Would a child go straight into Y2?

[GorgeousLadyofWrestling]

That’s what my NDN has said is going to happen with her 3 year old. So at school starting age, skip Reception and Y1 and go straight into Y2.

He’s undeniably bright - reading and can remember times tables. She mentioned today that the nursery SENCO person has recommended this. But surely there’s all sorts of other problems with this - being much younger and not emotionally at the same level as Y2 children. The difference in Reception aged kids and Y2 is vast. Is this something a school would really do? And then also the reading and maths - what if he just has a phenomenal memory but needs to learn the comprehension element?

My children are much older but I don’t know if I would my child doing that, no matter how bright they were.

I would hope it didn't happen. Like others have said, school is as much about social and emotional development as it is about academic learning.

Dd went to school able to read. She still does phonics with her class, but her teacher gives her higher level reading books to bring home. She needs to learn what everyone else has learned in the way that it is taught so that when she goes through the year groups, she has learned what she's is meant to. And when the older one went through primary, they had groups, one for extension level for kids who were working above in certain things and one for extra help for kids who were struggling. It wasn't unusual for kids in extension reading to be in extra help for maths (for example). Or for kids who were academically above their peers to need some pastoral support to manage friendships.

I was moved up a year in primary school but then had to do ye 6 twice as the secondary school wouldn’t take people out of age.

DS1 had a reading age of 14 when he started in reception. He did all his maths and English in groups with yr 2 children but the rest of the time was with the rest of reception. He should ideally have been working with older kids but socially it is not a good idea so yr 2 was the highest they would place him and that was just for targeted maths and literacy sessions

@BrieAndChilli wow that’s amazing! Have never seen that advanced a reading age.

Ahahahahaha no..this would not happen., 😂😂😂😂😂

Neighbour is an idiot!

Early Years teacher here (and assistant head so I know a LOT about admissions etc)

They won't go into year 2 but might be put in mixed year groups for phonics. We did that at the school where I last worked. It would be cruel to the child to put them in a class of children so much older.

Bullshit. If a child is working at a higher level they will go into the year group based on their age, and a good school will provide appropriate work for them.

I think it's likely that she has misunderstood. Differentiation may mean the child does Y2 work or possibly join Y2 pupils for occasional lessons. But they won't be a Y2 pupil

No chance. You’re friend has got the wrong end of the stick or is full of shit.

No they'll just give them work on their level. I remember all that from when my DD was starting school. Every parent I spoke to apparently the school wanted them to skip reception. My DD was almost the only one in the year group. 😂

This would never happen in my area. Mainstream schools will not place children in year groups outside of their age for any reason except for summer born reception starters, and this was a fight at first.

Even in exceptional circumstances - like children with learning disabilities who are working several years below their age -will be kept in the correct year and move up with their cohort each year.

Equally very bright children will not be moved up a year, although may join other years for certain lessons.

There is little point moving up, as once they get to a phase transfer (ie. Secondary) they won't be able to move until the correct age do they would end up repeating years.

The only exception to this are special schools, which have a lot more flexibility and often have classes with a mixed of year groups depending on abilities, difficulties and personalities. My DS is in a class with children aged 8-11.

Not in a million years.

Nah. Not happening.

Im an Early Years Teacher. We have children who come to us who are clearly very bright and/or do a lot at home. They’ll still have their challenges, it just might be social or motor skills, for example. Sometimes parents need a gentle reminder that their child needs to develop their whole self, rather than just some aspects.

DD was offered the chance to move up 1year when she was year 1. We decided against it as she'd have had to repeat year 6 (can't move on to secondary early) as well as the social aspect.

This just does not happen!

My daughter joined an enriching maths group in year R with older children but only some of the time, she is now an adult and is particularly gifted at maths but had come directly from a normal pre school and had so much to learn. Including at 4 years and 1 month when she started reception , managing reliable toileting. I would be extremely sceptical this is happening for all the reasons other people have pointed out.

This seems like utter nonsense.

My daughters just started reception and is incredibly bright - she’s been reading since before her third birthday (she’s 4.5 now) and is brilliant with numbers.

She joins Y2 for some sessions but our school have said they avoid moving children up year groups - as they’re not emotionally or socially ready to be with older children - which I agree with!

Reading words is one thing. Comprehension is something completely different. No 5 year old has an actual reading age of 14.

I know of a few people that did this in state schools.

Usually it’s only a year due to the social and emotional side of things but saying that in my SEND unit they are grouped on their academic ability and social/emotional side of things so I have year 11s in with year 7s and it works fine.

I would have thought that they would get the child to start school and then decide what’s best, instead of jumping the gun so quickly.

I have a reception age child and a year two child. Both bright, both working 'ahead of their age'. In fact my youngest frequently asks to go in with her sister and would make a dash for it if I let her and the very kind teacher has to tell her 'not yet, I'll see you him a few years, off you go!'.

There is no way socially and emotionally, as bright as she is, she is anywhere near the level of the year two children. She's positively babyish compared to them (she is 4, and an 'old' 4, they are 6/7). She still throws the odd toddler style tantrum!

I can't think of any school that would do this. It would be a terrible idea in terms of overall development and friendships - what would a 7 year old have in common with a 4 year old? Not much! They'd be so isolated. I'm sure also that there are the odd exceptional children who genuinely are working at a year two standard in reception but I would imagine teachers come across them very rarely in their careers. Possibly like a PP said, you might have one who is strong in one area so joins in with older reading or something but not a permanent class.

Your neighbour has either misunderstood, the nursery SENCO is wrong or she's weirdly trying to stealth brag and missing the mark.

The fact that the SENCO is involved might indicate that there are additional needs, it's not super uncommon for some children with (for example) ASD to be academically very, very able. Both of mine have ASD, both have been cognitively tested as part of their assessments and both have very high IQs and are academically able - ahead as I say by years. However those children need the social coaching and interaction even more than their NT peers, way way more, so cutting years of that out would be a dreadful idea!

Sounds like your neighbour thinks it would be a good thing. It wouldn’t, for all the reasons mentioned already. I can’t imagine any SENCo saying a child would be advanced two years. It’s not their call to make anyway.

It's unnecessarily difficult in the UK to skip but does happen. It's a million times easier if it's private though.

The research on skipping is overwhelmingly positive. Glad that child will be receiving an appropriate education

No, my DS tests consistently at two years ahead but is just given more challenging work by his teacher who is more than capable of dealing with the range of abilities within her class. School is about so much more than just the academic work and there is a huge difference in maturity between most of the age groups. It reallt wouldn't be a good idea to move someone up and I would never allow it.

It used to be the case in our school that the very bright kids would go and do some lessons in the older class but that stopped during Covid due to the whole 'bubbles' thing and hasn't started back again.

It seems very unlikely. Ds1 is working 2 years ahead of his peers, but is still in yr 3, not yr5. Being bright/clever is not everything.

I haven't known a state school in the UK to let a child skip two years. The child won't be ready for it emotionally nor would they be mature enough. There is more to school than academic ability
What sort of school is it?