Schools repeating the academic year?

[Bananaandcustard80]

Do you think schools will or should repeat the academic year if they do not return until at least September? My eldest is end of August born and struggles anyway academically so in a way it would benefit him but does anyone think that will happen or be an option?

I don't think it will happen because it's just not practical.

I don't think they should either.

They'll have only missed a term of proper school and have been doing at least some online learning. I think it's a waste of time to resit the whole year. They'll just need to adapt next year's work a bit to cover the stuff they missed while they were out.

I was thinking about the practicality of it and agree it probably wouldn't work due to the new starters etc. I've just been thinking about lots of different scenarios regarding schools.

It wouldn't work for new starters, leavers or transition years for a start.

I wouldn't want it to happen for my 2.

They are some of the oldest in their class and it would be terribly unfair on them.

They are already getting a shit deal as it is with schools being closed.

Absolutely not going to happen.

It's difficult all round isn't it? I feel I'm not doing a great job at the home schooling. My eldest has ADHD and middle child is waiting for an ASD assessment so feel like I'm failing with the school work. Like has been mentioned though many are in the same boat and schools will help them catch up.

No.

I taught mine for the first 7 months of the school year. It would be massively unfair for them, and not great for their wellbeing, to go back into the same year again.

All schemes of work would need to be revised and replanned, as they couldn't redo the summer and first half of the spring term's topics all over again (primary).
And there'd be a backlog of pupils who should be starting school because they are old enough, but there wouldn't be room for them.
And at the other end of the stage, there'd be a whole year of Uni entrance that would be empty if noone finished their y13, and had to redo it again. Uni's are struggling financially as it is, never mind removing a whole cohort.

Teachers will find out where their new class is up to academically and plan from there.

I think there should be some scope for individuals repeating years if it was felt it was in their best interests - particularly the younger born

But not everyone no

Whatever happens it's going to be a right old mess when they go back. I think we just have to accept that and reconcile ourselves to it.

Everyone will be in the same boat (or a different but equally shit boat).

We're just going to have to take a deep breath and remind ourselves that none of it really matters. Keep them happy and healthy and if they're shit at algebra or geography or can't use paragraphs properly it doesn't really matter. If they need it, they'll learn it eventually.

They won’t repeat. If they do, I’d be pretty miffed if my year 11 DC wasn’t able to repeat as well. Year 11 and 13 have had massive disruption

No. My daughter missed a month of school last year due to illness and managed to easily catch up. I think most years will do ok, maybe a lot of revision early next school year.
My daughter is in year 10 and has full day of online learning. She is worried, especially with her more hands on gcse subjects. But I think Y10, Y 12 and possibly y6 will go back in June.

This was seriously considered at a national level before the scrapping of gcse and a levels were announced. The idea that it was a possible alternative, everyone goes back in sept and repeat the year.

New reception children would have not been able to start unTIL sept 2021. And it,would have meant a permanent change in school starting age in the U.K.

So it was decided rather than permanently affecting every school child for ever it was better just to impact the current children and the year wasn’t to be repeated.

Nope, cos that would be wholly impractical. Hopefully they'll get back soon.

I didn't know that Jacob. Thanks for letting us know.

My dd is in y2, I expect they had pretty much finished everything they were going to learn for Sat's anyway? After Easter would have been Sats practise and they'd have been taking them this week.

My youngest will start reception this year, I wonder if the school will accept any deferrals from the current reception class if there's space. I can imagine that's the worst hit, children who are going into y1 having only done half of reception.

I can't see how this could possibly work.

Those due to start in reception would have nowhere to go... not all nurseries/ preschools/ childminders would have the spaces to keep them for another year.

Tyfoot. My youngest is currently in Reception and he can't read and can only write his name. We are focusing on this mainly with his home schooling. I know it must be hard for parents of children in year 11 too. Well everyone really. I've been feeling quite down the last week or so. I've kept my spirits up until now but starting to worry.

I don't think so, universities would have very few freshers for one thing

Don’t worry about your ds. He’s really little. Academically things do even out somewhat between now and yr6. Children tend to be skilled in one area and not in others thus there is a massive range of ability at reception age. I also have a summer born btw. Of course it is a disadvantage but there really is no need to panic now.

Everyone is talking as if next academic year is going to back to normal. Next year is going to be worse than this one until there’s a vaccine or some medication to reduce the symptoms. Education and everything else is going to be disrupted for the Foreseeable future. :(

what the heck is going to happen at universities...

No Uni starts in September would mean 20k fewer nurses qualifying in 2024, and 7000 fewer doctors qualifying in 2027. How is the NHS going to magic up the missing staff??

surely some review and assessments of where the students are at will be needed.
some material will not have been retained so they can't just move onto the next level and to hell with what was missed or forgotten.
cramming the assessment, catching up on what wasn't covered then moving onto what needs to be taught for the current year/level sounds terrible.

No.
Teachers are professionals, they can catch-up a missed term or disrupted year. Children bounce, and in the long term cope better than you'd expect given half the chance.
The biggest risk to the children is infectious anxiety from parents and peers. There's far too much schoolgate pressure to "home educate" at the moment. It's asking a lot from the parents and the children.

Our children’s educations are going to be fucked for a long time. School will still look very different in September. Winter will be difficult with the usual viruses spreading around.
I really think the next year is an absolute write off in terms of normal education.

No, my DC has online lessons and most of the curriculum are offered. She is in Year 6 and go to secondary from September. There is no point to repeat. My youngest has nothing but children can catch up soon at the next term.