Solihull Living Nov - Dec 2023
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CHANGING<br />
SCHOOL FOR<br />
SIXTH FORM<br />
Whether you want to change<br />
from a single sex school to co-ed<br />
or from day to boarding, private<br />
to state, A levels to International<br />
Baccalaureate – or vice versa<br />
– there are plenty of reasons to<br />
move schools post-GCSEs.<br />
HOW TO CHANGE SCHOOLS<br />
FOR SIXTH FORM<br />
Families need to know what schools<br />
and colleges are in the area and<br />
how far your teen will be willing to<br />
travel. We’d advise getting the ball<br />
rolling with research towards the<br />
end of their year 10 in time for sixth<br />
form open days and applications<br />
which generally take place the<br />
following autumn, early in the new<br />
academic year.<br />
Discussions about post-GCSE<br />
options will already be underway at<br />
your child’s current school by then<br />
and looking at other sixth forms<br />
will widen your options. Maybe<br />
the broader based curriculum of<br />
the IB would suit them better than<br />
specialising at A level? Maybe they<br />
want to pursue a more practical,<br />
less exam based, route? Or perhaps<br />
your child simply feels ready for a<br />
fresh start and new faces.<br />
CHOOSING A NEW<br />
SIXTH FORM<br />
The decision needs to be a joint<br />
effort between parents and children,<br />
based as much on personal<br />
preference as objective research.<br />
Your child may have formed<br />
opinions about other schools via<br />
friends or social media but however<br />
popular a particular sixth form may<br />
be, it’s no good if it doesn’t offer the<br />
subjects they want to study.<br />
Guide your child to consider the<br />
areas of study they genuinely enjoy<br />
or find interesting. The demands<br />
of some A levels, such as maths,<br />
are a big jump from GCSE and<br />
most academically selective sixth<br />
forms will set higher GCSE grade<br />
requirements for these.<br />
It may seem too early when your<br />
child hasn’t even finished their<br />
GCSE courses to start talking about<br />
university subjects and destinations,<br />
but if they are going to change<br />
school for sixth form it’s important<br />
to at least start thinking about<br />
the ultimate goal. For instance, if<br />
Oxbridge or medical school is the<br />
aim then A level choices need to be<br />
made accordingly and a potential<br />
school’s record of Oxbridge and<br />
medical school places taken into<br />
account.<br />
If university isn’t part of the plan<br />
then you’ll need to ask the school<br />
or college about provision for pupils<br />
who are interested in alternative<br />
post-18 options such as degree<br />
apprenticeships.<br />
MOVING FROM STATE<br />
SCHOOL TO PRIVATE<br />
If you think your child would<br />
benefit from taking A levels at an<br />
independent school but are worried<br />
about affording the fees, it could be<br />
worth checking whether you can<br />
apply for a bursary. Some schools<br />
even offer bursaries specifically for<br />
pupils joining the sixth form from<br />
the local state sector. Read the<br />
following for more information about<br />
scholarships and bursaries.<br />
SIXTH FORM ENTRY<br />
REQUIREMENTS<br />
These differ considerably but five<br />
or six GCSEs including English and<br />
maths at grade 6 or above, with<br />
grade 7 or higher in subjects to be<br />
studied at A level (can be 8 or 9 for<br />
maths/further maths), is the minimum<br />
for most selective schools. Many<br />
schools in both the state and private<br />
sector set the sixth form entry bar<br />
much higher and in addition to a full<br />
set of GCSEs at grades 9-7, also<br />
expect candidates to sit papers in<br />
their prospective A level subjects.<br />
Schools will usually interview<br />
prospective sixth formers too.<br />
So what are the essentials to<br />
look out for?<br />
Check how many new pupils join for<br />
the sixth form - if the number is very<br />
low it may be harder for your child<br />
to integrate<br />
Look at trends in exam results<br />
rather than just the most recent<br />
ones (particularly important given<br />
the disruption Covid has caused in<br />
recent years’ GCSEs and A levels)<br />
Some schools are single sex up to<br />
GCSEs with a co-ed sixth form –<br />
ask what the ratio of boys to girls<br />
is and try to find out whether the<br />
culture of the school is suitable for<br />
your son or daughter<br />
What are the opportunities for new<br />
pupils for positions of responsibility<br />
(prefects etc)?<br />
What expertise is there to support<br />
Oxbridge and international university<br />
applications, or alternative routes<br />
such as degree apprenticeships?<br />
A fresh start can be a great<br />
motivator, but it isn’t a panacea. If<br />
your child is unhappy at their current<br />
school find out why – changing<br />
schools may not be the answer<br />
goodschoolsguide.co.uk<br />
26 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk