Choosing a sixth form: should I stay or should I go?

This week, offers are released for 16+ places – with Year 11 students given a week or so to decide whether to take them up or not.

Girls have consistently made up a significantly higher proportion of the number of students who are moving at sixth form (according to the latest Independent Schools Council census, this year 6,545 girls joined a new school in Year 12, compared to 5,088 boys). With this in mind, we’ve asked two fabulous boarding-school heads to give us their views on girls changing schools for the sixth form - and provide some invaluable advice for anyone still on the fence.  

Do your research

The most important thing to think about – whether you’re set on staying at your existing school or have your eye on elsewhere – is finding the right fit. If you are thinking of moving, make sure you know the reasons why and what it is you are looking for. 

Know what your sixth form offers: academically, pastorally and personally

Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting out of your sixth-form experience. Your existing school should be starting the conversations from Year 10: explaining your academic options (will you be taking A-levels or the IB, or can you choose? Can you study history of art or a BTEC?); enrichment opportunities; and the general set-up (will you move to a standalone sixth-form boarding house or stay in the same house you’ve been in since 11?). 

Sixth-form years are the ‘icing on the cake’ of your school experience, says Dr Felicia Kirk, headmistress of St Mary’s Calne, and it’s important to have a wealth of information at your fingertips so you can compare and contrast different sixth-form experiences. ‘It’s very healthy to see what else is out there,’ says Dr Kirk. ‘We arm girls with as much information as possible about what our sixth form offers – and I would never talk anyone out of leaving if it’s the right decision for them. Due to our horizontal boarding structure, the girls can see very clearly what’s coming next, and they’re hungry for it. They know that they will get all the positive things that will stay constant, but there’s enough change and difference within that to allow them to keep expanding their horizons and growing.’ 

‘Our sixth form is quite pacey,’ adds Ben Vessey, headmaster of Canford School, ‘and we don’t want anyone to flounder. At this stage, it’s far more likely to be the child making the decision, rather than their parents – and it’s important to be honest with yourself. If you don’t think you’re up to it, it might be worth exploring different options elsewhere.’ But don’t panic. ‘This is a partnership,’ he continues, ‘and we’re not in the business of throwing someone out just because they don’t get the right grades.’  

‘It’s important to make sure that there are real opportunities in the sixth form,’ says Dr Kirk. 


At Canford, Mr Vessey says, ‘we try to ensure that what we offer is relevant, dynamic and different, and many pupils come here for the enrichment opportunities. For some it might be because they love their drama and want to be more involved; others cite our sport offering because they want to feel more valued – regardless of whether they’re performing at an elite or amateur level.’ ‘Sport is phenomenal here,’ says Dr Kirk, ‘and in the sixth form, our programme is all about getting fit, raising endorphins and eliminating stress. Activities certainly don’t drop off as girls get older – and that’s another reason why so many choose to stay.’ 


Know what you are looking for. Single sex or co-ed? The facilities? Or a very real sense of community?

‘Research has shown that girls take more risks in an all-girls classroom,’ says Dr Kirk. ‘In a co-ed classroom, they might keep quiet at a time when they are still trying to find their voice – but in reality, they want to be stretched. Our classrooms are incredibly inspiring, collaborative places of learning, and girls enjoy the academic challenge.’ 

‘We see lots more pupils coming to Canford from all-girls schools,’ says Mr Vessey. ‘They believe that a co-ed environment is much more diverse, natural and representative of reality – and it is. Pupils get used to being around each other in a co-ed environment incredibly quickly. Within the first few weeks of term, I often find it quite difficult to tell who came in new and who’s been here since 13. 

‘One of my housemistresses recently commented that Canford girls are “strong and passionate, fierce in their views, yet quick to listen and value the opinion of others. They challenge when needed, and back down with grace when appropriate.” These are all characteristics that girls have developed – and can hold on to – during their time in a co-educational setting. 

‘The grounds, the facilities, the staff, the results and all the rest – that’s all brilliant, of course,’ adds Mr Vessey. ‘But when you really get a feel for the people, and the way that a community lives cheek by jowl and respects one another within it – that’s when a school tends to work.’ 

Dr Kirk re-emphasises the importance of the human element of a school: ‘Girls don’t stay at their schools for the facilities. They stay for the people. The reason why so many stay comes down to the power of our caring and connected community. The depth of girls’ friendships plays a huge part – and that’s not something that’s easy to give up.’ 

If you’re thinking about joining a new community, look at the efforts the school makes to help with integration. ‘We have a strong induction programme, giving new starters multiple opportunities to really get to know each other before term begins,’ says Mr Vessey. ‘Last term, all of our incoming lower-sixth pupils joined our remote-learning programme after their GCSEs – and I received some really lovely emails saying how welcomed they had felt, all before they had even joined the school. 

‘We work hard to help pupils broaden their networks as much as they possibly can – be it through social events, team-building exercises or academic enrichment. It’s incredibly important to take pupils beyond their houses and their subject areas.’ 


Be aware of the risks of leaving – and staying

‘I believe so many of our girls stay because they know what they’re going to get: supportive relationships with our staff, excellent teaching, fantastic facilities, high levels of pastoral care,’ says Dr Kirk. ‘They’ve spent five happy years building up their emotional security in our wonderfully close-knit community. 

‘I generally think it’s best to stay because of the risks of not being known, of being a bit on the outside or behind,’ she continues. ‘It must be a tough ask to go to a new sixth form when within five terms you are taking exams. Can you really grasp the richness and breadth of school life when you are making that change?’ 

‘There’s a risk to change,’ says Mr Vessey. ‘But there’s a risk to stability too. You might get a bright pupil who joined a school with a very broad intake at 13, and therefore might not be pushing themselves enough. A little bit of risk brings opportunity and constructive challenge – and if you’re too comfortable, it’s very likely that you might miss opportunities or even underperform. New sixth-form starters have a positive impact on our existing pupils too – they help to shake things up.’ And remember, joining a new school won’t just set you up for the two years before university, it will set you up for life – never underestimate the power of an alumni/alumnae community. 


Know what you are bringing to the school and where you will be most valued

‘When pupils come for an interview for a place at 16+, I ask them to think about what they’re going to bring to our partnership,’ says Mr Vessey. ‘Of course, we look at academic performance – but we’re also interested in pupils who are going to stir things up and add a bit of pizazz in their own way. It all comes down to chemistry: with some pupils, we get an instant connection; with others, we get a sense that they just haven’t thought it through. 

‘Schools are prepared to keep an open mind too,’ he continues. ‘There are plenty of students who might have been at the wrong school and made some poor decisions, but at Canford we’re very much in the business of letting them “try on a new suit” if we are convinced we’re the right fit for them.’ 


And finally…

‘In the first few years of senior school, pupils are planting their seed – but when they hit the sixth form, their branches grow, blossom and bear fruit,’ says Mr Vessey. 

Dr Kirk concludes: ‘You should come out of school feeling that you were stretched, that you had lots of different opportunities to try things you never thought you would – and which will sustain you as hobbies, interests and intellectual pursuits for the rest of your life. We encourage our girls to have a lot of self-belief and ambition, so we want them to take ownership of their next stage of schooling.’ 

Year 11s: good luck with your decisions this coming fortnight. Year 10s: happy exploring!

Fancy a peek inside sixth form life at Canford?

 

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