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Normally the youngest children who begin at age 7-8 years are the Ist formers. The oldest children are the VIth formers who begin the form at age 12, but many are 13 when they finish. The coed prep schools normally have approximately the same number of boys and girls in the first-fourth forms, but because many girl's public schools want the girls to begin at age 11, there are fewer girls in the Vth and VIth forms. The form numbers are repeated in the public school. Thus a prep school boy completing the VI form, becomes a Ist form boy again at his public school. This same system was once used in the state system, but schools there are adopting an annual progression system, but this varies from school to school. This is a little complicated because unlike the grade (class form) system in America, there isnot a simple annual progrssion system. The VIth form in particular is complicated with a Lower and Upper Vith form. And the make matters more complicated, the form systems varry from school to school. Here we will provide a variety of views of the different forms along with didscriptions of form activities and sample work at each level.
Sixth formers are mostly 12-years old with many boys turning 13 during the year. Most of the girls have already left for their senior schools. The boys tend to be very close friends, many have been togther for 4-5 years, even more if they began in the pre-prep. The schools tend to rely on the Sixth formers as the backbone of the sports teams. They are also the prefects and of course the head boy or girl. This is their last year at school and tend to seriously prepare for their Commom Entrance Exam. Many of the boys are beginning to think that they have outgrown their prep schools and are ready for the more environment of their senior schools.
