Sixth Form Colleges (UK)

[angela146]

Could someone please explain what kinds of courses a student would take in a Sixth Form College? Are we talking physics, calculus, advanced history etc. or is it more basic than that?

Also, would a student who intended to go to a University attend a Sixth Form College or would they attend the Sixth Form at a Secondary School?

 

[scheherazade_79]

Usually AS Levels and A Levels. Subjects like English Lit, History, Geography, Maths, Sociology, Physics, Music, Art etc.

Sometimes you'll get a 6th form college that disses AS and A Levels in favour of the international baccalaureate, which is kind of similar, but some people view it as being academically superior.

There are also GNVQ courses in things like Health and Leisure, Tourism etc. They're more vocational.

If you want to research it, your best bet is to Google 'Sixth Form Colleges' and take a look at a website of one of them. It'll tell you all the courses on offer.

 

[scheherazade_79]

As for the second question, either. It doesn't matter. As long as they get the necessary grades it doesn't matter whether they attended a 6th form college, the 6th form of a comprehensive school, grammar school or public school (fee-paying ones).

 

[Adrenaline]

From a Commonwealth pre-AS level perspective sixth form is something a pre-uni course, I suppose. It is advanced--you can actually get credits for them at American universities, if your grades are good--so there are the usual courses like History, Math, English, Geography, Chemistry etc. You'd take them in secondary school as many UK & Commonwealth universities require A-levels for entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-level

Edit: After reading scheherazade_79's post I just wanted to add that in the UK a college is not the same thing as a university where as in the US the two terms seem to be interchangeable.

 

[rachlou]

Could someone please explain what kinds of courses a student would take in a Sixth Form College? Are we talking physics, calculus, advanced history etc. or is it more basic than that?

Also, would a student who intended to go to a University attend a Sixth Form College or would they attend the Sixth Form at a Secondary School?

Students between the ages of 16 and 18 can go to sixth form colleges. They go to study A levels / AS levels. Many schools have sixth form depts as part of the school. Others don;t - hence separate sixth form colleges. Students wishing to go to University normally need to have A level passes. (Unless its a mickey mouse degree in which case any thicko can get a place.) This means that they either stay at their school sixth form dept, go to sixth form college, or to a community college that does A levels. There are many choices.

The subjects studied are all follow-ons from GCSE's, more advanced versions of chemistry, biology, english literature, history etc.

Hope that helps - its been a while since i was there!!

 

[EnglishGuy1982]

Also, would a student who intended to go to a University attend a Sixth Form College or would they attend the Sixth Form at a Secondary School?

A Sixth Form College, is just like a college but added onto an existing Secondary School. So to answer the Q, they are both the same thing.

 

[angela146]

Sometimes you'll get a 6th form college that disses AS and A Levels in favour of the international baccalaureate, which is kind of similar, but some people view it as being academically superior.

That answers it for me.

My husband is IB certified and has taught IB classes.

Wikipedia compared Sixth Form to a community college which is somewhat misleading. It sounds like "A levels" are more like the Junior and Senior year of a good US high school but specifically aimed at university-bound students.

Community colleges here are designed for 18-19 year olds who have already graduated from high school. Most students who attend a community college are on the border line of being university-capable.

Some attend CCs as the first two of their four years and then transfer to a University. Other take an Associates degree and stop.

 

[ishtat]

Sometimes you'll get a 6th form college that disses AS and A Levels in favour of the international baccalaureate, which is kind of similar, but some people view it as being academically superior.

.

IB is superior.20 to 25 years ago A levels were very high standard but Government policy has been to get higher pass rates which they achieved through lowering standards.

I took A level Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics and Economics in the 70's and the papers now are a snip in comparasion.

There appears now to be a strong move to toughen up the UK exam system again.If your husband wants to make his own comparasion there are plenty of sites with information on 6th form colleges and the exams they teach.

 

[angela146]

IB is superior.20 to 25 years ago A levels were very high standard but Government policy has been to get higher pass rates which they achieved through lowering standards.

I took A level Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics and Economics in the 70's and the papers now are a snip in comparasion.

There appears now to be a strong move to toughen up the UK exam system again.If your husband wants to make his own comparasion there are plenty of sites with information on 6th form colleges and the exams they teach.

No, I just wanted to have enough of an idea so I could write a story. Your post confirms my understanding that it is the "path" that a university-bound would follow in secondary education rather than being similar to an American junior college.

Presumably there are good A level schools and not-so-good ones but none is a substitute for a university.

 

[Just-Legal]

IB is superior.20 to 25 years ago A levels were very high standard but Government policy has been to get higher pass rates which they achieved through lowering standards.

I took A level Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics and Economics in the 70's and the papers now are a snip in comparasion.

There appears now to be a strong move to toughen up the UK exam system again.If your husband wants to make his own comparasion there are plenty of sites with information on 6th form colleges and the exams they teach.

<response removed due to inability to be phrased politely>

 

[angela146]

OK, another UK school question:

I read the following in Wikipedia in reference to "Independant Schools":

They must have regard to the same code of practice for admission as maintained schools, so cannot select beyond the 10% aptitude rule.

What is the "10% aptitude rule"? Is this some kind of regulation that only 10% of the applicants can be selected based on aptitude?