The Student Room Group

Sixth Form or Collegue?

What is the difference?
If you don’t know the difference and can’t spell college, you’re probably going to the latter
Sixth Form is basically an extension of Secondary School (+2 years) except now you're studying for three A Levels, Sixth Form generally your hand is still being held by the teachers so homework and detentions still exist and extra tutoring/boosters if you need it and you're learning is more supported then that of a college education and unlike college where you can choose not to come in, in Sixth Form you'll generally still be going in everyday or your parents get notified. You also have to do mundane trivial things like parents evening or other stupid special events your school organises and you get letters/phonecalls home if you're underachieving.

But you get some privellages like Free periods where you can either study or go home or wherever, and you don't have to do things like P.E. and you can go out during break and lunch so you're not forced to stay at school or with people you hate, you also have a common room, but I rarely go there myself.

College, you have more freedom so you're treated like an adult and they expect you to do work at home, and extra reading up outside of lessons without checking up on you and if you don't do the work then they generally don't get on your case as they would if you were in Sixth Form, you either do it or fail when it comes to exams really. You also get to wear what you want and College offers more courses/qualifications other than A-Levels which is primarily academic, colleges can also offer vocational courses and BTECs, If you don't come in to college they just let it be to be honest, there are no phonecalls or letters home.
Original post by rome x mary
If you don’t know the difference and can’t spell college, you’re probably going to the latter


Must of auto changed, I know how to spell college...
Original post by Popsiclez
Sixth Form is basically an extension of Secondary School (+2 years) except now you're studying for three A Levels, Sixth Form generally your hand is still being held by the teachers so homework and detentions still exist and extra tutoring/boosters if you need it and you're learning is more supported then that of a college education and unlike college where you can choose not to come in, in Sixth Form you'll generally still be going in everyday or your parents get notified. You also have to do mundane trivial things like parents evening or other stupid special events your school organises and you get letters/phonecalls home if you're underachieving.

But you get some privellages like Free periods where you can either study or go home or wherever, and you don't have to do things like P.E. and you can go out during break and lunch so you're not forced to stay at school or with people you hate, you also have a common room, but I rarely go there myself.

College, you have more freedom so you're treated like an adult and they expect you to do work at home, and extra reading up outside of lessons without checking up on you and if you don't do the work then they generally don't get on your case as they would if you were in Sixth Form, you either do it or fail when it comes to exams really. You also get to wear what you want and College offers more courses/qualifications other than A-Levels which is primarily academic, colleges can also offer vocational courses and BTECs, If you don't come in to college they just let it be to be honest, there are no phonecalls or letters home.

Thanks for your reply! But generally speaking do you need more GCSES to go to sixth form than college?
Original post by DeclanGCSEs
Thanks for your reply! But generally speaking do you need more GCSES to go to sixth form than college?


I think most ask for 5 minnimum and an A or a B at GCSE for the subjects you want to study at A Level.

I can only speak for myself but my entry requirements were 5 GCSEs minnimum and I picked Maths, Physics and Computer Science and needed an A in those subjects at A Level in order to do it. However if you dont meet the entry requirement for a subject they may give you leeway i.e. I got a B in Physics but got a 7(A) in Maths so they let me take Physics even though I needed an A in Physics to take it.

Also if you don't meet the grade requirements but they know and can see you're passionate or a hard worker and your grades are reasonable enough to take a risk and let you do it for A-Level they will, thats what happened to some people at my Sixth Form.

In terms of quantity most Sixth Forms will accept 5 GCSEs but in terms of Quality they look for A*s/As and maybe Bs at GCSE for the subject you're doing at A-Level unless you're taking something like Art then something like a C is enough

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