Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask what year group is worst

63 replies

dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 20:48

Well not exactly worst but hardest to be a teacher or head of year of. DD2 is in Y9 and her HOY as mentioned to me that Y9 is a tough one especially with the two extremes of the popular, disruptive groups (which DD is sadly in but that’s another thread!) and the quieter, more lonely/easy to fall under the radar pupils (which DD3 is but in a younger year)

Just curious of the pros and cons of each year group generally really

OP posts:
RussianSpyBot · 09/07/2019 21:32

My gosh. This sounds like the twin poster. One popular but deviant child and the other, quite ordinary.

It sounds like your child is being annoying and preventing others from learning. Start parenting

be47 · 09/07/2019 21:33

YEAR 8!

From a teacher's perspective, they're the forgotten year.
Year 7 - new to the school, being a bit babied, get lots of attention
Year 9 - can be a bit grim, but we're trying to get them ready for GCSE/get them to pick the subject
Year 10 - mostly focused, past the worst of puberty
Year 11 - hyper-focused on GCSEs, lots of attention/intervention
Post-16 - basically adults for the most part, can normally be trusted to get on with things

Year 8 are (sorry to parents of year 8s!) normally silly, immature, get less attention from staff due to all the other year groups, hormones are flying and they're comfortable enough in the school to start playing up and pushing the boundaries.

be47 · 09/07/2019 21:35

Re: year 8 being immature - I know they're 12/13, but so many of them literally regress over the summer after being mature and sensible year 7s!

(This may also be coloured by my current year 8 cohort being particularly challenging)

YouFellAsleep · 09/07/2019 21:36

My DD is just finishing year 9 and it's been a breeze, in fact years 7-9 have been great, so much easier than primary school. My DS has really struggled in year 4 and can't wait to see the back of it. Guess every child is different.

managedmis · 09/07/2019 21:37

9

aliceelizaloves · 09/07/2019 21:37

In my experience years 8 and 9. Although 8 is more the loud, silly disruptive behaviour with lots of friendship issues and 9 the more cutting, premeditated difficult behaviour with more bullying and issues with boys. That's in my experience of 6 years of teaching at a girls school anyway.

SudowoodoVoodoo · 09/07/2019 21:37

Year 8 or 9. Increasingly year 8 as time went on. I suspect hormones increasingly hitting when they are less mature has an effect.

I suspect my child protection friend would go for older where they have more freedom to get tangled up in external influences, but for routine school matters, the GCSE years are more focused and purposeful.

WhiteDust · 09/07/2019 21:41

Two years ago: Year 9
Last year : Year 7 (much better now they're in Year 8)
This year : Year 7 again

I'd have said in the past 8 and 9 but some of our Year7s are coming in nowadays with attitude, extreme immaturity & neediness.Angry

exLtEveDallas · 09/07/2019 21:47

In Primary, Year 5 and the last 6 weeks of Year 6.

In Secondary, Year 7 boys and Year 9 girls.

stoplickingthetelly · 09/07/2019 21:47

I actually quite like teaching year 9 most of the time. For me year 8 are the worst. As a previous poster said - they are often silly and immature. Pupils who were sensible and hardworking in year 7 seem to come back after the summer completely changed.

VanillaSugarr · 09/07/2019 21:48

8 and 9!!

Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 21:52

@luanmapo Honestly could have written that exact post about my own DD. It’s a painfully almost exact situation. GrinBlush

OP posts:
Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 21:53

@be47 and everyone talking about Y8 being immature etc, totally agree. 2017-2018 when DD was in Y8 (almost two years ago she started y8 and behaviour is still awful) her class was much more disruptive than now but other, more significant issues have arisen with the teenagers since Y9 started, they turned 14 etc

OP posts:
EleanorOalike · 09/07/2019 21:57

I’d say Year 3 and Year 9!

That being said, with girls ages 8-11 can be horrible with very psychologically cruel bullying and class teachers have to deal with a lot of petty drama. Year 9 everyone seems to have lost the plot but issues often start part way through Year 8 and carry on through to year 10. Boys tend to get into physical fights, girls have spats and hold long term grudges. It’s difficult to keep up.

I wouldn’t be a Year Head for any amount of money.

Littlefish · 09/07/2019 21:58

Year 9 has been absolutely hideous for my child, so it's really interesting to read all these comments!

Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 22:00

@Littlefish Hope y10 is better for your DC Smile

OP posts:
cakeallday · 09/07/2019 22:00

Really needed to read this at the moment!! Confused

Rhubardandcustard · 09/07/2019 22:01

Year 9. Lots stress, insecurities, friendship issues etc.
Luckily year 10 dd seems more focussed, happier and settled.

Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 22:01

@EleanorOalike Oh really? If Y10 is just as awful we’ve got a lovely time ahead of us!Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 22:01

Very encouraging to know @Rhubardandcustard

OP posts:
madeyemoodysmum · 09/07/2019 22:01

Interesting. My dd is going into 9. I hope it passes by without too much drama

Original poster
dancingdemon · 09/07/2019 22:06

@madeyemoodysmum Firstly, love the name Grin

Also I really do think it depends on what personality your DD has/who her friends are etc as I haven’t been through Y9 with DS or DD3 yet and with DD2 it was awful and I hope Y10 is better but with DD1 and DSS Y9 was a breeze, they both were lower maintenance teenagers though and had lovely, average circles of friends. As long as your DD isn’t part of a disruptive group who think they rule the school because of popularity, I’m sure it will be fine for her don’t worry. Smile

OP posts:
TwinkleWings · 09/07/2019 22:06

YEAR 9!!!!!!!

EleanorOalike · 09/07/2019 22:09

@dancingdemon it depends on the cohort. I teach at a university and did a workshop with Year 10s to encourage them into our field at a school this week which was horrendous in terms of behaviour. Completely shocking especially given that I was a total stranger and they were representing a school to a University. They were openly taking the piss out of me and making sexual innuendo before I even opened my mouth to introduce myself. Staff were present and they couldn’t control the behaviour either.

The teachers at the school couldn’t have been more apologetic and said that this year group are particularly bad. Prior to university teaching, I worked in schools and found that Year 9 was the flashpoint and how long it went on for depended on the cohort. My own Year 9 experience was ok but Year 8 was horrendous, Year 10 was fantastic but the year below had problems from Year 7 right the way to Sixth Form. The school was glad to see the back of them!

Titsywoo · 09/07/2019 22:13

For my DD year 7 and 8 were the worst - lots of bullying/self harm/friendship issues. She is in year 9 now and it has settled down a lot and I'm hoping the next two years will be so full of hard work for the GCSEs that it will be good socially. DD was on the receiving end of lots of the bullying so those first 2 years of secondary were very hard for her.