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Education

6th form education

(38 Posts)
Nurseundercover Sat 31-Aug-24 03:17:23

My eldest granddaughter has been attending a girls high school from school years 7-11. Having done well in her GCSE’s she decided to apply to attend 6th form at a mixed school and was subsequently sent her confirmation of placement last week to be starting on Tuesday 3rd September. £500 bus pass was duly paid for by her mum, and appropriate 6th form uniform purchased. Then yesterday 30th August she was sent an email informing her that as there had been poor numbers applying for 6th form the school had decided that they were no longer running 6th form. Naturally you can imagine this has thrown her into turmoil and anxiety. Can schools be allowed to do this to students at this late stage after confirming her place. This is fundamentally wrong and out of order. My daughter has always guided her children to be well behaved, value education as your future by and large depends on it. This makes a mockery of student’s wellbeing and certainly lacks respect. Has anyone else been treated in this appalling way, is this even allowed. I would appreciate your thoughts confused.

LOUISA1523 Sat 31-Aug-24 23:14:24

I hope they got the 500 quid back.....3 days notice is disgusting....it happened in our town...one of the high schools closed its 6th form....but was announced at Easter....giving everyone time to make
alternative plans .....the other high school ( we have 2) extended its 6th form and was able to offer more spaces ....the rest must have gone to the next town maybe? ......I hope your GD gets sorted

Nannarose Mon 02-Sept-24 11:48:15

Nurse, I hope your DGD is sorting things out. If you feel able, in the next few weeks, will you let us know the outcome? Best wishes to the family.

Nurseundercover Mon 02-Sept-24 12:41:34

Still waiting to find out if she can get a placement elsewhere, GD is beside herself. Thank you Nanarose and other Grans for you concern, will update, thank you for caring keep your fingers crossed 🤞

Nurseundercover Mon 02-Sept-24 19:21:52

Happy update GD has 6th form placement in her previous school, they have been very understanding, she’s just happy she can get on with her study. GD can finally sleep soundly ready for Wednesday’s start. Again thank you for all your thoughts and comments flowers

NotAGran55 Mon 02-Sept-24 19:36:45

That’s great new Nurseundercover and what a relief for you all. Good luck to her with her studies and future.

Chardy Mon 02-Sept-24 22:03:36

LOUISA1523

I hope they got the 500 quid back.....3 days notice is disgusting....it happened in our town...one of the high schools closed its 6th form....but was announced at Easter....giving everyone time to make
alternative plans .....the other high school ( we have 2) extended its 6th form and was able to offer more spaces ....the rest must have gone to the next town maybe? ......I hope your GD gets sorted

Imo this has come about in the light of last week's GCSE results. The announcement at Easter was based on something different - a political decision, restructuring, falling roles etc.

yggdrasil Tue 03-Sept-24 08:22:21

That is what happened to my daughter. That was Keith Joseph to blame, at a time all schools were going comprehensive and co-ed. he stepped in and kept the single sex grammar schools in the town. It became necessary to move her (and later her brother) to a proper good quality comprehensive where she could continue into a sixth form. That was a long time ago, but both kids did well in the end

Allira Tue 03-Sept-24 09:52:44

Nurseundercover

Happy update GD has 6th form placement in her previous school, they have been very understanding, she’s just happy she can get on with her study. GD can finally sleep soundly ready for Wednesday’s start. Again thank you for all your thoughts and comments flowers

Thank goodness, best wishes to her Nurseundercover

Sometimes it's better the devil school you know.
DS changed schools for sixth form because they didn't do one of the subjects at his old school but, on reflection, it wasn't the best or happiest move. He didn't even take that particular subject at Higher Education either, except as a hobby.

annodomini Tue 03-Sept-24 10:51:26

Four of my GC have attended Sixth Form Colleges. And a fifth is starting there this week. None of them has been required to wear uniform, though if they turned up looking scruffy, there would have been 'comments'. Sixth Form releases them from the constraints of school, though these 'colleges' were all loosely attached to secondary schools and some teachers worked at both. One DGS, never one to abide by rules if he could find a way to break them, flourished in sixth, and his relationships with his teachers were positively friendly.

Cumbrianmale56 Sat 21-Sept-24 12:56:52

There hasn't been a sixth form at my local comprehensive since about 2000. Pupils go to a FE college 6 miles away and study in a variety of subjects they want, rather than take rigid A levels as was the case when I was in the sixth form in the eighties.
I do recall two friends who opted to go to the FE college rather than stay in the sixth form as they wanted to take HNCs in engineering and computing and the school didn't offer these courses. Of course, the school commented that A levels were better if the two students wanted to go to a top univesity, but both managed to do very well by by passing the sixth form and taking vocational courses.

Purplepixie Sat 21-Sept-24 13:01:03

Is there a 6th form at another school that she could go to? My grand daughter started at her 6th form and she loves it but they have pooled together a number of school to get a decent amount. Apparently this is not for all kids as some want to get a job straight away. I hope you can get something sorted out.

Nannarose Sat 21-Sept-24 14:47:34

I missed your update OP, so am glad this has popped up again, and so glad that your DGD is sorted out.
Really, a proper review of post-16 education is well overdue.