Experiences of middle schools?

[DiamandaTheGreat]

My kids are at one and generally I prefer it to a move straight from primary to high school, but I'm interested to hear other people's experiences?

Maybe there's not as many middle schools around as I thought?!

What do you mean by middle school? Our junior schools used to be called middle schools but are KS2. In some areas I think they might go to age 13 like some preps. My dc went to a prep and the other to a state junior school. Quality of both depended on Head and teaching. The prep started at nursery and went to 13 but distinct curriculum for EY, KS1 and 2 and KS3. They prepared dc for very competitive child at 13. State school was ok and DD1 loved it. It wasn’t the same as the prep and didn’t always have great teachers but DD dodged the worst. In general the prep had everything you could want so the junior wasn’t better - just different.

The only areas I know of with middle schools are Dorset and Worcs - and i assume its only parts of these counties, not the whole?

I am interested in replies as I don't know anyone who has been through this system

I went to a middle school back in the day and I think it’s a much better system than straight to high school. High school system seems broken to me, and it’s because they are too big and the age range too big. I much prefer middle school

I went to a middle school in the late 1990s (school years 7-9) then a different school for GCSEs and a levels. I think it worked well. It was a better transition from primary, and it was loads better going to a different school for GCSEs as it felt more grown up. They abandoned the middle schools round here ages ago and I think it's a shame. Year 7 to the end of year 11 (or beyond) is a long time in one place I think. Can anyone knowledgeable share the rationale or is just a financial thing?

We are in a three-tier area. Lower school is Reception to Y4, middle school Y5 to Y8 and then upper school from Y9 to Y13. Some middle schools are smaller and more primary-like, DS's was big - 240 kids in year 5 alone - and more like a secondary.

DS loved middle school, he was more than ready to leave the village lower school. He went from a school of 125 pupils to one of 980 which seemed daunting but the year 5s had their own building and playground so not too scary. I remember being terrified of the fifth years when I started at secondary aged 10 so this transition seems a little gentler.

The upper school was huge, 470 kids in a year. Which again DS was really excited to go to and he got on well there. He has moved again to a sixth form in a different county so overall he will have had 4 schools. I can see how some families might not like that level of change but it's been fine for DS so far.

The LA was supposed to be changing to two-tier but have so far made a mess of the transition so plans have been put on hold. I don't know any parents who are bothered about this.

Mine are at middle school (it's yr5-8 here). I really like the system. It's great for independence (that can be hard to achieve otherwise with the expectations of modern parenting until secondary), DCs get access to specialist classrooms, equipment and teachers earlier (bunsen burner license 3 weeks into year 5, proper DT workshops etc), the jump isn't so big as it is primary to secondary, and with fewer year groups, you don't feel like DC is just a number. They offer a very gentle transition into the system in yr5 with a lot of leeway for forgetting things and not as much moving between classrooms (only for lessons needing a specialised classroom, otherwise the teachers cime to them), then from yr6 is essentially run like a small secondary. I was sceptical initially as I went to school in a 2-tier system, but I've been more than won over.
My only complaint is how it works in relation to standard testing. There is a huge push in yrs 5&6 for SATs, then they ease off the gas somewhat in yrs 7&8 and DCs can coast a bit if parents aren't on it. It it a bit short-sighted really, as GCSE results still have some effect on them as the upper school is the same academy trust (plus same head teacher) with our middle being a feeder school. I'm guessing it will get ramped up again in yr9 when they move over the road to the upper site? I suspect this wouldn't happen if KS3 SATs were still a thing.

I went to the 3 tier system and hated it. As a shy quiet child I’d barely made friends by year 4 especially in a 2 form entry primary. Then taken away from them in middle school and again in high school meant I went through school with barely any friends and hated it.
I made sure my kids had a single form entry primary and the full 7 years to form a solid friendship group

I'm a bit worried for my August born dyslexic DD starting middle school next year. The expectations of independence are high and I'll have less ability to liaise with the teachers about her needs.

Middle school is great in our experience, a nice gentle step up between the schools. The age they transition seemed to fit very naturally with them growing up, they were all ready to move on to the next school. It’s a shame councils want to get rid of three tier areas, it really suited the children and meant SAts weren’t also combined with leaving school. Year 7 and 8 could be put into after school childcare, they looked after them but the youngest kids were year 5 so it didn’t seem babyish.

My youngest has just left Middle School. My elder child went before her. Our middle school is from Y6-Y8. It is as nurturing as a first school/primary school, but has subject specific teachers, lifs move round for lessons and introduces the independence of high school. I love the first/middle/high system - it means that Y5s move to a more grown up environment before they get really bored of 4 years olds (this was very relevant to us, as both DC have early autumn birthdays); meanwhile, it keeps the preteens away from the big smelly teens until they are one!

I worked in a Middle school for many years.
The transition to Secondary is much easier. Pupils get used to travelling round the school for each lesson & being taught by specialist teachers.
When they eventually move schools, they know the routine, though in our school there were five parallel classes in each year compared to ten at the next school.

I’ve only really got personal experience of the 3 tier system, it’s what my children did and I did myself (same high school, different first and middle schools).
They were both really excited to go up to middle school at 9/ Y5, they had a bit more independence and started to move around the school (art room, science lab, boys/ girls changing rooms). They went up to high school for year 9 (13) so were sheltered from big horrible kids for a couple of extra years and were really confident by that time.
All positive as far as I can work out!

We do in out corner of Kirkless in West Yorks. 21 first schools (some are tiny rural schools), feed into 2 middle schools, geed into 1 high school. All the schools are highly rated; people move to the area for the schools.

We love the 3 tier system! It's all we've ever known but honestly it's perfect for us and ours.

I went to middle school, in Buckinghamshire. Most people find the concept quite strange in my experience! I didn’t particularly enjoy middle school, primary and secondary were better. It was a perfectly fine school, it’s just a bit of an awkward age and I didn’t meet ‘my people’ until I was a teenager. I’m in Scotland now so my children definitely won’t be attending middle school and that’s fine with me.

Much of Bedfordshire still has middle schools.

Generally it’s finance and resource driven but inevitably curriculum driven to change to secondary at 11.

Around me, we had middle
including y7 (transfer at 12) for a bit (4-5 decades ago!) but providing science labs, art, sports facilities, MFL teachers or any specialist teacher for 2 years of the KS3 curriculum was expensive so y7 at primary or middle school didn’t last long. The secondary curriculum was not started until y8 which didn’t suit lots.

They extended the secondary schools because the school population was growing. Much cheaper than equipping the middle (junior) schools and getting them to go to 13 plus the specialist teachers are teaching A level too. They are wasted in a middle school.

Many schools had old buildings and it just wasn’t possible to extend them. Too expensive to transport village dc to large middle schools too so they are Primary curriculum EY to Y6 or split into infant and junior. Transfer at 11. No one seems worried and it’s just standard to go at 11 and obviously specialist teachers and resources are in the secondary schools.

Thanks everyone, really interesting to read these thoughts. Sorry yes, should have clarified that I meant middle school as in from Y5-Y8, with high school following from Y9 either up to Y11 or Y13.

My experience has also been positive - our middle school is run just like a high school and it's pretty big (6 forms in each year) so it's definitely a jump, but considerably gentler than going straight to a high school with Y11s and sixth-formers, as others have said. My kids have really liked the change to a set timetable and moving between classrooms for every lesson etc, and there still seems to be a reasonable amount of flexibility that comes with the increased independence, if that makes sense.

I think some people think it "babys" (babies?!) them a bit, as it were, but that hasn't been my experience. I also suspect it makes it slightly easier to delay a phone in Y7 as there doesn't seem to be the same "well they need a phone for high school" idea, at least here.

There's been mumblings in our town for years about it being replaced by two-tier but
I've seen no concrete evidence.

It might not be as bad as you think.
My eldest is autistic with ADHD. She is very disorganised, struggles with lists of instructions and is forvever forgetting or losing stuff. She also finds writing very painful and she's behind in it as a result as she avoided it as much as possible for a long time until the occupational therapist discovered she was in pain. Middle school has been great for her. She has a fixed timetable, which helps her remember what she needs on which days, and I have access to it on one of the apps too, so can issue reminders as needed. She has a greater leeway for forgetting stuff (eg 'uniform points' for forgotten PE items) than a non-SEND pupil to reflect her difficulties before she gets into detention territory. A bigger school (6 form entry) has also meant greater resources for both academic and SEND intervention groups. DD1 has had them for maths, spelling and English more generally, but also anxiety and self-care. None of these were requested, the staff noticed her needs and put her forward for them, unlike the single-form entry lower school, where we had to fight hard for any help. She has also been provided with writing slants etc.
Ultimately, she has flourished and risen to the greater expectations placed on her because the school has given her the space to figure out how to make it work. She loves the independence and is confident navigating all kinds of situations on her own now. I've only needed to contact her form tutor a couple of times in 2 years, who has called me back that day once they've read my email and sorted it all out, but I have encouraged DD to speak to her tutor herself when there has been a problem for the most part.

As for delaying getting a phone, in our area middle school has the opposite effect, with most getting one for the start of yr5. Particularly the village kids who have to get the bus in.

The transition from first to middle school was very gentle. The students moving up do their last 2 weeks of Y5 (their last year of first school) at middle school to get to know the ropes. The Head of Y6 is always from a primary school background. I remember moving to a huge comprehensive at 11 and being terrified for about a year (despite being an autumn birthday).

Also, my dc’s learning exploded - especially in maths - once they were taught by subject specialists at middle school.

I have cousins who went to school with that system. Most are fine but I do know that some really struggled with the transitions.