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A sixth form college is an educational institution in the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Hong Kong and Malta where students aged 16 to 18 complete post-compulsory further education qualifications, such as A-levels. After completing college, students generally pass onto university, however some go straight to employment. In the English, Welsh and Northern Irish education systems, students finish secondary school, and compulsory education, at age 16. Those wishing to continue may either stay on at a secondary school with an attached sixth form, transfer to a local Sixth Form College, or go to a more vocational further education college (depending on geographical location there may be little choice as to which of these options can be taken). Students at a Sixth Form College typically study for two years (known as Years 12 and 13 or lower sixth and upper sixth). Many students sit AS exams at the end of the first year, and A-level exams at the end of the second. In addition, in recent years a variety of vocational courses have been added to the curriculum. There are currently about 100 Sixth Form Colleges in operation in England and Wales. Most perform extremely well in national examination league tables. In addition, they offer a broader range of courses at a lower cost per student than most school sixth forms.
England The first comprehensive intake Sixth Form Colleges in England were established at the end of the 1960s and they have since proved popular with students, their parents, and other groups in the community. Until 1992, these colleges were controlled and funded by local education authorities (LEAs), but the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992 transferred all institutions within the sector to the FEFC, a national agency with strategic responsibility for the operation of general FE colleges. Later the FEFC's functions were taken over by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC); a reorganisation that included changes in the funding and supervision of Sixth Form Colleges. Colleges for the most part do not charge full-time daytime students, however adult students (most of whom attend evening classes) may have to pay a fee (for exams, tutor's time and other costs). Wales See Further education in Wales See also | ||||||||
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