Should i move schools for sixth form

A more adult student. Try to embrace this new dynamic because it will certainly enhance the experience you get. Regardless of anything else, enjoy it! With separate editions for prep and senior schools, Independent School Parent is the only magazine to address the issues that really matter to parents who have chosen to educate their children privately.

Magazine Newsletter. Independent School Parent. COP educating the next generation about climate change. The Guide to Independent Schools Autumn is out now! Staycation summer: family retreat to the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire. Above, moving up to Sixth Form or changing schools at Sixth Form is a rite of passage for pupils. Looking at this list, the choice seems obvious — to stay. But during the summer following my GCSEs, I took time to consider both options and decided that if I was going to do something about my shyness and inability to talk to people, I should move to a environment — I would have to do that at university anyway and having that experience before might make moving to university easier for me.

I would get my results, and if I did better than I expected I would move to the grammar school as it would show me that I was smart enough to be there my thinking was very flawed at this time. I would see my results and make a decision based on what felt right at that moment, essentially. So, when results day came and I saw I did much better than I expected, my elation led me to call the grammar school straight away to accept my offer before I even went home!

I was moving schools. Fast-forward 2 years, having been rejected from Cambridge see my blog about my tumultuous journey to Cambridge for details I had the chance to apply to Cambridge through adjustment. Thankfully, I met this requirement and subsequently received an offer from Cambridge. I can say with certainty that had I stayed at my previous school, I would not have been able to apply to Cambridge through adjustment as my friends there had their grades significantly reduced by the government.

The moral of this story is, do what feels right to you — everything will work out for the best in the end. Had I stayed at my previous school, I would have had a fantastic time either way — I cannot say where I would have been, but I am happy with my decision to move schools in retrospect. Their needs are different and should be treated as such.

A levels, IB or Pre-U all have merits as sixth form programmes of study. Each one has benefits as an option and it is important to consider which route is the best for your teenager. Some schools offer just IB, some just A levels, or some offer both. The Pre-U is usually offered in a small range of subjects as a compliment to one of the other programmes of study.

For further information on these examinations see our Education Tips piece on sixth form examinations. The course programme for IB and A levels are completely different and consequently command different teacher expertise.

Offering both programmes, particularly within a smaller school, may mean you are not getting the best teacher expertise in the subject or exam type of your choice. Once you have decided which qualification is the best route, ensure the school you chose has the relevant and proven teaching expertise. No school fees! However some independent schools will offer scholarships to internal candidates to encourage them to stay on into the sixth form.

It is always worth asking. The state school opportunities for extra-curricular involvement will be less, instead focus being placed much more heavily on academic attainment. As well as girls getting used to a co-ed environment, there is a benefit for students who have never lived away from home before. In a sixth-form college they find a gentle introduction to university-style independence and an opportunity to move out of their comfort zone and spread their wings — another stepping stone to university.

From an academic point of view, there are significant advantages to sixth-form colleges, not least because all the teachers there are A-level specialists. Instead of sharing their time with lower forms, they are able to concentrate all their knowledge and experience on their specialist A-level subjects.

The outstanding results speak for themselves, and much of this is down to the quality of the teachers. There is no doubt that some high-quality teachers are attracted to those colleges where they can concentrate all their endeavours at the highest level with mature and motivated students.

It is possible, too, that at a sixth-form college students will find a wider range of subjects, and that the vocational subjects and the creative and performing arts are more valued there than in a more traditional system.