Sixth form
The
sixth form, in the
English,
Welsh and
Northern Irish education systems, is the term used to refer to the final two years of secondary schooling (when students are about sixteen to eighteen years of age), during which students normally prepare for their
GCE A-level examinations. The term is used to describe the final two years spent in a
secondary school as opposed to a
college (UK use) where students start at age sixteen after leaving secondary school.
The first five years of English secondary schooling used to be referred to as
first year (in which pupils would have their twelfth birthday) to
fifth year (in which they would have their sixteenth). The last two years of schooling were for the study of the old 'A' level syllabus, which are still non-compulsory, and are generally referred to as the
sixth form as a relic of this older numbering system, divided into
lower sixth and
upper sixth, meaning years twelve and thirteen, respectively. In many private schools, the term
middle sixth was used in place of upper sixth, with the latter being used as for those remaining on in the last term to take entrance examinations that were previously set for candidates to
Oxford or
Cambridge Universities. The modern numbering system in fact begins with Primary Education, "Year One" actually referring to the second year of schooling (the first being referred to as "Reception").
In some parts of the country, special "
sixth form colleges" were introduced during the decades from
1960 onwards, 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 the liberal reforms in the later 20th century, where different political areas become a factor in the introduction of colleges instead of the original sixth forms.
In some
secondary schools in
Hong Kong and
Malaysia, the sixth and seventh year are called Lower and Upper Six(th).
In the Scottish education system the final year of school is usually known as
Sixth Year or
S6 (Secondary 6). During Sixth Year students typically study
Advanced Higher and/or
Higher courses in a wide range of subjects. They sit
SQA exams at the end of their Sixth Year.
Sixth Year, like
fifth year, is optional. It is not essential for candidates to do a Sixth year if they wish to go to a Scottish university, if they have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year. Some English universities will also accept Scottish Students who have obtained adequate Higher grades in fifth year.
Similarly, the term Sixth Form is also used to define the final two years of education before entering the University in
Malta.
*
Sixth form college*
Education in the United Kingdom*
High school junior and
High school senior - Equivalent American grades for this age range.
