A levels in West Sussex/Hants

[Laura1999]

Anyone know the post 16 provision in/around Chichester? DS either repeats year 12 (AS did not go well ...) or starts afresh somewhere else (which right now, he would rather do). A flexible school sixth form - a sixth form/fe college. DS needs a lot of confidence boosting and to be somewhere that'll keep a reasonably close - but kindly - eye on him.

[musicposy]

Oh dear, we are in exactly your position. DD1 has done not very well and she can probably just about keep going with the grades she has onto A2, or resits AS levels, or just gives up and continues working.

We are transferring to Chichester College (she was in Hampshire studying) if she does continue but I don't know if that's where your DS has been!

There are the school 6th forms, Chichester High and Bishop Luffa, too, all in Chichester.

[Laura1999]

Hi musicposy

No, DS was at a school outside Chichester - he really doesn't want to repeat year 12 there.

I hope your DD gets on well at Chichester College - it certainly got strong results today and I have a feeling that they look after their students rather well.

Do you/does anyone know Havant College?

[Ilovegeorgeclooney]

If he drives I gather Oaklands in Waterlooville has a lovely supportive 6th Form, good results too. Not sure how it would work with public transport.

[aig]

Havant College is considered good academically and offers a wide range of subjects. Southdowns College (in Crookhorn) has a wider range of intake but is also OK.

[Badgers5]

Seaford College is very good for students who have previously underachieved with AS level.

[badgerhead]

If he wants to go further north The Weald Community School & Sixth Form College is good, my dd1 went there & repeated some of her modules as an external student this year to improve her grades and they were very helpful. DD2 is about to start there this September, neither of them have been through the actual school, we live a short train journey away & the school is less than a 5 minute walk from Billingshurst station.

[musicposy]

DD1 did a 14-16 Pscychology GCSE course at Havant. She found it very good. I wanted her to go there for 6th form but they have to do their own thing (!) and she was put off by how hard they seemed to push their students into university as she doesn't want to do that. She went on to South Downs who I'm afraid for various reasons have let her down very badly. She was in hospital with concussion after an accident around the time the coursework was due in and they were unbelievably uncaring and disinterested. We just kept getting snotty emails asking why she hadn't been at the tutorials and lectures. "She's currently in hospital on a drip because she can't move without vomiting" they didn't seem to give two hoots about. They refused to help her catch up on lessons she'd missed, merely telling her to get the information from somewhere else. After all this she decided she wouldn't return there and put in motion a transfer to chichester, Her tutor then really had it in for her after that and was as nasty as you can imagine. She gave her a D in her coursework despite the fact that up until then she'd been getting As for everything.

I don't know what we can do but I am still so mad about it all. I couldn't recommend South Downs, I'm afraid. They talked the talk but didn't deliver at all on their promises. DD went there with 10 GCSEs mainly at A and A*. She has come out with Ds at AS which I think shows basically no progress over the year . DD has not stopped crying since Thursday and is now saying she won't return at all. I've persuaded her to talk to someone at Chichester on Monday so maybe that will help.

I do hope your son finds somewhere that suits him. I've heard good things about Chichester from some friend's of DDs but you don't really know until you go somewhere and I think all places vary according to subject too.

[musicposy]

Badgers, Seaford is private, though, isn't it? I love Seaford, DD2 has sat some exams there as an external candidate and they've been the most lovely and helpful you could imagine. I would send DD there like a shot but we couldn't afford the fees.

[Badgers5]

Musicposy, yes Seaford is private but there is often financial assistance available, it is always worth asking. I found them very helpful and certainly understood that it can be hard for parents, unlike some other schools.

[Laura1999]

Thank you so much, all, for these very helpful and encouraging replies.

music - my DS has been let down at his school - badly, I'm afraid, especially on the pastoral front. I'm very sorry to hear your story, though, and I do hope that your dd enjoys Chichester and can really look forward to a fresh start. What you describe is appalling. More and more I think that a school or college that is genuinely caring (in deed, not only in word) is worth its weight in gold. (It might not console your DD right now but some of the papers, notably the Independent, carried stories of teenagers who hadn't done at all well at AS and are now going, two years later, to good universities and courses etc of their choice.)

aig - you're right about the wide range of subjects at Havant - a student could put together a really balanced programme. That's probably its strength - I would hope, though, that there is good tutorial support for students.

Ilove - no, DS doesn't drive but I've also heard that Oaklands has a friendly sixth form -

badgers - thanks for mentioning Seaford. Our income is very modest but I could look at financial help there. I wonder if a number of 17 year olds enter the first year? That's something that would put DS off - he's super sensitive about repeating the first year of sixth form in a school especially although somewhere like Seaford might suit him - he's feeling pretty fragile at the moment.

badgerhead - thanks for mentioning The Weald - the fact that your DD could repeat modules as an external candidate is good to hear. Sounds like the school is very much more flexible than most. Probably a bit far for DS to travel each day, though.

DS worries that he's 'wasted a year' - hard to persuade a 17 year old that they are still so young with a lifetime of learning ahead of them! Will look now at Havant - and see what Seaford can offer - and, again, good luck to all our children and thanks again to you all.

[smellylittleorange]

have you also considered Bishop Luffa Sixth Form..my friend has a DS hopefully just about to start, he loves the school. In terms of pastoral care for Havant , whilst it has always been good academically a few years ago they suffered negative publicity due to bullying problems , they have since invested loads in this provision. It draws in a lot of students especially from Chi as shortest journey is 10mins on train!

[musicposy]

Yes, I think the pastoral side is so important, because if anything goes wrong (and you can never be sure it won't even with the brightest, most well adjusted child) then that's when you really need a good pastoral side.

I imagine from what I've seen of Seaford (we've dealt with them over a number of years as external candidates which they've basically done for us as part of their charitable benefit) that their pastoral side is excellent. DD2 took a coupleof GCSEs there this summer. She's only 13 and they were so mindful of how young she was. They looked after her really well. I cannot praise them highly enough. Every single member of staff I have met there has been lovely. Laura I would certainly recommend you look at it for your DS. Sadly we are pretty low earners and even £500 a term- a tenth of the fees - would be beyond our reach so I don't think it's going to be a possibility for us.

You're right about how hard it is to convince them that one year isn't that important! At 17 they think a year is forever! I keep trying to persuade DD1 she has all the time in the world and a repeated year won't matter but she can't see it. She can't bring herself to be in the year below, I think, which seems ridiculous to me but I guess not when you're 17!

I do hope you find the right place for your DS, OP. I've told DD there are others in her position and I think that has helped a little. :)

[Laura1999]

Thanks smellylittleorange - I agree, Havant has had its ups and downs - I think there are pretty organised - have systems in place - but I also have experience (another DC) of them rather hard on occasions. I hope the period you're referring to has well and truly passed.

Music - thanks again so much for the Seaford comments. I will call them but, like you, the fees may well prove a stumbling block.

Your DD is most certainly not alone! (Nor is my DS!) I've looked at some other threads on this forum just now - after a reasonable or even good set of GCSEs, it's perfectly possibly that AS grades crash. As Havant said to me on the phone, the gap (chasm?) between GCSEs and A levels is very wide - and that's something that kids can't really foresee. Many cope - some, like my DS, may need that additional year.