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Did anyone stay on at school for sixth form?

I was meant to go to Sixth Form College, I had my heart set on it all year 11, and I couldn't wait to leave. It is top perfoming place as well! But the induction put me off, too much pressure and I just didn't like the feel of the place, quite a few snobs and the teachers were late and not as great as I thought they'd be. Plus my courses were dropped.

So, I decided to contact my school and ask if I could come back, they welcomed me with open arms and because I'm studying German, which they don't teach, they've offered me timetabled self study alongside any resources I want.

All of my 'main' friends are going to Sixth Form Colleges, and both they and my parents are telling me I'm making a big mistake going back to high school. Although, I'm not so keen on going back to school, I feel like I'm back at square one. And most of my friends have gone too. But, it was the lesser of the two evils. I'm just going to be so fed up when all my friends talk about it how 'college life this' and 'college life that', while I'm stuck at school. If you get what I mean?

Has anyone else stayed at their school for sixth form? What did you think?
I stayed and tbh it was a huge mistake. I'd been there so long that I got completely disenfranchised and apathetic towards it. Which resulted in me ****ing up and having to completely resist my AS year.
**** no, at my school they spoonfed most subjects and I went to college to see if I could do it on my own. And done a lot better than most of my peers:redface:
(edited 10 years ago)
I stayed, because my school was really good.
It was actually a disaster, but that was because of the people not the school itself.
I stayed, and am honestly glad I did. I'b been there since yr7 so I already knew all my teachers and how everything works in the school so I could just concentrate on my a-levels without having to start again and feel like a new girl somewhere. I done pretty well, but some of my friends who went to colleges had to retake their AS year. They claimed it was too much freedom and their teachers not really knowing them or their ability

I definitely feel self-study German is a great idea, it will give you that independence and prepare you for uni/ further education. Self studying a subject also looks good on applications. Also, 'college life' is nothing prepared to what life at university will be. And besides, who cares where you studied as long as you got the best grades right?

Wishing you all the best OP
Reply 5
I stayed because the nearest Sixth Form College is about 40 minutes away whereas my school is only 5 minutes away. Plus it is a good school, I feel I should add :wink:. Most of my friends stayed too (much for the same reasons) so I don't think I lost out by not going to college

At the end of the day its only two years and you're better off going somewhere you feel you will perform best academically and have a better chance of getting into uni (if you choose to go). Once you're at uni you'll meet so many new people and have a great time, I'm sure. Then those two years of missing out on the "college experience" will seem worth it
I stayed because practically all of my main friends did and I don't regret it for a second :smile: Perhaps my initial reasoning wasn't sound but I had the best time and even those who didn't enjoy year 11 loved sixth form and made new friends with others who stayed or new students.
College life is EXACTLY the same with the exception of the first month. The first month at a college is NEW and exciting but then it just becomes school again. A college is not at all automatically better than a sixth form.
Education wise if you felt you had good teachers at GCSE then I'm sure they'll continue to be good teachers at A-Level :smile:

EDIT: All of my friends who went to college did AWFUL because they were too focused on having fun that they completely neglected their subjects, though obviously this was the student's fault, not the college's.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 7
I stayed, and for me it was the best decision, I knew the teachers, enjoyed my courses and it had the best reputation of places I applied to.


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I was determined to leave when I was in yr 11 and I wanted to go to the sixth form college that 'everyone was going to' but I went to visit and I hated it. Then decided I wanted to go to a grammar school (my school from yr7-yr11 was a normal comprehensive. Had an excellent rep though - people move house just to get their children into the school) so I applied and got a place. I attended that school for 1 day. I went and realised I didn't like it so I went back to my comprehensive school.

I loved my school so much and don't regret going back there. I guess I wonder whether I would still be doing the same thing if I went to a different school but i'm glad I stayed. The teachers knew exactly what I was like and while I was studying for my A Levels I put myself under a hell of a lot of pressure so it was quite important to me that they knew me well. My mum thinks I was better off staying at the comprehensive school too because I was (and still am) very competitive so would have put myself under additional pressure to try and climb to the top. I would have failed miserably at it too :P and then that would have really annoyed me.
Reply 9
Our school didn't have a sixth form so was kinda natural to go to the local college,

Do remember quite a few of my tutors were really dismissive of them, usually the idea was students there were just being 'trained to pass A-levels', and they wouldn't be able to cope once they got to uni

Although to be fair, the tutor most vocal in that regard actually printed out the last 10 years worth of past papers and would spend the lesson basically telling us the answers, set the questions as homework and then spend the next lesson going over all our efforts 1 to 1. :rolleyes:
Reply 10
I moved from one school to another school at the end of year 11 (both with their own sixth forms, obviously) and it was the best decision I ever made, I loved being at a school for years 12 + 13 and did far better academically than my friends who went to the local college.

But, I am the kind of person who loved school and didn't want to leave so I guess that's part of the reason I loved it for sixth form too :h:
My Sixth form is probably the best public sixth form in my county. And I spent 5 years there enjoying it so I'm definitely staying.

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