Barrow Sixth Form College, Rating Lane Campus

A place for studying that is very enjoyable for some but not for others.

First year was great then they merged with Furness College and went rapidly downhill. Suddenly, the PPMs just forgot how to do their jobs to the point the other teacher got annoyed with them. Emails were either late or were never sent at all and the students never knew anything that was going on. “Who’s coming to parents evening tonight?” Wait, it’s parents evening? I thought that was what the “compulsory” PPM meetings were for but half the time, the PPM was fashionably late or not show up at all. Either way, it was a waste of time. I got told they were going to phone my parents for lack of attendance and even if I was, I was 18. They can't legaly do that but they don't care. I loved Media Studies though. The tutor, Chris Barnes makes it obvious he loves his job and the students so if youre only going for good teachers, pick media or film studies because he's teaching both now. He used to teach creative writing until they decided to just stop funding it after one year so the already attending students left the course without a full A level. They tell you the student surveys are anonymous but still pull you over if you say something they don’t like. Or if you don’t do the survey, they will seek you out personally and “remind you” to do it. More like threaten to call your parents if you don’t. Scary. I'm at Kendal College now and half the year has moved here from Sixth Form just because of how crappy it was for them. Unless you like bitchy teachers (excluding Chris and Susanna the film teacher but she recently left) that constantly trip you up, have unrealistically high expectations for you, don't help when you need it and then get on their knees and beg you to stay when you tell them you're leaving, go literally anywhere else. I hope this helps :)

Excellent college