Sixth Form Colleges

If you have just taken your GCSEs and want to continue your education, but fancy the idea of moving on from school, then you might want to consider enrolling at a sixth form college.

There are many advantages of doing this; sixth form colleges can offer a wider range of courses and qualifications than your school's sixth form, and offer students more independence. You will be considered a student, rather than a pupil, and so will be expected to manage your own time and deadlines, giving you the opportunity to gain the organisational skills needed for the workplace or university. As colleges take students from several different schools, you will also get the chance to make a whole new set of friends.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela (1918-)

Courses

Sixth form colleges are generally larger than school sixth forms, and as a result, can often offer students a wider range of options. They usually offer full time courses such as AS or A Level programmes, along with a range of general courses, vocational courses and occupational courses such as NVQs and OCR Nationals.

Choosing a College

Most sixth form colleges will have open days to allow prospective students to have a look round, meet tutors and other students and ask plenty of questions. Open days are often advertised in the local paper or at school; alternatively, simply contact the college to find out when their next open day is.