I might discuss DS moving up a year with teacher...

[toffeenose]

DS has just gone into Y2 at a very small school. Last year Y1 and Y2 were taught together and DS made lots of friends with children in the year above - his birthday is the very beginning of September and many of them are just weeks older. There are only 8 other pupils in Y2 and many of them are summer born so seem much younger than him. He doesn't really have any friends in his class and has come home very sad, which is not like him at all. The break times are staggered so he doesn't even get to play with his friends till the end of the day.

The school is independent and follows the national curriculum but it is guided by the belief that in the early years, children will come to reading and writing in line with their development, so although they are taught to read, children who are not keen will focus on stories and words but not be pushed to progress with phonics until they are ready. DS is not reading or writing.

I want to talk to his teacher about the possibility of moving him up to Y3 to be with his friends. There are 3 children in the year above who are not yet reading or writing so that is not in itself an impediment to him moving.

Would I be completely mad to put this on the table as an option? The only reason really is that socially in his class he is pretty much on his own as the three children who he was friends with in reception have left. I would be willing to pay for a 1:1 to work with him in class.

I would just be interested to hear people's views.

[Sofabitch]

You're just delaying the inevitable. Its unlike a senior school would take him a year early. So he either has to adapt now or repeat yr6

[toffeenose]

Thanks for your reply sofa. I suppose my idea is that as the top 2 years are taught together at this school, he would do an extra year there. It is also likely that we would move schools before then, so he would just go into his correct year in the new school.

[CalmYaTits]

Go for it, what have you got lose? There were 2 people In my class at school that moved up a year and they got on fine!

[SuburbanRhonda]

There's no harm in asking. I wouldn't, though. How would he feel if the older children he considers his friends are happy with their new friendship group and don't want to include him?

The best way for you to support him is to help him manage disappointment and to be a good friend to the other children in his class, so he builds new friendship groups.

[CalmYaTits]

Sofa if the pupil moved up a year in primary, the secondary schools do take them on.

[Zippidydoodah]

Year 3 children who are not reading or writing?!

[CalmYaTits]

Could be undiagnosed dyslexia zip

[mrz]

Calm it's unusual for a state secondary to take pupils out of their real year group so most children repeat or miss a year.

[mrz]

Is it a Steiner school?

[NewIdeasToday]

To be honest the school sounds a bit odd. Several year 3 kids who aren't reading? My son was reading books like the Hobbit in year 3.

And two years in the same class in years 5 and 6 doesn't sound like it will help them prepare for secondary.

Have you considered moving him to a bigger school where he's have more friends in his year group and maybe a better education?

[CotswoldStrife]

How soon would he move schools? It sounds like a particular type of school (without trying to open the usual can of worms, starts with S), why would you need to pay for a 1:1 for him if he moved up? Would he move to a similar type of school?

If it is a small school, he is likely to come across the same problem whichever class he is in. Would be worth discussing it with the staff though to see what they suggest.

[Zippidydoodah]

Could be, but judging by the op they are going with the children's likes/dislikes/readiness, which I'm all for, except in this case it seems a little counterproductive...

[Zippidydoodah]

Moving him does actually seem to be the best option imo as he's not going to get a thorough and sound enough foundation if he skips up to year 3, despite not being able to read or write.

[Gyderlily]

It is a proven fact that being the eldest in a year is beneficial ... Can't understand why you wouldn't want to move a child unless they were really excelling and being held back in their current class (though even this shouldn't happen, work should be adapted in current year)
Seems very bizarre to want to move him when he is struggling with his work where he may be more distracted having friends about!
Its also concerning that he isn't able to read and write by the start of year 2, they should have the basics in reception! My daughter has struggled but still has a good level of reading and writing going in to year 2 ... I'd be appalled if she wasn't by year 3!
If you plan to move him anyway what is the point in worrying about him being with friends now if he's not going to be with them in future and be back in this situation again

[catkind]

I don't see how they can be following the NC with such a high proportion of year 3 not reading and writing. Given they are so laid back, I would think it could work well to put him up and repeat a later year, or hop down a year when moving schools. There's going to be some catching up to do to be able to access secondary curriculum surely?

[toffeenose]

It's not Steiner.

[Gyderlily]

Also other people saying they know of others that moved up and they were fine, that secondary will take him early as he moved in primary! The only reason for doing this normally would be because they are very academically advanced therefore that's the reason they get on fine! This doesn't appear the case in this situation! All year 3's should have a reasonable reading and writing basis and if they don there should be investigations as to why not!

[mrz]

If you can't read you struggle to access the curriculum

[toffeenose]

The school gets very good results (ofsted outstanding), including scholarships to public schools etc. so there is no problem when the year 6 kids move on, in fact that are working above expected levels having had a lot of individual attention. But it is perhaps a bit unorthodox.

Most of the children in DS's year are free-reading.

It's not actually a problem for children to start learning to read later - it's just tradition in this country for children to learn early. There is a vast amount of research that shows children who start later catch up fast.

[Oakmaiden]

Whilst you are right about other countries teaching reading later, and they catch up, that is because they are taught later, not because they have been taught it and haven't picked it up until later.

I would certainly not be asking to move him up if he is not at the expected standard for a Year 3 child. He will struggle to access the curriculum. Just because there are others in that year group who also struggle isn't a good reason to put your child into the situation willingly.

[SaturdaySurprise]

You're paying fees to go to this school?

Personally, I would be worried if my year 3 child couldn't read despite being taught.

[LynetteScavo]

Well, it doesn't sound like a bog-standard school, so it's definitely a conversation worth having. If the teacher feels it's the right thing to do, they'll move him, if they don't they'll leave him where he is, and hopefully he'll make some good friends with in the class over time.

[Gyderlily]

Agree the reason other counties read later is because they start learning later, not that they have been in education but not picked it up ... They then progress fast as the work is very intense/full on quite quickly and school days can be long... In France once they start they are in school 9-5! Obviously neither will be happening in this case to get the kids up to speed!

[toffeenose]

Everyone is shocked that a child just starting Y2 can't read - I hadn't realised this was so unusual. I have friends with kids in state primaries who weren't reading at 7. I also know children who were star readers at 4 who now never read for pleasure.

I would love DS to read. I could force him to sit with me and practice phonics but it seems counterproductive. Reading has been so important to me all my life, I don't want it to be a penance.

They would only be starting to read now in many European countries.

In Europe, for example, its:
Five years old: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands
Six years old: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark (6-7), France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden (6-7)
Seven years old: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania.

So DS, although now 7, is in the school year where throughout Europe he would now be learning to read.

I am thinking now though that moving up wouldn't be a good idea and I do agree that he needs to make new friendships in his class. He still plays with the his old friends outside and after school so he won't lose contact, and next year he will be back in with them.