Sixth Forms - how easy to get a place if you live far away?

[ooops]

Hello,

 

Can somebody help me with advises or examples?

 

Our daughter probably will go to Sixth Form next year. Today I was reading admission criteria and I recognised that it is not all that easy! There is a basic level you need to achieve to go to Sixth Form (at least 5 A*-C grades) but if a school is oversubscribed for all pupils admission will be on a distance basis (it means that priority is given to whose who live closer)!!! The problem is that we are currently leaving in Worrall (North of Sheffield, far from Centre) so I guess almost all Sheffield children who want to go to Sixth Form will be leaving closer than we to all Sixth Forms so they all will have a priority! I am a bit upset! I called to Admission office today and they confirmed that after we will “pass” 5 A*-C barrier, all pupils are equal and all places will be allocated strictly on home-school distance basis. And it is only 5 schools with Sixth Forms in Sheffield (plus two Catholic Schools), all of them oversubscribed (places in sixth form are restricted and it is not too many places all together)! And all of them are very far away from us!

 

Do you know examples than children were left without a Sixth Form place after they applied? Or from you experience all who want usually get a place? Also, is it usually a place in the first choice school or not?

 

We are renting currently, so may be it’s worth to move closer to, say, Tapton or Silverdale School? I have never thought that we will have admission problems for Sixth Form!!!

 

Thank you!

[donuticus]

You could send your daughter to 6th Form at a college. You get a wider choice of subjects and I much preferred being treated like an adult at college than a child at my sixth form. I was living in Bimingham and got accepted at college in Sheffield (although it wasnt sixth form).

[JillieT]

We live in Deepcar and both of my sons - eldest now 20 and middle one now 18 (goodness time flies!) went to the local Stocksbridge High School before becoming King Ted's sixth form pupils.

 

What a fantastic sixth form it is imo. Over half of their pupils are accepted from other schools. What I will say is that you need to apply early, go to the November open evening and fill in the form there and then if you can but definately within a week as places are quickly snapped up.

 

The school has fantastic links with both city universities.

 

Both are now at uni happily for me, still in Sheffield. My eldest at Hallam in his 3rd year Urban Regeneration and the middle son is enjoying Sheffield uni's fresher week as we speak he's doing Chemical Engineering.

 

Massive respect for King Teds at our house.

 

Now I've only my 14 year old lad at home though and we're rattling about like mabs in a biscuit tin. Hopefully though he'll benefit from the King Ted effect afdter his GCSEs.

 

Hope this helps.

[Thunzi]

I've got to agree with JillieT. King Teds accepts people from any area in Sheffield. I went there myself and I knew a lot of people who came out from Stocksbridge and Worral. Nearly everyone I knew in the same situation had offers from Tapton as well. I really don't think you'll have a problem if you go to the "interview" and register your interest.

[ooops]

Thank you all very much, I feel less nervous now!!!

[vision]

I don't think there is usually a problem with getting into 6th Forms. My children all went to Bradfield School and we live in Wadsley. My eldest went to King Ted's and the youngest to Tapton. Neither had any bother getting in.