth form, most young people go on to one of two colleges, one of which specialises in A Levels, one in vocational training.

The schools all share a lot of resource and initiative though and have the same VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and have tutors come in to each the brighter children AS level subjects in Years 10 and 11.

[titchy]

To my surprise I chose a school without a 6th form for dd, which she has just started. You may well find that despite your dd being one of the youngest once she starts secondary she will seem much older than she was a couple of months earlier when she was at primary.

Similarly once she's 15 you may well find ready for a college environment - she'll have spent a year being the oldest year group in a secondary school at 15, probably have been a prefect and done lots of other 'leadership' type stuff most dcs dont' do till they're at 6th form.

[DanFmDorking]

Going to a separate 6th Form college prepares them for University better because of the ?campus atmosphere'. They meet students from other schools, make new friends and learn to organise themselves because the onus is on them more.

Also, the college Principle told us that the students get half an ?A level? better by going to a separate 6th form college (although I have not seen the stats to back this up).

[cory]

Never thought to worry about this. My children have had to change schools between infants and juniors (their first school only did Reception-Yr 2), then again, between junior school and secondary; I'd very surprised if another school change at 15 throws them.

[usualsuspect]

Even though my ds's school had a 6th form ..many pupils chose to go to 6th form colleges instead because they teach a wider range of subjects at A level . A lot also wanted a more grown up college.

[SuzieHomemaker]

I'm in an educational black hole. There is a secondary school in each local town but post 16 they form a consortium. I'm not convinced by this as the schools are all specialist this and that which means that some students spend half their time being bussed from one school to the other.

With DDs agreement we are looking at other options including in the next county for post 16.

There is no sixth form college as an alternative.

[NomDePlume]

DS1 & 2's secondary school doesn't have a 6th form college.

DS1 went to the city vocational college

DS2 goes to the city 6th form college (standalone affair, not associated with any one school)

[jackstarbright]

Imo - it is not the sixth form college where the problem tends to be - it's the 11-16 schools.

On average 11-16 schools find it harder to attract specialist science teachers - so are less likely to offer 3 sciences.

11-16 schools are judged on their GCSE results (not A levels) so that is where they will focus their efforts. They have little incentive to prepare pupils to do well at A'level.

So, I would be wary of sending a very bright dc to an 11-16 school. Having said that there are exceptions - a lot depends on the catchment area and the head teacher.

[cory]

In many areas you don't get a choice, because secondaries don't have Sixth Forms (unless you can afford to go private). Our bright children will just have to get on as best they can.