To ask that people state age not school year when talking generally about children?

[clockover]

Please?

It would make things much easier for those of us who don't instantly know what Y4 etc is. I know how to convert it but I just think on a thread where it's not school related, but definitely age related, giving the child's age would be more appropriate.

@careerchangeperhaps

It depends. An 11 year old in year 6 is very different to an 11 year old in year 7 in many contexts (being allowed out alone, pocket money, bedtime etc.)

That's an interesting point, although it must work both ways because giving a year would then mean they could be 10 or 11 / 11 or 12 - for me a starting point is age

So no, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request just surprised it’s required as haven’t noticed it as an issue

@SachaStark2

I can’t get excited about people using year groups, instead of ages. It doesn’t take long to work out that Year 1 is 5-6, and Year 13 is 17-18.

Presumably most of us here went through this school system ourselves, if raised in England or Wales, and the Scottish system isn’t massively different, either. Surely we all remember what the school years mean from when we went to school ourselves?!

It depends how old you are. When I went to secondary school I went into 1st year, then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and then stayed on and went into sixth form. Strangely we still use sixth-form, even though it makes no sense now.

School threads - yr1 dd
Non-school threads - dd(5)

"Year 4" is different in NI and would be called P4 in Scotland

Year 4 in Scotland is P3

@careerchangeperhaps

It depends. An 11 year old in year 6 is very different to an 11 year old in year 7 in many contexts (being allowed out alone, pocket money, bedtime etc.)

It really isn't. They're still 11 and should be treated the same. I've had an 11yo in year 6 and will have an 11yo in year 7 next year and will treat him the same. Why wouldn't I?

Surely we all remember what the school years mean from when we went to school ourselves?!
Not really. I would still have to work it out. If someone says Yr 5 I would have to go through the following mental steps:

1. Year 7 is first year of secondary
2. You turn 12 in first year of secondary
3. So year 5 must be the year you turn 10
4. Child must be 9 or 10. Or
5. DS is in Yr 1.
6. He turns 6 in this year
7. 5/6 +4 = 9/10.

I don't have any innate sense that makes me instantly go Yr = age 9 or 10. It's just a waste of time making people figure that out.

@GraceLace

England is not the only country in the UK.

I am in the UK. I dont know what age year 4 is. We dont call them year 4.

@NautaOcts

I don’t recall any threads talking about DCs that use ‘year 5’ etc unless it’s to do with school? I think that would be a bit weird. Surely most commonly people say “Dd10 and ds8” or whatever

It definitely happens.

@CoronaPeroni

School threads - yr1 dd Non-school threads - dd(5)

Well yes, this is what I was asking.

Just add 4 for the youngest age and 5 for the oldest. If you can’t be arsed to do both sums just add 5.

@clockover

Please?

It would make things much easier for those of us who don't instantly know what Y4 etc is. I know how to convert it but I just think on a thread where it's not school related, but definitely age related, giving the child's age would be more appropriate.

totally agree with you, what year they go to secondary school i have no idea, but i know they go when aged 11! what happens if they have to repeat a year? are they still in year 6? 8? 10 whatever?

Surely we all remember what the school years mean from when we went to school ourselves?!

When I went to school, they didn’t have school years.

GraceLace that's a bit rude and ignorant. I'm in the UK (Scotland) but year 4 doesn't exist where I am. The equivalent year in Scotland is P5, but the age groups of the children aren't the same, so age really does make a difference.
I'd prefer people to just say the age of the child, everyone understands that no matter where they're from

@liveforsummer

"Year 4" is different in NI and would be called P4 in Scotland

Year 4 in Scotland is P3

It’s not even that simple

England reception is age 4 and they turn five
Scotland they start school in P1 age 4 years 6 months to 5 years six months, unless they have deferred, which is pretty common, and they could be a few months older.
It goes up to yr7 and then senior school starts with S1.

So someone talking about yr 9 isn’t going to be easily convertible for a person used to the Scottish system.

I agree OP and I have a daughter in year 8 who is nearly 13.

When I was I'm school, it was infants, juniors and seniors.

I found it very confusing when they brought this system in and found it quite american grade 1, grade 2 etc.

I don't think if I had kids or my kids had gone through school when infant, juniors etc., was in place, I wouldn't have a bloody clue about the years.

Sacha I started school in 1980. Reception year didn't exist. You sometimes has 'Rising Fives'. Infants was ages 5-7. Usually divided into Bottom Infants and Top Infants. Then 1st - 4th year in Juniors. This was the standard for most English Primary Schools. Then secondary school which started with 1st year (again).
Back in the 80s a large part of England also had 3 tier First - Middle - Upper schools where the ages children were in the different schools were different so the yeat groups were different.
Anyone older than around 35 or so (a lot of the parents on here) would not have gone through the 'Year 1 - Year 13' system as it wasn't introduced until the 90s.
So I agree with the OP. "Year 4" can mean nothing to a lot of people.

It really isn't. They're still 11 and should be treated the same. I've had an 11yo in year 6 and will have an 11yo in year 7 next year and will treat him the same. Why wouldn't I?

@TheUndeadLovelinessOfDemons a LOT of people on here do seem to do this though. Last year of primary still being walked or driven to school, not allowed out with friends, not allowed a phone then high school term starts and they expect dc to suddenly manage to get themselves safely to school, have the phone and independence with no gradual build up. It's bizarre

I am in Scotland, I can see year one is second year of school so same as our primary 2. I have a primary 2 so I know that means 6ish. I know in England they start school younger so would guess 5ish. So I get the gist. When you say year 7 it year 10 I can't be bothered to figure it out. Not even sure whether it is primary or secondary school.

Age would be much better (unless it is school related I suppose)

I find it easy to work out when it's Y1 or Y2 etc as you just add on a year and it would be the same as P2 or P3 but once it gets to the likes of Y8 etc I'm totally lost. Although now I've wrote this I think I could be working it out wrong? As all children start reception aged 4 is that correct? So although I'm comparing a Y1 to a P2 then the Y1 is likely to be younger than what a P2 would be?

Well no. This is a parenting site where the majority of posters are in the UK or have a a UK connection for a start.

English exceptionalism right here...

Cross post with @Sally872 who has wrote it much better than I have and has answered my questions

@PivotPivotPivottt

I find it easy to work out when it's Y1 or Y2 etc as you just add on a year and it would be the same as P2 or P3 but once it gets to the likes of Y8 etc I'm totally lost. Although now I've wrote this I think I could be working it out wrong? As all children start reception aged 4 is that correct? So although I'm comparing a Y1 to a P2 then the Y1 is likely to be younger than what a P2 would be?

It’s shifted by six months. In England the cut off is 1st sept, rather than 1st March, so they start six months sooner.

I assume that 99% of people here went to school in the UK. Even if you don't have kids, you can't be that oblivious, surely?

@stingofthebutterfly

Reas the bloody thread.

I went to school in the UK. I have children in school in the UK.
I dont know what bloidy year 4 is.

The UK is not just fucking England and Wales.