is starting the sixth form at 17 somewhat like you've failed a year?

I am planning to move to the uk at 17, at what age students normally go to year 13. However, coming from another country it is quite expected that my education system differs a lot, so by then I wont have studied by their system. I learnt that therefore I would need to start the year 12 first, where normally 16 year olds go, because for the A level programme I will need to complete both years in order to do the exams. So would I be considered as someone who failed the year 12 previously, and is now retaking it, even though it is not the case? And also, since i necessarily need to pass gcse exams in order to start A levels, and I again won't be taking them since my education system doesn't support them, what is to be done?

Reply 1

jjxton

Most year 12s are 16-17 years old, most year 13s are 17-18 years old.

if you are one year older no one will care at all

Reply 2

rebelo

yh as above
but a girl at my old school was ill and had to restart year 12, so will be 19 when she leaves y13, but noone thinks it's that weird

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

No, 6th form studies are part of what is called "Further Education" in the UK, which encompasses all 16-19 education. Therefore there is a range.

That said, for a school 6th form it may be less typical to have a mix of ages in a given cohort. However, for a 6th form college it's much more likely you'll get a range of student ages and backgrounds in any given cohort. So it's quite relative.

Anecdotally even in a school 6th form it's also not unknown for students to restart/change subjects and take a year longer to finish, or to stay on for an extra year to take an additional subject or retake (all of which happened at my school) so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

mia.bzz

Original post by artful_lounger

thank you so much for your answer, I really appreciate it. Could you tell me as well, by chance if you have any clue, what colleges to aim for? Do you know for any college in England that is known to be targeted by international students, in positions similar to mine where they were not been given the opportunity to previously study under the British system but now wish to?

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by mia.bzz

Something important to bear in mind is that "college" in the UK does not mean "university", unlike the US/North America.

6th form colleges don't aim for anything, they're just a particular type of school focusing on providing education to 16-19 year olds, whereas other schools tend to teach students from e.g. 14-19, 11-19 etc.

They also often tend to focus on vocational, practical, or applied programmes more than traditionally academic ones (e.g. A-levels), although often do offer A-levels as well as these.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 6

mia.bzz

Original post by artful_lounger

Yea, I am aware of that. But do these colleges care about GCSEs? Would they mind it if i hadn't studied under their system before, but now I've decided to do? I've read that I could to take for example history, religious studies, psychology etc. without having studied it at GCSEs, but this isn't the stuff i want. I want to take bio-chem-math more than anything- that or nothing. So do you think it is achievable? I am so sorry if my questions are laughable, it is just that my system differs broadly and it's hard for me to completely understand this

Reply 7

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by mia.bzz

If you came from another country's education system they will assess your background on its own merits, they aren't machines who can only see "GCSE Chemistry or won't consider".

Also please stop making multiple threads that functionally ask the same question.