For those that don't know me; I am Swedish and although I have lived in England since 1988 (arrived as an adult), I have never been able to understand the English school system. It doesn't matter how many times I ask, I don't even know what grades (or is it called year?) my kids are in, I don't understand what GCSE and A levels and similar are and do, it all confuses me a LOT. For the past 10 years my kids have lived with their dad and only seen me at weekends, so I have had no practical involvement in school issues which obviously means I have never learnt more. In a nutshell: I haven't got a clue how things work!

My middle daughter is almost 17. When she was 14 she started doing a hairdressing course at college, and so she went to college some days a week and to normal school some days. Then when normal school finished at 16, she had two options, either continue the last year at college to get qualified in hairdressing, or go to sixth form (why is it called SIXTH form?) for a couple of years and then finish the college course after that. I should probably have kept my mouth shut as I clearly don't know enough, but I said to her that I thought it made more sense to finish college first rather than take a break of 2 years, and get the qualification. Then she could go back to school after that, and she'd have more choices as to what to do with her life. She decided to do this and although she was accepted both into sixth form and to the final year at college last year, she chose college.

Then she realised she really does not want to be a hairdresser after all, she's not enjoying the final year and understands she will not enjoy working as a hairdresser for life, and what she really wants is to continue to study and then eventually go to university. So she applied to go to sixth form in September this year after she's finished college. And she was turned down. Basically the school told her she is now out of the academic school system and cannot come back.

I have Googled and Googled but I just DON'T get the system, I get plenty of web pages but I don't understand at all what is meant -I am totally confused, but of course want to help. Does anyone know if there is any way she can continue to study (she wants to do English Language and Literature), so that she can then apply to university after that? Is there no other way than sixth form? Not even for adults or from home or online? I could really do with some pointers -this is the one area where I still feel like a 100 % foreigner here! I know how it works in Sweden, it's so straight forward in comparison -to me anyway. Would be very grateful of anyone could help a bit with info.

There are evening classes that adults can do to take exams (GCSEs and A-levels) in subjects they either failed in or didn't take at school, so she could certainly do those. Your local education authority should have details.

(The senior classes are called the 6th form because originally the first year at senior school was called the 1st form and so on.)

Up to the age of 19 ALL young adults are entitled to an education. You can even start a 2 or 3 year course at that age and as long as you are under the age of 19 it will be free for the duration.
She may not be able to go back to her school or sixth form college but she will definately be able to access something. Where do you live? There must be a college where students continue their education after school and before university.
Does that make sense???

Could she stay at her college to do her A levels in English Language and Literature? 

Sixth Form is the final years in a secondary school so that may be where the restriction comes in now she is not at school but colleges also run A Level courses so she should be able to go to college to study for the appropriate qualifications.  If her current college doesn't do that subject there should be another in your area that does as not all schools have sixth forms.

She will need 5 GCSE's grade A*-C in order to take A levels. Providing she has these they shouldn't turn her down.  Going from vocational courses to purely academic will be a culture change but as long as she's willing to put the work in she will be fine. 

If she doesn't have C's in maths & science they will probably make her re-sit these as GCSE's alongside her A level courses.  If she doesn't have 5 A-C's she'll have to do either BTEC's or an access course (either re-sit some GCSE's or do an NVQ etc.)

In order to English they will probably insist she has B's and GCSE in these subjects.  They will also make her take 4 AS levels (worth half an A level) - this is the qualification you get at the end of the 1st year then you drop one and sit finals and get A levels (sometimes called A2's) in those 3 subjects.

In secondary school we have the following years
7 - ages 11-12
8 - ages 12-13
9 - ages 13-14
10 ages 14-15
11 ages 15-16
From here students leave with GCSE's - General certificate of Secondary education

Students have the option to continue - for A levels (advanced levels) - or AS (Advanced Subsidary) and (A2's)
(12 & 13 also called sixth form because we used to call the years 1-5)
12  - 16-17
13 - 17-18 (students can stay on until 19 free of charge)

I would try applying to a different sixth form either college or school.

I teach ages 11-19 and schools are desperate for VI form students to stay on as there is a lot of funding for them.  So she should try somewhere else :) Hope that helps

Marianne we have many schools which have their own 6th form colleges around here and they would do the same as what has been said to your daughter. However we also have many stand alone 6th form colleges which will accept pretty much any age. This maybe the option as there must be other colleges/6th forms in and around the area which she can apply to for her A levels.. I just need to ask has she actually got any GCSE's at all? If not then most of these colleges will do GCSE's as well and you can work other things alongside them..

The college I went to would accept folk of any age as long as they had the required GCSEs, there was even a lady who must have been getting on to 70 who did a-level history at the college. Mature students over 25 didn't always have to have the same requirements as school leavers and could have an interview instead.
In the area I live now it's all 6th form and the college seems to only do drama so not much provision for mature students or people who have missed that narrow window after leaving school.
Hopefully there will be a good college in your daughters area and if not some colleges have rooms available, again the one I used to go to had a small block of bedsitters.

My son is doing A levels at College in the city. Your local town has an A level college as well (linked to the city one).
They also do GCSE for sugects they have failed.
Would this be an option for her??
Lea :)

Marianne

The best thing for her to do at the moment would be to speak to the admissions department at her current college.  If they are unable to offer her something suitable she should ask to see the school/college careers advisor.

Just a thought Marianne,
If she finishes the last year and qualifies as a hairdresser, she will have an excellent way of making extra money whilst at Uni.   Many Uni students used to get part time jobs to help pay their way, but with jobs being scarce many are struggling now, but hairdressing?  she could do her friends/colleagues hair and make money without having to go looking for a p/t job, or she could go mobile and be her own boss, and still be at Uni.

Daughter went to college to do her A-Levels and then stayed on and did a Music Diploma too.
Nephew has recently finished his A-levels at college and is accepted for the course he wants at Uni next year.   He deferred this year as he wanted to be on a specific course at a specific Uni which was full.

I'm sure she'll soon find a place in college ;)

Not sure if this has already been mentioned (my eyes are barely open, just so tired to read through all the posts sorry).

connexions

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/index.htm

These offered great advice for my son last year with regards to further/higher education. My local office pulled out all the stops for him and he got his dream college course with their help. They don't just deal with your local college but pretty much anywhere, as my son travels 50 miles a day, three times a week.
Great for guidance, ideas and all sorts.

Wow THANK YOU everyone! So many replies! I've just come back from dog training and am off to bed in a moment so will have a right good read through all this tomorrow -I am so grateful to all of you!!!

Right have just read through this and I am going to save it all and print it out -so much useful information. (I especially am going to save the info abut what ages are in what years, and finally learn it LOL.)

Yes she does have 5 GCSEs no lower than C. She also has a lot of extra GCSEs in hairdressing but she says the school told her they don't count, so whereas in reality (or on paper) she has 15, only 6 count. I asked her last night at dog training and apparently maths is only a D so she may have to resit that one then. The college she goes to now does not offer English as a subject -it's mainly practical subjects. (I asked her if she wasn't interested in the animal care courses they have, but she knew somebody who took them and said too much was about horses and doing practical work in local stables, and she has never had an interest in horses -it's dogs all the way for her.)

It's a very good point indeed about being able to offer haircuts to earn extra money -this was the point I made to her originally, saying once she has that qualification, even if she never wants to work as a hairdresser, she can always earn a bit of extra money -if nothing else everyone within her own family will be happy to pay her for haircuts! (I'm already saving a fortune myself as I no longer need to go to the hairdresser!)

I have done a bit of Googling and found other places that offers sixth form (Thanks Jan for explaining why it is called that -that was one thing I just couldn't make head nor tails of) so we have somewhere to start now. The town is Doncaster by the way.

Thanks again!

I was schooled here and don't understand it, they changed it to be like the Americans Year 1,2,3 etc. sometime after I left school in 1972 and my son starting school in 1986,there were certain subjects we had to do, English language and literature, Maths and either Art, Needlework or Home Economics[cookery]

Also O'levels and CSE's changed to GCSE's

I hope your daughter gets to do what she wants to, some prefer more practical subjects,others like the academic ones.

> Sixth Form is the final years in a secondary school

No its not. Secondary school is 11-16 years old where the end results is GCSE qualifications. 6th form is for 16+ as an alternative to a Further Education college where the end results is AS and A level qualifcations. Not all schools offer a sixth form .
ETA sorry to repeat what SusieBell has also sid :-) Didnt see her post until after i had posted mine.

Goldimal just remember learning and qualifications are never a waste of time whatever you decide to do a handful of qualifications in you back pocket is always handy for the future:)
Think you have great advice here. At. 17 she is still eligiable for free study throughout her course  as has been said  and can apply to any college or 6th form who does the courses she wants to. It can be a bit easier to get into colleges rather than school attached 6th forms but dont let that put her off.
Think you will find connexions are no longer thanks to government cuts so its your own research and legwork.
Local council website should give you a list of all colleges and 6th forms as a place to start if her current college cant offer any advice
Good Luck at least she is looking now and not later in the year but definitley get her going, our school years organize things very early on ie applications for next year will already be going in with current pupils predicted grades. I am doing application with our year 11 atm and have been for a while
I am sure Doncaster will have something for her   
Great post suzibell very clear. Goldimal is right our education system especially the qualifications can be a nightmare no wonder employers are confused!

>> Sixth Form is the final years in a secondary school
>No its not. Secondary school is 11-16 years old where the end results is GCSE qualifications. 6th form is for 16+ as an alternative to a Further Education college where the end results is AS and A level qualifcations. Not all schools offer a sixth form .

There is Primary education (Infant & Junior school), Secondary education (senior school including 6th form) and Tertiary/Further education (College or University).

>She also has a lot of extra GCSEs in hairdressing but she says the school told her they don't count, so whereas in reality (or on paper) she has 15, >only 6 count.

This is typical of the negative attitude of schools    Try speaking to local colleges and even telephone a few Universities if she knows what courses she'd like to do, they would be able to tell her their entry criteria ;)

MY DS is Home Educated and before taking the plunge I spoke to a friend who works in Cardiff UNi intake office, she also deals with special needs and 'extra help'    LA bods told us he'd never get to Uni without going to school GCSEs etc.   Friend said they look at the whole person and what they have achieved, as they are seeing more and more students with shedloads of GCSEs and A-Levels who just can't cope with the work in Uni ;)

DS is planning College at 16 after taking a few GCSEs as a private candidate

Well done dill for home ed and no you dont need to do your education and qualifiaction in school what rubbish :).I very nearly did the same and have relative who is now supporting her sons education at school and temporarily the same with my newphew. There are many ways of aging education and it doesnt begin and end with sitting in a conventional school
I am not sure that the school meant to be negative about the numbers of gcse and the ability to get to college. I think you may find some of the problems surround equivalencies (sp ) of non gcse subjects eg btec nvq etc.Also what direction a child finally wants to take. I have always seen qualifications as keys to doors  broad base of good results being better than loads of not so good
I also feet that some of our children are pushed  to take far to many subjects and would be far better doing well in the more important  ones like  english and maths and not take loads of others
5 a*-c count for alot when you are in the workplace. We do have our governments and the sales targets oops sorry I mean league tables to blame for that on :( It wasnt until I went into teaching I realised that for most everthing is translated in to statistics not necessarily what is best for the individual. The school  must be seen to be getting good results it becomes anumbers game. As far as most teachers are concerned it is about the kids and will work their socks off for them its the institution that produces the sales target kind of attitude in responce to government targets
sorry if I have gone abit off topic.
With regard ro goldimals daughter I think she has done brillianty to finish her hairdressing level 3 even though she now feels its not her career and now looking at an alternative  and wish her all the luck with it. Goldmal I dont necessarily think it was bad advice to take the route she has just different and alwasy good for extra money as has been siad.
Sorry for the ramble I just feel quite passionate about the subject
True not everone is suited to that type of learning so individual ability should be taken in to consideration but it is ridulous that a child should be expected to take loads of subjects.
With regard to hairdressing to my knowledge although I am prepared to be corrected the qualifications like beauty and other occupational trades do not have gces equivliants this may be what the school was saying

Marianne, if it makes you feel better I don't understand the English school system either and I've lived in the Uk all my life - just in the Scottish bit :-D. We have primary P1-P7 ( age 5 -12) the Secondary years S1-S6 (ages 12-16 compulsory then 16-18 optional). They stay at the same school too, no need to go to 6th form colleges. The English system seems unnecessarily complicated to me!!