6th form education

Wow! Seems unusual. It must be quite a small school not to do a 6th Form course of any sort. And, often, small groups used to be run for 6th Form subjects because they were being trained for uni entry. I would be horrified if any of my local schools did this because surely a whole set of arrangements are made for staffing, curriculum planning, etc way ahead of the autumn term starting and the school should have set its budgets out way ahead of the new school year. Is this some modern business model dealing with short notice cut backs or something? And a uniform? I thought most 6th form schools allowed an almost free rein with uniforms. Looks like they are going to have to request refunds and see if perhaps she can stay at the school she is at (all girls?). If that were my daughter, or indeed if I were a member of staff I would be up in arms? Also, what about the cost of the curriculum and the teachers that would have been allotted to the A level subjects? How would their timetables be filled? Sounds like poor management to me. I hope she finds what she is looking for. They work so hard and are so earnest at that age, they deserve all the support they can get. Your daughter and granddaughter will need to develop teeth to find out what is going on.

This sounds strange. Is it a private school? School uniform for the sixth form? There is generally a dress code but no uniform. It sounds as though this school is poorly managed, to have made the decision to pull its sixth form so late; this girl would be better applying elsewhere, possibly to her former school even though it is single sex.

Not sure the uniform is relevant, because "appropriate dress" is usually required and I suspect that is what the OP meant. The important question is, is it an Independent School, LA run or Academy chain? Is is an all through secondary or Sixth Form College?

Bad luck the school not having enough applicants to run the course, better to cancel at the start than to struggle with a poor quality course, her previous school would seem the best alternative. As for uniform most 6th formers here seem to dress in mufti.

There are quite a few colleges offering A Level courses, some residential that are becoming very popular, 2 grandsons have done them, no tuition fees, just pay accommodation if residential.

Is it a private 6th Form in the UK?
If private it's been caught up in the VAT the new Government has imposed, and families have pulled their children.

Is it an independent school where numbers have perhaps fallen down to the proposed added VAT?

Realistically I would think her best option would be to ask her former school whether she can return.

I have never heard of an entire sixth form being closed in a school. Specific A levels are occasionally dropped due to poor numbers, but them with plenty of notice before the start of the academic year.

*then not them

Good point Witzend.

Because schools are run as businesses, it is not particularly uncommon for courses to be pulled at the last minute because there aren't enough students (same as uni courses). And because some schools 'headhunt' students from other schools, this is what can happen. The worst part (other the upset to pupils and families) is that in a time of huge shortages of specialist teachers, there are A level teachers with no groups in one school, and groups with no specialist teacher in another.
But this is how modern UK govts want education run. I don't remember when it started, but I do recall Thatcher talking about 'excess school places' in the 1980s, not realising that families move around the country, and that if you move into an area, your child needs a school place somewhere vaguely near.

This is a very large state school, sorry should have clarified.

Surely there’s an alternative offered Was it just a ‘sorry no 6 th form goodbye’ or did the school offer alternatives ?

It’s appalling that this has been allowed to happen, especially at such short notice.
Most schools are now run by an Academy Trust, which is essentially a business. It would seem that they are now more interested in making the books balance rather than the students.
In the past when most schools were run by the LA there were advisors and inspectors who were invested in the students.
Just my opinion.

eazybee

This sounds strange. Is it a private school? School uniform for the sixth form? There is generally a dress code but no uniform. It sounds as though this school is poorly managed, to have made the decision to pull its sixth form so late; this girl would be better applying elsewhere, possibly to her former school even though it is single sex.

Our local comprehensive school insists on uniform for sixth formers.

Many are leaving and travelling to various FE colleges to take their A levels or vocational courses instead. At that age I think it is a good idea to treat them differently from the younger pupils.

Is it just that that school is not running those particular A levels Nurseundercover? It does seem to be very late to let her know.
I hope she can remain at her present school if the A level course is appropriate and obtain a refund on the uniform and travel pass.

Exactly, J52; Academies are run by business people, and the main aim of a business is understandably to make a profit. If something is not profitable it is dropped immediately, and educational values come second.

Yes the academy model has removed accountability from Local Authorities. They have “executives” earning six figure salaries and can cut courses at whim. A neighbours son is a talented musician and was told he could do A level music. At Christmas the music teacher left, wasn’t replaced, so the music students were left to cope on their own. The boy got grade 8 piano and some coaching out of school but complaints to the school fell on deaf ears. He’s hoping what he’s done out of school will enable him to do a music degree, but won’t have an A level in that subject.

It sounds like there are possibly a lot of young people being let down at a pivotal point in their education, sadly. I’ve seen first hand what a devastating effect this has. I think as a family our gripe is that the decision has been made within three working days of the supposed commencement. Downright cruel.

I agree Nursie, it is a terrible way to run an educational establishment with the future of young people at stake.

It may be a slight crumb of comfort to know that, if your GD opts for a sixth form college, statistically, she will probably get better A's than if she went to a school sixth form. I have this on good authority but I can't send a link.(I have loads of rellies who teach or taught and some set and mark A'levels)
Anyway I wish your GD all the best whatever route she chooses.

Thank you so much for your comments and thoughts, they are really appreciated.

My GD left school before her 16th birthday and went to college a ferry trip away so when bad weather happened she worked from home.Halfway through the first year she was offered a job on the design team of a charity .Flew (in a tiny plane) on her own to Campbelltown,her first ever flight and was regarded as a valued member of the team .She has since set up her own small business in design and had many commissions .IF you want to succeed you will there is no guaranteed route.I left school3 months before my 15th birthday and had my own business by 21.itran successfully until Covid hit 45 years later.U I ersity isn,t for everyone and we need to tell our young people that there are alternative routes ro success.."…whatever your idea of success is.

Nurseundercover

It sounds like there are possibly a lot of young people being let down at a pivotal point in their education, sadly. I’ve seen first hand what a devastating effect this has. I think as a family our gripe is that the decision has been made within three working days of the supposed commencement. Downright cruel.

I totally agree, but the decision obviously has to come after the GCSE results are published, which was last week.

I agree paddyann.
I remember a neighbour getting quite distraught and angry because his DS had just failed his A levels so I did say to him that there is more than one route to the top.
It was apparently the wrong thing to say 😯

Rather different, but we did have the experience of the school suddenly saying, at the last minute, they would no longer offer the subjects that my child wanted to do at 6th Form. Uniform was irrelevant and the bus was dedicated, so they weren't issues.
However, they did have the similar experience of having to make a difficult decision with only a few days to research options.
As sometimes happens, it was a blessing in disguise. A nearby FE College was offering the International Baccalaureate: www.ibo.org/. They did that, able to do their preferred subjects + broader curriculum. It played to their strengths, and they have done brilliantly ever since.
I hope something similar happens with your DGD. And I also hope you can get refunds.

One of mine was asked to leave during sixth form part way through A levels (maths, physics, Spanish, product design) as he wouldn’t get into Oxbridge or Russel group

He got a first class degree anyway but at the time it was awful