What Happens if You Don’t Attend Sixth Form College in the UK?

After the GCSE that you took in your schools, now is the time to go for further qualifications. There are several further qualifications that you can take after your GCSEs – A-levels, BTECs, etc. All of these qualifications are taken during your sixth form. These sixth forms are either taken in your schools or colleges known as sixth-form colleges. As you know what you will be doing in sixth-form college, it is important to know what happens if you don’t attend sixth form college.

Quick Takeaways

• It is important for you to stay in education till you are 18. 
• Honestly speaking you would not face any strict actions as the government does not want to punish you just because you do not want to go to college. 
• However, they highly promote that the students must stay in education till they are 18. 

However, you must read till the end to get more facts related to what will happen to you if you do not attend the sixth form college.

What is the sixth form college?

Sixth-form college is an educational institution in which you will be generally studying after your GCSE qualifications. In it mostly the students aged between 16-19, will be studying for advanced level education i.e A-levels and is your year 12. You can study other qualifications including the BTECs or IB Diploma. These schools were established to teach the student’s course content related to the British education system. If you are going to sit in the Sixth form, you will have to remember the deadline for the sixth form.

What happens if you don’t attend sixth-form college?

Legally it is important to stay in education till you are 18. This means that you will have to take your sixth form. However, there are many students who drop out of education after they are 16. Trust me there are no legal actions taken on you if you are leaving after 16. This is because the government does not want to punish the students just because they are not willing to go to the sixth form. The government strictly promotes awareness of getting into education till the students are of 18 years. Further, you must remember that you can take more than one-sixth form at a single time but you must make sure that you are only doing it after getting your GCSE results.

Do you legally have to attend the sixth form?

It is legal to stay in education in the UK, till you are 18. However, there is no legal binding on you to attend the sixth form. If you do not want to go into the sixth form, you can always get into another form of education. There are various options like doing BTECs, taking up an IB diploma, etc. Consider all your options before deciding to drop out of education.  

Can you get fined for not attending the sixth form?

No, you will not get fined for not attending the sixth form. Though it is legally important to stay in education till you are 18, you will not get penalized for not attending the sixth form. However, this does not mean that you should not be attending your sixth form.

What is the difference between Sixth Form and Sixth Form College?

Sixth forms are the schools in which you generally take your A-levels and other related courses. They are usually found in the schools where you have taken your GCSEs. They usually give you more freedom. If you are already satisfied with the school you are studying in you will most probably be taking your A-levels in the same school. The best part of doing your A-levels and further education in the sixth form is that the teachers already know you. You will not have to put a lot of effort to get to know the new teachers. However as you are studying in the same school, you will not get much chance of making new friends.

On the other hand, your sixth-form college will give you more experience of being in college. Unlike sixth forms, you will not need to follow any uniform. In addition to that these colleges will provide you with a lot more education than you will be getting in the sixth form. When you are attending the sixth form college (which is a part of further education), you may not even need to go regularly to college. Obviously, as you will be moving into a new college, you will be making new friends. 

What are the benefits of sixth-form college?

• You will get a choice of almost 40 subjects that you must choose from. This means that you will be choosing the subjects that you really want to get specialize in.
• If you want to get into the university, going to sixth form College is the best option for you. You will get independent work to do which will help you to get prepared for the university coursework.
• They will help you to focus more on your academics. Your teachers will help you to study the hard topics in a much easy manner.
• When you are in your sixth form college, you will get more flexible schedules and will also be able to meet new friends.

What are the drawbacks of sixth-form college?

• You may take time to start communicating with your teachers. This is because all of them are new to you and you will need to take time to share with them.
• If you are not looking to enter a university, there may be no fun in going to a sixth-form college. 
• Sometimes you may not get the support that is needed for you. It may demotivate you from attending school.
• Many people have started considering it as a scam.

Conclusion

Your sixth-form colleges are the institutions where you will be studying further education after your GCSEs. Generally, you will be studying your A-levels or further qualifications in your sixth-form college. It is legally important to stay in education till you are 18. Thus you must attend your sixth form or sixth form college. However, you will not get any fine if you are leaving your sixth-form college before you turn 18. But still, you must try to look at all of your options before leaving your sixth-form colleges. You can also take up your sixth form in your schools rather than going to your sixth form college.