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Original poster

I've only just realised

16 replies

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:34

That children in Scotland have one year less in school than children in England. And I have one in secondary and one in primary 😕

How did I not realise before??

It's just struck me reading the thread about what birth month you would chose if you could and September was popular because of being the rudest in the year. My September born is in the youngest half of the year (and with Jan/feb deferrals in actuality in the youngest quarter) and will only be turning 18 if he goes straight to uni from school whereas if we were in England he'd be turning 19.

He started school in the august before his 5th birthday the next month.

Or have I got this all in a muddle?

OP posts:

ElegantlyTouched · 09/02/2023 20:39

If their birthday is between Sept and Feb then yes they do, but those born between March and August get the extra year.

ElegantlyTouched · 09/02/2023 20:43

So a friend's son who was born in Feb 2020 will be going to preschool after Easter and into P1 in 2024 aged 4.5 having done a year and one term at preschool. My dd, born in March 2020, will go to preschool in August, stay there for two years and start school in 2025 aged 5.5.

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:46

ElegantlyTouched · 09/02/2023 20:39

If their birthday is between Sept and Feb then yes they do, but those born between March and August get the extra year.

No, I'm clearly not getting it 🤣

His best friend is April born, they started school together, they will finish together.

Does this mean they sit nat5s (gcse equivalent) a year earlier too? Im already worried he's not mature enough...

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

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General education

Cornishmumofone · 09/02/2023 20:48

But Scottish degrees tend to be 4 years instead of 3 in England/Wales, so if a young person goes to university in the system they started in, they will finish at the same age.

pitterypattery00 · 09/02/2023 20:50

You're right OP, only realised myself when I moved to England.

In England children have 7 years at primary school (Reception then years 1-6) then a maximum of 7 years at secondary school (years 7-13). Children start reception on at 4.5yrs on average (range 4-5 years, the oldest born in September).

In Scotland children have 7 years at primary school (primary 1-7) then a maximum of 6 years at secondary school (secondary 1-6). Children start P1 at 5yrs on average (range 4.5-5.5yrs, the oldest children born in March).

Additional differences are the presence of grammar schools in some parts of England and the fact that many English secondaries don't have a sixth form (years 12 and 13) so children actually leave school after year 11 then go to a college for their A levels. In contrast the vast majority of children in Scotland do their highers in school.

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:51

Again, I understood advanced joggers are broadly equivalent to a levels, and it's not unheard of for Scottish kids to go to English universities, straight into the same first year as English kids who are a year older, but both having come straight from school?

OP posts:

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:52

Joggers = highers
rudest = eldest in my op

bloody auto correct!

OP posts:

pitterypattery00 · 09/02/2023 20:55

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:51

Yes, and conversely it's the case (or at least was back in my day) that English pupils can enter straight into 2nd year of some Scottish 4 year degree courses providing they have high grades in appropriate A levels. Although I knew several who still chose to start in first year, mainly for social reasons.

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 20:57

Thank you @pitterypattery00 for helping me realise I'm not as confused as I thought I was.

OP posts:

Hoardasurass · 09/02/2023 21:00

Highers are equivalent to A levels advanced highers replaced SYSs (sixth year studies) which were equivalent to a college course/1st year uni starter courses. But that was before the SNP destroyed the Scottish education system also we never had a reception year and went straight into learning in p1 age 4-5 so were technically a year ahead of English students

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 21:07

Hmmm so effectively 'free' tuition for one out of the 4 years is what those in England get as their last year of school yet we've got to fund an extra year of living costs with a lower amount of loan which has to be paid back at a lower rate of earning?

And for some courses at uni you won't get a place if you're Scottish domiciled with equivalent grades to to someone in England.

And essentially the government doesn't have to fund a whole extra year of school for a large section of the population?

Bluster and spin from the SG really pulling a fast one on us?!

OP posts:

JenniferWooley · 09/02/2023 21:32

Reception is the equivalent of the second year of nursery in Scotland - or at least it was.

We lived in Kent for a year & DD1 was in reception at school in Kent when we decided to move back to Scotland & although she was technically old enough for school we were advised to put her back into nursery not into P1 as the kids in P1 would be further ahead than she was.

DD2 did her whole schooling in the Scottish system, she did 2.5 years at school nursery, 7 years in primary & 6 years in high school.

mawik · 09/02/2023 21:43

My eldest daughter started her last year of primary in Scotland in the August , we then moved to England in the November, and she then went into secondary school!! So in a way she lost nearly a year of primary education.
But she then went back to Scotland for uni at 18, and as she had done 2 years at college, she was able to go into 2nd year of her course.

Original poster

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 21:54

DS went to a local authority nursery attached to a primary school from 2 and a half self funded until January after he was 3, then got some of the time funded January to June age 3, august to June age, stated school age 4, turning 5 in the September

so he'll have had funded:

1.5 years of nursery
7 years of primary
6 years of secondary

a whole year less than your second dc @JenniferWooley ? And a year less than English counterparts?

OP posts:

TheGirlOnTheLanding · 11/02/2023 09:11

Sparkee · 09/02/2023 21:07

And for some courses at uni you won't get a place if you're Scottish domiciled with equivalent grades to to someone in England.

And essentially the government doesn't have to fund a whole extra year of school for a large section of the population?

Bluster and spin from the SG really pulling a fast one on us?!

I'm not much of a fan of the Scottish govt but I don't think you can lay this one at their door given it predates the Scottish parliament by a good number of years! In fact, it's much more common nowadays for Scottish students to do all 6 years at school before going on to university - in the 1980s it was pretty common to leave school for uni after s5, and we were told that was the reason Scottish degrees were 4 rather than 3 years long.

DownNative · 11/02/2023 09:53

It is the Scottish education system that's the odd one out as the ones in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are pretty much identical to each other.

Scotland is the only part that doesn't do GCSEs or the 11+. England and Northern Ireland still do the 11+, but Wales doesn't as they don't have grammar schools anymore. England, Wales and Northern Ireland all follow the GCSE as well as A-Level system.

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