Moving from Private to State for Sixth Form

Should you move from a Private to State School for Sixth Form?

Deciding where to go to school for Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) is a pivotal life decision. There are many important factors to consider: where will provide the most rigorous academic education; where will give the most sensible careers and universities advice; where will provide the best pastoral support as students mature and face increasingly complex social challenges; where will offer the greatest extracurricular opportunities and preparation for independent adult life.

There is, of course, also the matter of money. Increasing financial pressures are, understandably, leading some families to question if they should move their child from the private to state sector for their final two years of education (potentially saving themselves somewhere between £50,000-£100,000 in the process).

Some parents are also being swayed by the ‘social mobility agenda’: the belief that top universities, particularly Oxford and Cambridge, now have an anti-private school bias, and that these pupils are being overlooked in order to boost the numbers of those from less privileged backgrounds. Yet how genuine are these fears?

There are many reasons to move schools at Sixth Form, but doing so in order to ‘game’ the university system is a risky one. Firstly, when students fill out their UCAS application, they have to put where they took their GCSE exams, and so universities can see a student’s entire secondary education history, not just their most recent school. Admissions tutors therefore are not going to be fooled if you move from Westminster (one of the top private schools in London) to Harris Westminster (a selective state sixth form around the corner), but still live in one of the most expensive areas in Chelsea.

Alex Peterken, Head of Charterhouse School in Surrey, notes that whilst students at state schools may get lower contextual offers from university, it is a nuanced procedure, taking into account postcodes and other circumstances. He adds, “It’s best to go for the right setting for the individual child rather than trying to outflank how contextual offers may or may not work.”

The most recent data also suggests that stories of anti-private school discrimination have been overblown. According to the University of Oxford’s own figures, state school pupils who apply to Oxford are still less likely to be offered a place than their private school peers: a fifth of state-school pupils who applied to Oxford secured a place for 2024-25, compared with a quarter from private schools.

At Cambridge, state and private pupils had the same chances, although pupils from grammar schools (which are academically selective as well) had a slightly higher chance, at 30 percent. The overall picture therefore seems to be that places still disproportionately go to children educated at private school, just less so than before.

Nonetheless, if you come from a privileged school with a renowned reputation for academic excellence, then expectations will be high. Students with their sights set on Oxbridge will need to show that their success is driven by their passion for their subject: that it has not just been handed to them on a plate, and that they have gone above and beyond the limits of the school curriculum.

James Baker, Deputy Head of Hurtwood House School, a private boarding sixth form in Surrey, also reminds parents of the importance of focusing on what could be lost, as well as gained, from a move to the state sector. He says, “It’s important to recognise the substantial advantages that independent schools continue to offer. Students benefit from first-class higher education guidance, including ambitious, personalised planning and close, expert support with crafting compelling personal statements: more than 90 percent of Hurtwood House students achieve their first choice of university as a consequence. A Level results across the independent sector remain significantly higher than those in the state sector, and the rich breadth of extra- and super-curricular opportunities help students become the well-rounded, intellectually curious young people that competitive universities are actively seeking.”

 

 

This, of course, is not to say that sticking with the status quo is always the right decision. There are many valid reasons why a move at Sixth Form may be the best thing to do:

• Greater variety of choice. Catchment areas become more flexible at this level, as do religious schools’ requirements of church attendance. Excellent state schools that may not have been an option in Year 7 due to location may now be a serious contender.

• Moving from single-sex to co-ed education. Many students may have appreciated the benefits of a single-sex education earlier in their school career, but may now want to experience co-ed education as a natural preparation for university.

• Wider social mix of friends. If a student has been at a very small independent school for their academic career so far, then they may have only socialised with a relatively small circle of friends for the last 3 to 5 years. They may feel ready for a broader experience of life and an opportunity to meet new people – particularly people from a wider range of backgrounds than what they are used to.

• A fresh start. If a student has struggled to make friends, experienced difficult relationships with previous teachers or feels stuck with a particular ‘label’, then a clean slate may be just what they need to revitalise their academic interests and self-confidence.

• More subject choice. Whilst private schools tend to offer more traditionally academic subjects than state schools (for example, Latin and Greek or History of Art), state schools can also offer a greater range of other A Levels that might appeal (for example, Psychology or Business Studies). State schools also offer more vocational courses, or at least the opportunity to mix and match.

Ultimately, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, some students may want to move away from a boarding school for Sixth Form in order to be closer to home, whilst others may relish moving to a boarding school because they are tired of the commute or want the opportunity to develop responsibility and independence. Some students may thrive in a state sixth form environment where they are expected to be much more proactive and self-disciplined with their learning, whilst others might need the supervision and support more expected of the independent sector.

The most important thing therefore is to know your child: to have a true understanding of their ability and interests, their strengths and weaknesses, but also what makes them happy. It may be a difficult pill for parents to swallow, particularly if their child has always been in private education, but being in an academic hothouse does not suit everyone: some may find the pressure of a very competitive private school Sixth Form too much, and may well be happier in a less demanding environment.

How Simply Learning Tuition Can Help

Our educational consultants can help you navigate this process and give you expert advice based on your child’s ambitions, interests and personality.

Whether your child wants to one day study Medicine at Imperial, play hockey for Harvard, or simply wants a change of scene for the next two years, our educational consultants can help you to feel supported, reassured and confident that whatever decision you make, it is the right one for your child.

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