Abingdon Living Nov - Dec 2023

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