state school v independent school

Oldernotwiser

badgerbread wrote: »

It now seems the tables have turned and she wants to move schools herself her ambition is to go to Westminster university to study Law.

I think that you and your daughter need to get things into perspective and become more knowledgeable. Getting As and Bs isn't the level which will get her a scholarship and the University of Westminster is no great shakes as a university, ranking only 73rd out of 89 for Law!

devils_advocate

Scholarships are given on the basis of ability; bursaries on the parental means.

Each school will have its own rules on both, which may be on its website. Some have written guidance, others review to see how an application looks. The bursary application forms generally require a lot of detail on both income and assets. Decisions on applications can take months, so if you are thinking of applying, the sooner the better.

Person_one

A sixth form college environment rather than a school might be better, the tutors only focus their attention on the pupils who show up and want to learn and they get pretty good funding for equipment and so on.

However, I do think you might have to try and adjust both yours and your daughters ambitions just a little. I got all A grades in my GCSEs, I still went to the local sixth form, then a poly and I'm not exactly a high flyer I'm afraid! A batch of A grades is not at all uncommon these days.

hbloomers

Tbh, if she's seriously considering a career in law, I'd be pointing her in the direction of the top 20 universities, and suggesting A-levels that promote critical thinking and writing skills. A modern language too, would be helpful, as a lot of law these days is EU lead.

What subjects does she want to study?

badgerbread

Person_one wrote: »

A sixth form college environment rather than a school might be better, the tutors only focus their attention on the pupils who show up and want to learn and they get pretty good funding for equipment and so on.

However, I do think you might have to try and adjust both yours and your daughters ambitions just a little. I got all A grades in my GCSEs, I still went to the local sixth form, then a poly and I'm not exactly a high flyer I'm afraid! A batch of A grades is not at all uncommon these days.

It's true A grades are more common these days but as to adjusting her ambitions that is not gonna happen yes we need to research universities and things but to succeed in life you have to have ambition. when I went to school no-one believed I would even pass my G.C.S.E's let alone do a degree and yes I proved them all wrong and done a degree the thing that kept me doing it was my ambition to become a teacher and I was 30 when I started my degree.

badgerbread

hbloomers wrote: »

Tbh, if she's seriously considering a career in law, I'd be pointing her in the direction of the top 20 universities, and suggesting A-levels that promote critical thinking and writing skills. A modern language too, would be helpful, as a lot of law these days is EU lead.

What subjects does she want to study?

she want to study Law (she is doing this at G.C.S.E at the moment and has been prediced an A)

Sociology, Goverment and Politics and English Language she has done French as A G.C.S.E but can't stand it and it is her weakest subject. How would I find the best universities for law?

Person_one

badgerbread wrote: »

It's true A grades are more common these days but as to adjusting her ambitions that is not gonna happen yes we need to research universities and things but to succeed in life you have to have ambition. when I went to school no-one believed I would even pass my G.C.S.E's let alone do a degree and yes I proved them all wrong and done a degree the thing that kept me doing it was my ambition to become a teacher and I was 30 when I started my degree.

Believe me, I don't want to drag her down, ambition is great! But a little bit of realism and pragmatism might help as well. To get into the top top unis these days you need really good grades in the right subjects at A level and you need that something extra as well. A lot of teenagers now do voluntary work in the field they want to go into for example.

Also, sorry to be a downer again, but she's predicted some Bs at GCSE and the work only gets harder at A level and University. Make sure she knows its ok to change her mind and swap to something different if she wants. I know people who studied very academic subjects at uni but found it incredibly stressful because of the difficulty level and felt like they were always playing catch up. I hope she makes sure that whatever she studies is something that she enjoys and can cope with, for me that would instantly take law out of the running!

msb5262

OP, I think Person_one was trying to say something similar to this -
Getting As and Bs isn't the level which will get her a scholarship (quote from Oldernotwiser, post #12)
but a bit more gently.
I agree it's very important to be ambitious and to encourage our children to be ambitious, but it would be unfair to give your daughter the impression that predicted grades of A/B at GCSE are likely to get her a scholarship or bursary. In the village where we live, several children who are averagely bright have recently achieved 11 A* grades at GCSE and they certainly aren't regarded as G & T.
HTH
MsB

littlemissmoney

badgerbread wrote: »

How would I find the best universities for law?

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php?AC_sub=Law&sub=38&x=24&y=16

Lunar_Eclipse

badgerbread wrote: »

It's true A grades are more common these days but as to adjusting her ambitions that is not gonna happen yes we need to research universities and things but to succeed in life you have to have ambition. when I went to school no-one believed I would even pass my G.C.S.E's let alone do a degree and yes I proved them all wrong and done a degree the thing that kept me doing it was my ambition to become a teacher and I was 30 when I started my degree.

I think the point that is perhaps being missed is that scholarships to good independent schools will be offered to straight A* students at GCSE. Even then it could not be enough.

Additionally, Law is a popular and competitive subject to read at university. Again, the top universities will be seeking the brightest students, namely those that are (mainly) straight A candidates at A-Level.

Whilst ambition is fantastic and can carry people far (I wouldn't try to knock it either!), your daughter will need the intellectual ability to succeed as well. Personally I think you would be wise to research GSCE grade requirements that are being requested to study Law at a reputable university. Having said that, there will be universities (the old polys) that will accept students with poorer grades.

I think this is what people are referring to with their comments about doing your homework, since your daughter's ambition sounds like it could be beyond her academic ability. Most people dreaming of a career in Law would be largely A* pupils at GCSE level.