son thinks year 8 is pointless.

I'm a mother of teenagers and a TA in Scotland but our equivalent is 2nd year and it's definitely not pointless for our kids! The level of work goes up sharply, there are lots of tests to sit and the exam levels are being gauged towards the end of the year. The kids also do a whole lot of physical development while their emotional development fails to keep up. It's a year when pupils can be 'lost' to education if the pressure is let off them and social issues become too important. I've seen really bright youngsters lose their focus when the peer pressure kicks in and really struggle to get it back. Hugely important year in my opinion.

At our school they choose options in Yr8, and a lot rides on it - you have to achieve in English, maths and the sciences to be allowed to do triple science, for example. So it's very much not a year for coasting, it's a year for hard work. I'm glad it's that way.

DD1 got a lot more homework in Yr8 than she did in Yr9 - granted the stuff she got in Yr9 was of a higher difficulty and intensity in preparation for Yr 10, but the sheer volume of work in Yr8 was considerable. DD2 is in her first proper week back and the work is already flooding in.

He is right and clever to notice it.

Hopefully, he can also extend that to realise if he works in year 8 then he can use it as an opportunity to "bump himself up" and then go into year 9 flying.

The exam years come around very quickly and it will pay off to be as high as you can as year 8 is time you will never get back.

If he is meeting targets - tell him to rise to the challenge and crush them in year 8 and showing them what he is really made of!

do they do year 8 camp?

Perhaps it will be the best year of his school life?

Yup, my youngest has just started Yr 8 and he already 'knew' by the end of Yr 7 that this year was going to be the least important of his secondary years. His older siblings made it quite plain to him but I think there is a general recognition of this fact.

Sadly, I know not to expect much homework this year, but I have to say, my son knows full well that I will not tolerate any slip in behaviour. You need to make sure your son knows the same otherwise he could really affect his overall performance, not just this year but in subsequent years too.

IIRC from the PGCE year, Year 8 is the year when they do stroppy and uncontrollable -- for all the reasons OP's son noted!

hmmm, that's a shame. In yr8 DD:

did loads of competitive sport representing the school
did a competitive D&T competition
Went to county maths challenge event & they did lousy, but Sir bought them milkshakes on way back so all good
Spent hours at musical rehearsal & performances
Moved from Grade4 to Grade5 violin songs (lessons at school), helped out with the BTEC Music group
Learned to cook a few new things
Came home with detailed social life stories most days
Made GCSE choices and started GCSEs in July
Did a few trips
Challenge week in July (sporty outdoors)
Set her sights on being Head Girl & got on the interview committee for Head Girl/Boy
Helped out at several Parents' evenings
Worked her socks off at academics and improved in all (finished 8A in history, I don't remember the rest)

Bog Standard comp and all that. Maybe they get out of what they put in.

Y8: the year that education forgot

It's certainly a lower pressure year, ime, and that's not a bad thing. Their remaining time at school will be tougher.

Total truth in it. Year 8 is a nice relaxing year no SATs, options, starting GCSE's not being new. Teachers genuinely forgot about us. Keep him on track but let him enjoy it, the next 5 years are pretty stressful.

Year 8 is crucial. It's when significant set changes happen and once you've been over in year 8 it becomes very difficult to ever move up again, particularly if you have gained a bad reputation for behaviour.

We begin KS4 in year nine, so typically the end of year 8 set is your GCSE set.

I've had two go through year 8, it's a pointless year.

I left school 10yrs ago. Year 8 was pointless then! The only thing that happened of any interest was 'specialising' in German. In year 7 we had to do both French & German, in 8 we chose one to carry on to GCSE.

Other than that, pointless.

Year 8 was DD1's favourite year for this reason

Year 8 is pointless, this was the case when I was at school 21 years ago.

I felt guilty for my post so have come back to clarify. I'm a teacher. I do not see Year 8 as pointless. In fact, I think it's really important. It's a consolidatory year. What did you learn in year 7? Can you still do it? How can you make it better as you work towards GCSEs? It's also a year where you can relax a little (no exams) but that's a GOOD thing. Relaxed learner = someone who's going to take things in.

So yes, I think he's pretty bright for arguing it's pointless, but I hope his teachers don't agree.

I am quite glad we have the 3 tier system reading all this.

One of our teachers actually told us year 8 was pointless.

Year 7 settling in
Year 8 pointless
Year 9 preparing for mock exams
Year 10 and 11 preparing for GCSE.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has picked up on that.

In my experience, Year Eight is the coasting year my sister has just finished Year 8 and had much the same experience.

He's clever isn't he? Not many children would work that out.

To be fair to him, Year 8 is probably the year group where there is the least 'going on' that year as Year 7 are new, Year 9 do options, Year 10 start GCSEs and sometimes work experience and Year 11 sit GCSEs, and it's been the same with Year 8 in every school I've worked in! I would emphasise the fact that if he doesn't do well academically it might impact the options he can take at GCSE, as they'll be choosing those next year.

Had an identical attitude from DS1. Bright boy who coasted Yr8 'chillin with his mates'. Admitted it to us when he did less well than he should in end of Yr 8 exam. Promised to work harder in Y9 but still coasting and did less well in end of Yr 9 exams. However did manage to pull an A* in English GCSE which he did one year early but now just started Yr 10 and we are being very vigilent indeed.

Would not listen to warnings on his failure to do anything but bare minimum work and so we let him fail. Now he has nowhere to hide. Teachers and us right on top of him. He did some extra work in holidays to catch up so he hit ground running this year. Bought revision guides, confiscate phone, made him work a sensible revision plan in weaker areas of key subjects.

Social media can be a big distraction. You have to set the boundaries.

I think if you have specific issues with subjects/attitude of staff then you should raise it.

I agree that year 8 is a tricky year inasmuch as it is a bit without focus. KS4 is GCSEs, yr 9 is options, yr 7 is oooh new school! - what is year 8? (unless yr school chooses options in yr 8!)

But it is still vital to work hard and behave properly. What you learn in year 8 is the groundwork for your GCSEs, especially important in linear subjects like maths, MFL, English.

And please believe (and tell him) that behaviour issues are as much in focus in year 8 as any year. At least they are at my school.