Yr12

I'm currently in yr11, half way through my exams, and the thought of what i am going to do for yr12 keeps popping up. My school is incredibly small, so there's no sixth form, and i know nothing about it because we've only had colleges come in to speak to us.
I applied to other schools sixth forms and recieved 2 provisional offers as long as I meet the entry requirements and they give out external applicants places based on their policies or whatever. i also got 2 college offers, but my parents have refused one of them, saying the college is really bad and dangerous- whatever that means.
My main question is what is sixth form like when you didn't go to the high school- do you not make any friends? or do other people join from other schools too?. its one of my main worries because I think i'll end up at sixth form because my parents think its better and I don't want to fight them on it. I also am curious about sixth form life-
Can you leave during free periods and lunch?
what are school trips like?- i'm doing biology and geography so I know they've got field work.
Does popularity and the social hierachy die down or people still bothered about popularity points?
and also really random,
But i dont drink or smoke, when you go out with people outside of school, is there a expectation that you do those things or do people judge you for not doing those things?
(at my current school, most people do so which is why I am asking these things, and I am sorry if i come across as weird or something I am just anxious)
Thanks for taking the time to read, it means the world to me.

I stayed at the same school but sixth form is quite different so i still might be able to weigh in on some of your questions. @Trickia moved for sixth form (Trickia can you tag others who also moved if you know anyone!) so might be able to reassure you further 🙂
Most of the people who are in my year group now are completely different from who was in my secondary year group (only 3 others stayed) and so far I haven’t made any friends in my year group, but this is more likely because im nd and dont really interact with my peer group than anything else! Most people in my sixth form seem to be in social groups which formed very quickly so im sure youll be ok if you’re reasonably socially apt!
At my sixth form you can leave during frees and lunch unless you have timetabled study. I have friends are other sixth forms who cannot leave during the day though so it does vary!
Ive been on quite a few trips, again this will vary between schools though! I went to a careers fair, a museum, an urban sketching tour and also biology fieldwork. @Geo Lover 7 does geography so should be able to explain how fieldwork works for that 🙂
I dont see much of a popularity thing going on, definitely not as much as in secondary but that will also differ. My school is very small so that will factor in. I was told by my head of year that students often form social groups based on grades a lot more at a level which is interesting!
I dont know anything about drinking and smoking in sixth form personally. I do know its been an issue for some local sixth forms, mostly the bigger ones not linked to a secondary i think.

Unlike @DerDracologe, over half of the Year 12s at my 6th Form are internal students (including me) . However, friendship groups seemed to form very quickly between internal students and external students.
We have to get "personalised learning" to leave at my 6th Form.
The teachers seem more relaxed. I have only been on 1 trip so far in 6th Form to a careers fair and it was a standard school trip. However, many in my Geography class went on a trip to Iceland which was a great trip apparently but very cold. For Geography, we have a week at the end of June where we do Fieldwork.
People are less bothered about popularity.
for the final part of your question.

I'm currently in yr11, half way through my exams, and the thought of what i am going to do for yr12 keeps popping up. My school is incredibly small, so there's no sixth form, and i know nothing about it because we've only had colleges come in to speak to us.
I applied to other schools sixth forms and recieved 2 provisional offers as long as I meet the entry requirements and they give out external applicants places based on their policies or whatever. i also got 2 college offers, but my parents have refused one of them, saying the college is really bad and dangerous- whatever that means.
My main question is what is sixth form like when you didn't go to the high school- do you not make any friends? or do other people join from other schools too?. its one of my main worries because I think i'll end up at sixth form because my parents think its better and I don't want to fight them on it. I also am curious about sixth form life-
Can you leave during free periods and lunch?
what are school trips like?- i'm doing biology and geography so I know they've got field work.
Does popularity and the social hierachy die down or people still bothered about popularity points?
and also really random,
But i dont drink or smoke, when you go out with people outside of school, is there a expectation that you do those things or do people judge you for not doing those things?
(at my current school, most people do so which is why I am asking these things, and I am sorry if i come across as weird or something I am just anxious)
Thanks for taking the time to read, it means the world to me.

Mine situation is slightly different as I currently go to a sixth form college where everyone is from different schools. But I barely knew anyone as only like 40 people from my secondary went there compared to other schools where they had hundreds of their own students so I totally get the anxiety! People are definetly more friendly and the social hierarchy isn't as obvious anymore - people become more civilised. Free periods depends in sixth forms but generally you are allowed to use that time as you see fit but my advice is to use that for homework, pre reading etc.
School trips are pretty much the same to be honest. There is no expectation for drinking and smoking. Peer pressure is no doubt there so be careful who you pick as friends and make sure you don't ever fall for it - no matter how hard.
@agent_duck343 hey ml if I'm not mistaken you moved sixth forms as an external student? (If not apologies)
@DerDracologe thanks for the tag 🙂 PRSOM

Thanks for the comment- it really helped give me more insight!

Thank you so much for this comment too- it really helped!

I'm currently in yr11, half way through my exams, and the thought of what i am going to do for yr12 keeps popping up. My school is incredibly small, so there's no sixth form, and i know nothing about it because we've only had colleges come in to speak to us.
I applied to other schools sixth forms and recieved 2 provisional offers as long as I meet the entry requirements and they give out external applicants places based on their policies or whatever. i also got 2 college offers, but my parents have refused one of them, saying the college is really bad and dangerous- whatever that means.
My main question is what is sixth form like when you didn't go to the high school- do you not make any friends? or do other people join from other schools too?. its one of my main worries because I think i'll end up at sixth form because my parents think its better and I don't want to fight them on it. I also am curious about sixth form life-
Can you leave during free periods and lunch?
what are school trips like?- i'm doing biology and geography so I know they've got field work.
Does popularity and the social hierachy die down or people still bothered about popularity points?
and also really random,
But i dont drink or smoke, when you go out with people outside of school, is there a expectation that you do those things or do people judge you for not doing those things?
(at my current school, most people do so which is why I am asking these things, and I am sorry if i come across as weird or something I am just anxious)
Thanks for taking the time to read, it means the world to me.

I'm currently in yr11, half way through my exams, and the thought of what i am going to do for yr12 keeps popping up. My school is incredibly small, so there's no sixth form, and i know nothing about it because we've only had colleges come in to speak to us.
I applied to other schools sixth forms and recieved 2 provisional offers as long as I meet the entry requirements and they give out external applicants places based on their policies or whatever. i also got 2 college offers, but my parents have refused one of them, saying the college is really bad and dangerous- whatever that means.
My main question is what is sixth form like when you didn't go to the high school- do you not make any friends? or do other people join from other schools too?. its one of my main worries because I think i'll end up at sixth form because my parents think its better and I don't want to fight them on it. I also am curious about sixth form life-
Can you leave during free periods and lunch?
what are school trips like?- i'm doing biology and geography so I know they've got field work.
Does popularity and the social hierachy die down or people still bothered about popularity points?
and also really random,
But i dont drink or smoke, when you go out with people outside of school, is there a expectation that you do those things or do people judge you for not doing those things?
(at my current school, most people do so which is why I am asking these things, and I am sorry if i come across as weird or something I am just anxious)
Thanks for taking the time to read, it means the world to me.

Heyyy
Ty @Trickia for the tag
Sorry I'm a bit late to reply but yes I moved from my secodnary school to a different school's sixth form so the majority of people in my year are internals. There were quite a few people from my secondary that also came to this sixth form and for the first term I was mostly still with them but after that I have become friends with other people. I found the sixth form to be a lot more welcoming than I thought and it was easier to make friends and I love my friends now even though I didnt become friends with them initially so dont worry if you dont make solid friendships in the first week
From my experience for the first few weeks there was a clear separation between internals and externals but it goes away quite quickly and everyone is pretty much integrated. After around a month I couldnt even tell who was internal and who was external (apart from girls bc its an all boys seocndary)
My school allows you to leave at lunch but only in year 13 you can leave during free periods as well not in year 12 but it depends on the school as friends in other sixth forms can leave during free periods.
Class sizes are a lot smaller so you end up being closer to each other so fieldtrips are more fun and you are also given more freedom and trust by teachers so they are better than trips in secondary I think. I do biology and geographya nd for biology there have been a couple lectures and a uni trip and for geography we have done a lecture trip and some fieldwork days whichwere really fun
Honestly I dont think there is a 'popular' group in my sixth form everyone just sort of gets on with their own friend groups and its just more civilised.
I dont drink or smoke either but I know people who do and I think it depends on your friendship groups. Find people who are similar to you and dont get pressured into drinking or smoking. Most of my close friends dont drink either so I've never felt judged but even by people who do drink/smoke I've never really gotten any judgement for not doing it as I think in sixth forms there is less pressure to copy others
Good lukc with sixth form I'm sure it will be great xx