Sixth form
Encyclopedia
In the education systems of England
, Wales
, and Northern Ireland
, and of Commonwealth
West Indian countries such as Barbados
, Trinidad and Tobago
, Belize
, Jamaica
and Malta
, the sixth form (sometimes referred to as Key Stage 5
) is the final (optional) two years of secondary education
, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age, prepare for their A-level (or equivalent) examinations.
universities. Other schools described these Oxbridge
examination students as being in the Seventh Form.
The system was changed for the 1990-1991 academic year and school years are now numbered consecutively from primary school onwards. Year 1
is the first year of primary school after Reception
. The first year of secondary school (the old first form) is now known as Year 7. The Lower Sixth is now Year 12 and the Upper Sixth is Year 13. However, the term Sixth Form has still been retained as a vestige of the old system and is used as a collective term for years 12 and 13. Public (fee-charging) schools, together with a few state schools, tend to use the old system of numbering.
In some parts of the country, special "sixth form college
s" were introduced beginning in the 1960s, recognising this as a particularly important phase of student life. A large proportion of English secondary schools no longer have an integral sixth form.
This is mainly related to reforms in the later 20th century, where different political areas became a factor in the introduction of colleges instead of the original sixth forms. There are now numerous sixth form colleges throughout England and Wales, and in areas without these, sixth form schools (as in Hammersmith and Fulham) and specialist FE colleges called tertiary colleges (as in Richmond-upon-Thames) may fill the same role.
Sixth form is not compulsory in England and Wales; however, university entrance normally requires at least 1 or 2 A2-level qualifications, and perhaps one AS-level. Students usually select three to four subjects from the GCSEs they have just taken, for one "AS" year, the AS exams being taken at the end of lower sixth. Three subjects are then carried into the A2 year (the dropped AS being "cashed in" as a qualification) and further exams are taken at the end of that year. The marks attained in both sets of exams are converted into UCAS
points, which must meet the offer made by the student's chosen university.
and/or Higher
courses in a wide range of subjects, taking SQA
exams at the end of both S5 and S6. Pupils in Scotland
may leave once they have reached the age of 16; those who reach 16 before the 30th of September may leave after national examinations in May, whilst those who are 16 by the end of February may leave the previous Christmas.
It is not essential for candidates to do a Sixth year if they wish to attend a Scottish university; so long as they have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year they may apply and receive acceptance, though this is conditional on being successful in the examinations. The vast majority of Scottish students return for S6 if they plan to attend university. Some English universities will also accept Scottish students who have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year. It was announced in December 2008 that, as from 2010, UCAS
will increase the number of points awarded to those who achieve Highers and Advanced Highers.
In some cases, particularly in independent schools, the term 'sixth form' is also used for the last two years of secondary education. An increasing number of independent schools are offering their students the International Baccalaureate Programme.
s in India
, Hong Kong
, Jamaica
, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago
, the sixth and seventh years are called Lower and Upper Sixth respectively. In Nepal
, it's called "10+2".
Similarly, the term sixth form is also used to define the final two years of education before entering the University in Malta
.
In Singapore, however, the equivalent of a sixth form college would be called a junior college
where pupils take their Cambridge GCE 'A' Levels after 2 years.
In some American college preparatory schools, such as Ethical Culture Fieldston School
, Kent School
, The Church Farm School
, The Haverford School, and more, sixth form refers to the final year of education prior to college. It is the equivalent of twelfth grade
in the U.S. education system.
In New Zealand, under the old system of Forms, Standards and Juniors, sixth form was the equivalent of Year 12 in today's system.
Education in England
Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools at a regional level....
, Wales
Education in Wales
Education in Wales differs in certain respects from education elsewhere in the United Kingdom. For example, a significant number of students all over Wales are educated either wholly or largely through the medium of Welsh: in 2008/09, 22 per cent of classes in maintained primary schools used Welsh...
, and Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales...
, and of Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
West Indian countries such as Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, the sixth form (sometimes referred to as Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5 is an unofficial label used to describe the two years of post-compulsory education for students aged 16-18, or at sixth form, in the United Kingdom, to align with previous Key Stages as labelled for the National Curriculum....
) is the final (optional) two years of secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age, prepare for their A-level (or equivalent) examinations.
England and Wales
The first five years of English secondary schooling were previously known as forms. Pupils started their first year of secondary school in the first form or first year, and this was the year in which pupils would normally become 12 years of age. Pupils would move up a form each year before entering the fifth form in the year in which they would have their sixteenth birthday. Those who stayed on at school to study for A-levels moved up into the sixth form, which was divided into the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth. In some private schools, the term Middle Sixth was used in place of Upper Sixth, with the latter being used for those who stayed on for an extra term to take the entrance examinations that were previously set for candidates to Oxford or CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
universities. Other schools described these Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
examination students as being in the Seventh Form.
The system was changed for the 1990-1991 academic year and school years are now numbered consecutively from primary school onwards. Year 1
Year One (school)
Year One is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the first year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between five and six.-Australia:...
is the first year of primary school after Reception
Reception (school)
Reception or Primary 1 or FS2 is the first year of primary school in the United Kingdom and South Australia. It is preceded by nursery and is followed by Year One in England and Wales or Primary 2 in Northern Ireland and Scotland.Pupils in Reception are usually aged between four and five...
. The first year of secondary school (the old first form) is now known as Year 7. The Lower Sixth is now Year 12 and the Upper Sixth is Year 13. However, the term Sixth Form has still been retained as a vestige of the old system and is used as a collective term for years 12 and 13. Public (fee-charging) schools, together with a few state schools, tend to use the old system of numbering.
In some parts of the country, special "sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
s" were introduced beginning in the 1960s, recognising this as a particularly important phase of student life. A large proportion of English secondary schools no longer have an integral sixth form.
This is mainly related to reforms in the later 20th century, where different political areas became a factor in the introduction of colleges instead of the original sixth forms. There are now numerous sixth form colleges throughout England and Wales, and in areas without these, sixth form schools (as in Hammersmith and Fulham) and specialist FE colleges called tertiary colleges (as in Richmond-upon-Thames) may fill the same role.
Sixth form is not compulsory in England and Wales; however, university entrance normally requires at least 1 or 2 A2-level qualifications, and perhaps one AS-level. Students usually select three to four subjects from the GCSEs they have just taken, for one "AS" year, the AS exams being taken at the end of lower sixth. Three subjects are then carried into the A2 year (the dropped AS being "cashed in" as a qualification) and further exams are taken at the end of that year. The marks attained in both sets of exams are converted into UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
points, which must meet the offer made by the student's chosen university.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, the equivalent of "Reception" is "P1", and the equivalent of the English Year 1 "P2", while the first year of secondary school is known by that name (rather than Year 7 as in England), and following that Lower and Upper Sixth are Year 13 and Year 14 respectively.Scotland
In the Scottish education system the final year of school is usually known as Sixth Year or S6. During this year students typically study Advanced HigherAdvanced Higher (Scottish)
The Advanced Higher is an optional qualification which forms part of the Scottish secondary education system. It is normally taken by students aged around 16-18 after they have completed Highers, which in turn are the main university entrance qualification...
and/or Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
courses in a wide range of subjects, taking SQA
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
exams at the end of both S5 and S6. Pupils in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
may leave once they have reached the age of 16; those who reach 16 before the 30th of September may leave after national examinations in May, whilst those who are 16 by the end of February may leave the previous Christmas.
It is not essential for candidates to do a Sixth year if they wish to attend a Scottish university; so long as they have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year they may apply and receive acceptance, though this is conditional on being successful in the examinations. The vast majority of Scottish students return for S6 if they plan to attend university. Some English universities will also accept Scottish students who have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year. It was announced in December 2008 that, as from 2010, UCAS
UCAS
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is the British admission service for students applying to university and college. UCAS is primarily funded by students who pay a fee when they apply and a capitation fee from universities for each student they accept..-Location:UCAS is based near...
will increase the number of points awarded to those who achieve Highers and Advanced Highers.
In some cases, particularly in independent schools, the term 'sixth form' is also used for the last two years of secondary education. An increasing number of independent schools are offering their students the International Baccalaureate Programme.
Other countries
In some secondary schoolSecondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Malaysia and Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, the sixth and seventh years are called Lower and Upper Sixth respectively. In Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, it's called "10+2".
Similarly, the term sixth form is also used to define the final two years of education before entering the University in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
.
In Singapore, however, the equivalent of a sixth form college would be called a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
where pupils take their Cambridge GCE 'A' Levels after 2 years.
In some American college preparatory schools, such as Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
The Ethical Culture Fieldston School, known as "Fieldston", is a private "independent" school in New York City and a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League. It has about 1600 students and a staff of 400 people , led by Dr. Damian J...
, Kent School
Kent School
Kent School is a private, co-educational college preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut, USA. The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, Order of the Holy Cross, established the school in 1906 and it retains its affiliation with the Episcopal Church of the United States.Students at Kent come from more...
, The Church Farm School
Church Farm School
CFS, The School at Church Farm was founded as the "Church Farm School" in 1918 by the Rev. Dr. Charles W. Shreiner. Shreiner, an Episcopalian priest, established the school in Glen Loch, Pennsylvania, on U.S. Route 30 between Frazer and Exton, as a boarding school for boys from broken homes,...
, The Haverford School, and more, sixth form refers to the final year of education prior to college. It is the equivalent of twelfth grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
in the U.S. education system.
In New Zealand, under the old system of Forms, Standards and Juniors, sixth form was the equivalent of Year 12 in today's system.
See also
- Sixth form collegeSixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
- Plus TwoPlus TwoPlus Two refers to the segment of Indian school education that is made of standards 11 and 12, known as higher secondary education. In most states, the Plus Two is part of high school; in a few, it is called Junior College and is part of college education.- External links:*...
- Education in the United KingdomEducation in the United KingdomEducation in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are...
- High school junior and High school senior - Equivalent American grades for this age range.
- Ontario Academic CreditOntario Academic CreditThe Ontario Academic Credit or OAC was part of the curriculum codified by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior and its revisions. In common parlance, the term is used to describe the fifth high school year that used to exist in the province of...