Which sixth form??

So the school I go to now has a sixth form but from people's opinions and
the sound of it, it doesn't seem great. At Alevel I am looking to study English Language, French, Geography and Psychology.

In higher education I have had about 3 teachers who were just awful- I didn't learn a thing from either of them. In the end one got fired/ left (I'm not sure), I stopped being taught by one as I moved up a year and I am currently still being taught by one. And it's not just subjects that don't matter, these teachers (tried to) teach English, Maths and French and I am rapidly approaching my English exam whilst having one of said awful teachers 'guiding me'. This has lead to me almost having to completely start from scratch and re-teach myself the syllabus which- as you can imagine- is incredibly time consuming. Anyway this is one of the main reasons I am dubious about going to my current school's sixth form in case the same teacher experience repeats itself.

I have also been accepted into another school's sixth from which I have looked around and seems very impressive with good facilities, lots of teachers and a wider range of subjects (not that I would change my choices though). However by moving there it would mean I have to leave all of my friends behind and I am slightly socially awkward so I'd be really nervous about not being able to make any new friends there. The sixth form is also about 20 minutes away from me and I would have to get there by bus, unlike my current sixth form which is a short ten minute walk away from my house. However one downside to this sixth form is that because it's quite a big, popular school, I have heard that class sizes are quite large so it wouldn't be as 121 as going to my current school's sixth form. Though I don't think that many people at all are taking French at Alevel at my schools sixth from- I have a feeling that only 2-4 other people would join me in a lesson which would feel awkward as I'm not the best at the language and if I was the worst in the class I feel that my motivation towards the subject would plummet..

Anyway any opinions would help, I know I have to decide relatively soon and it's very stressful because both school seem to have equal positives and negatives. Thanks for replies in advance.

Also I'm really sorry for the amount of times I said 'sixth form' in this post, could be made into a drinking game lol

That's so true, I also think sixth form would be more independent anyway so I could get away with spending lunch times in the library if I absolutely had to, without being judged that much? On the other hand I would actually kind of enjoy moving to another place where nobody knows who I am and I can kind of reinvent myself and meet new people; everybody kind of has a social standing etc in my current school and it's pretty solid so I would really like to get away from that and make new friends. It's a very 50/50 thing but I am more inclined to just take the risk for my education and move at this point. Thanks for the advice!

I am having the same problem and I don't know if I should move or stay at my current school next year for sixth form. I love my school and the only reason I am thinking of moving is because my school will only let me take 3 subjects and I want to do 4 but I am not sure if thats a good reason to move

But I don't think you should base your decisions on specific teachers because you could get different teachers if you stayed at your school or your teachers at the other school might be just as bad.

Sorry to butt in on this, but I feel like my advice would be better on this particular area.

I go to a college (not a sixth form but a very large, popular one for sure) and lots of people spend their lunchtimes in the library/other learning areas without getting judged - everyone's too busy with their own work to really care and it's a new place so no one even knows who you are.

Also, just like you said, you can totally reinvent yourself - just act like you're way more confident and social than ypu actually are It'll work out in the end.

I would definitely say move, your friends really aren't worth it, I took the plunge and moved as well for a better education and I'm so glad I did.

If you want to know what it was like for me to make friends at college, just ask!

I don't want to ramble too much unnecessarily :/

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By the sounds of it your choice can be simplified down to being between 'social life' and education. This is a personal conundrum and generally a mix between the two is best. Having said that, keep in mind sixth form is only two years of your life(out of around 70-80) and is important in deciding the next 3 or more years of your life(which then effect the remainder of your life...).

I would check out telegraph league-tables as well.
If the other sixth-form has a landslide in performance, I would go for them, otherwise I would stick where you are.

No you weren't butting in at all, thanks so much for this reassurance! I wouldn't plan on spending every lunch and break in the library but in the first few days when I don't know anybody it would definitely be useful until I (hopefully) make some new friends! I feel like a lot of other people will also be in the same position as many people move to this sixth form from other schools so I might even make friends who are also in the library studying haha! It's good to know that most people would focus more on their education than judging eachother at sixth form unlike now when unfortunately it's kind of the opposite at my school so it would be totaly acceptable to go to the library whereas God forbid, if anybody in our year went to the library on a daily basis they would never hear the end of it.

Thanks for the help, I've just realised that I'VE rambled quite a lot actually hahaa sorry

Hmm, don't you know anyone going to the same sixth form as you are in your current school? It might be worth asking around and then buddying up so you're not TOTALLY alone. Let's hope so! Although, if I'm being completely honest (sorry I don't mean to scare you or anything!) The people who study in the library are usually very quiet and shy and are roo scared to make new friends (some of my friends who are like this STILL spend their lunchtimes doing this) Also, I don't know what it will be like in your sixth form but in my college, most of the people who moved, moved with their entire friend group. Do you have any idea how hard it is to muscle into a friend group who have been together for 5 years? But I think the results vary. I know that me and many other people have successfully managed to make new friends and are loving life while others are still struggling, and have resigned to the library

I know! It was the exact same in our high school! But the college environment is very different to the high school one, mostly because people are more mature now.

You're welcome! And it's ok, I was in the exact same situation last year so I know what it's like to overhung everything (although in my opinion, making new friends is as hard as it seems)

Anyhow, good luck!

P.S. - try and see if you can make any friends on your bus from your new sixth form - many people do that including me.
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Unfortunately none of my friends would also be moving but I've tried to focus more on my education than friendship group when making the choice to move. And I completely know what you mean about it being difficult to muscle into friendship groups but the sixth form I would move to is a popular choice to lots of people in the area- I know that many people in surrounding schools move there after higher education so I would definitely not be on my own! I know a few people moving from my school but am not really close to them.

The positive thing I'm relying on is that this school has a kind of taster day thing where everybody attends (even if you haven't decided if you're 100% going there yet) and you get out in the classes that you would be in if you did choose to go. So it's basically a day to interact with people and make friends then and people seal number and add each other on Facebook so they can talk over summer and have connections and people to hang out with on their first day so it makes it so much less stressful. I should have mentioned this earlier but to be honest I've only just remembered about it haha!

Aww, that's a shame but that's a great outlook you've got on your education! Well, that's a relief then, hopefully you'll make friends in no time!

Hmmmm, has someone else told you that's how it works on the Taster Day? Cuz I went to 2 of them, and it was NOTHING like that - people just worked together in class but no friendships were formed and at lunch and break, people just hung out with their high school friends.

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hey, i actually have experience of moving to a different sixth form other then my own.

Just to start off, for my gcse and prior to them, i never really depended on teachers much, my learning was upto me.

I am currently in first year of sixth form, and at the start of the year i started off at the same school id been at since year 7. Teachers were beyond awful, facilities were to the bear minimum and i didnt enjoy it much, however many of my friends were there.

After about a week of attending, i was sitting in my free period, pretty unhappy and decided to email the admissinos teacher of a nearby grammar school which had a good reputation. Within a couple of hours i got a reply asking for grades etc. Once i sent these i got a phone call, and the teacher was making sure i was serious as she was very impressed with my grades and then asked me which subjects i wanted to take and soon after it got sorted, and i got asked to start school tmrw.

Lets pause here for a while.

This moment was hands down, one of the weirest times of my life, i was happy yet confused. Had this really just happened? Had i just decided to leave all my friends? It was really confusing.

That night was hard, i had to explain to all my mates why i was leaving and apart from a couple who didnt want me to leave at all, the rest were understadning of the situation and wished me best luck.

So the next day i was off to my new school.

In short:
this school was very good, facilities very good etc.
Teachers - this was dissipionting, they were not good enough, a couple were good, but rest were really bad.
i knew about 5/6 people from this school and only one of them was in some of my lessons. I persoanlly think im quite sociable, im very confident and im happy with who i am. However making freidns was very hard, very hard. Why? becuase it is a sixth form, in a sixth fomr people have formed frienships groups from year 7 and onwards. I did end up amking a few freinds in first few dasy, all of which were externals.

Here is the twist, on the foruth day which was a friday i had little intention of leaving, i wasnt extremly happy but hopeufl things would become better. ON this fourth day i went back to my old school before school finisedh as i had a free last, i was supposed to meet up with friends and eat out. I also thought it would be a good chance to return some of the school textbooks i was given, so i went to the office about 25 minutes beofre the end of the school dya for them, and there i saw the headteacher, i tried my best not to be seen, not sure why, but he saw me. He politely asked me to come to his office, and so i did, afterall he was a great headteacher. He had about a 30 minute converstions about how he was dissipionted in me and that he really wants me to come back. The truth was i left becuase of the teachers, however i couldnt say this to him, so i said i had to leave due to personal reasons, he insisted i come back, and expalining how i was one of the birghtest students he had seen during his time as teacher ( buttering me up , ahah), but i said i wouldnt be coming back, the convo ended with him saying, ' whenever you want to come back, wether its next week, next month or next year, the years of this school will always be open for you' , over this weekedn i talked to my freidns and family about many things and came to the ocnlcudion i should come back.


I came back, things were bakc to normal.

Jump to now.

Looking back at my decision....

im not sure wether it was the right one, i am 100% if i styaed at other school i woudlve started revsiiong before chritmas, and would have been much more focused. At this shcool i am relaxed, in fact i have my AS exams in a montha nd only started revsiiong last night.

hope you make the right choice.

my biggest regret was staying in my school's sixth form. i declined an offer from an excellent sixth form as i thought i would be happier staying where i already was - i thought i'd stay friends with the friends i was still with but that wasn't the case. If the new sixth form will benefit YOU, has high standards, grades, facilities then i would go for it.

edited: i can also relate to the user above my comment, when i stayed in my school's sixth form i didn't actually try hard - i had nothing to prove as they already knew me and that certainly plummeted down my motivation to actually study.