A levels at 17/18

hi - i joined 6th form a year out (went to college, dropped out and then went to 6th form - restarting year 12). Email every place you can think of!! Colleges that do a-levels will accept you and sixth forms are a bit more uncertain. Because I'm a summer baby (July) when I restarted I was 17 in that September but i've heard joining a 6th form at 18 can be harder. Colleges are your best chance but it doesn't hurt to ask a sixth form because you don't know what they'll say. I was turned down by everywhere but one place which is honestly the only reason I have a chance of going to vet school next year. Keep persevering - giving up isn't allowed.

Thank you sm for responding to this. I will consider anywhere that will allow me to complete the courses I want just as long as they allow me to do so. The problem with that is that the colleges around my area aren’t particularly good ones (in my borough alone, 3/4 of them are at ‘Require Improvement’ stats on ofsted) and the ones nearby my borough are of a similar calibre. The sixth forms however are either good or outstanding in fact even beyond my borough I’ve yet to see one that isn’t of a good standard. That’s why I’m willing to go so far out of my area. I seriously, seriously do not mind how far i have to travel so long as I recieve what I travel for tbh. I don’t wanna pry but would you say your college was comparable to your sixth form? How helpful were your teachers in both?

'Requires Improvement' is the renamed 'satisfactory' - it is not a category of concern - that would be special measures.

Fair enough, but it’s been a category of concern to me personally based on what I’ve seen each time I’ve read the detailed reports of the school they’ve left that remark on. In my experience they sound like places that frankly aren’t ideal to get your A levels at but here’s an example of what I’ve read of schools that have that ofsted rating which have lead me to be averse to applying to them: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/31/130425

https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50051184

The monitoring report is positive if you read that.

Also go on the DfE website and compare Sixth form progress. https://www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables

[If you PM me the rough geographical area then I can do this and PM the results]

Thank you sm for responding to this. I will consider anywhere that will allow me to complete the courses I want just as long as they allow me to do so. The problem with that is that the colleges around my area aren’t particularly good ones (in my borough alone, 3/4 of them are at ‘Require Improvement’ stats on ofsted) and the ones nearby my borough are of a similar calibre. The sixth forms however are either good or outstanding in fact even beyond my borough I’ve yet to see one that isn’t of a good standard. That’s why I’m willing to go so far out of my area. I seriously, seriously do not mind how far i have to travel so long as I recieve what I travel for tbh. I don’t wanna pry but would you say your college was comparable to your sixth form? How helpful were your teachers in both?