Do you live in a three tier school system area?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Are your year 4s and 8s going back on 1st June? I’m not too interested in whether you would send them back or not but I am genuinely surprised this hasn’t been thought of by DfE when clearly the primary school attending year 6s have had their transitions considered.

I live in a 3 tier area, I have a year 4 not going back, and a year 6 who is. Our county is a bit of a nightmare as there are 4 variations of system, some towns are 2 tier, ours and one other town have transition in year 4 and year 7, two towns have year 4 and year 8, and I think another is year 5 and year 8!

Three tier system here, I have a child in year 4.
The headmaster has advised they are waiting on clarification as to whether our year 4s are considered the same as two tier year 6's.

Yep, three tier system here, one of the last in the county, and my year 4 DD is going to miss all the transition gubbins, while her year 1 sister is allowed to go back. Makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

These kids have been completely forgotten about.

Just for update our Y5-8 middle is taking Y6 back after HT and hoping to get Y8 in for some transition and "celebration of the end of their middle school era"

@CarrieBlue I really doubt anyone pays private school fees from a civil servant salary. Private school for two kids generally costs more than the whole net income of even fairly senior civil servants.

Three tier system here in some areas of the North East- first, middle and high schools. Y4s and Y8s not going back.

@TabbyMumz I don’t think PP was saying your initial reply was aggressive, but your one that said “Bloody hell!!!!”

The problem is it is different in different areas. Our infant school goes up to Y2, then middle school starts Y3.

Littlera my post was 6 days ago. My bloody hell post was jokingly put...not aggressive, the sort of bloody hell you say when you are laughing, but appreciate that doesnt come across in text. I was really surprised at kids not going to high school till year 9, because in our school all the parents say their kids have outgrown juniors by year 6, and are desperate to get to high school.

I grew up in a 2 tier sysyem and was a bit worried about DC going into the 3 tier but it was actually brilliant. Middle school is a really good stepping stone between First and High schools.
My two were walking to and from school in Year 5 and the school gates thing was largely over for me. Wasn't the done thing.

With a 3 tier system does the Middle School have all the facilities that a Secondary School usually has like science labs? And do they start the KS3 curriculum in Y7 so have separate lessons for different subjects?

We live in a 3 tier area. Headteacher requester for year 8 to go back instead of year 6 and it got declined. Only year 6 allowed back apparently which doesn't make sense. My dn has to now move up to high school with no preparation.

Yep 3-tier here. DS is Y7 in a Middle (Y5-8) and DD is in High (Y9-) According to the DfE Y6 are back, not Y8 which would make a lot more sense for their transition time. Or even Y4 for their transition to Middle. It's all to do with parity - so all schools are doing the "same thing".

We don’t live in a three tier area, but in Scotland where schools are not going back till after the summer holidays. No children will have any real life transition opportunities. I suspect NI will be the same.

Under the Government guidance the youngest children are given priority after vulnerable and critical worker children, so if schools are following the rules, many Y6 may not have a place when schools reopen after half term, if that makes any of you with the older children in Middle School feel better.

ineed my DS isn't going back in June anyway, I'm a middle school teacher and he'll be WFH like me

To reassure those unfamiliar with the three tier system...

Our little ones probably get more independent and ready for high school than those in the secondary system actually. Obviously I can only speak for our area but they take the bus or independently walk to school from start of middle school (year 5), parents don’t drop and collect.

The middle schools have science labs, PE gyms, drama stages, computer suites, cookery rooms, woodwork etc etc. They will have specialist subject teachers available. The year 5s stay with a teacher for their core subjects but usually move to the specialist areas for the others. They have a timetable etc. That independence increases appropriately until the end of year 8.

I prefer this system, I think each school can cater to their year groups much better and doesn’t have such a massive jump between primary and secondary.

The down side being we’ve been forgotten in this transition situation!

Happy to answer any other questions people have about it.

My DS is in his last year of prep school Year 8 . Unless the government allows other Year groups back, all children in Year 8 in prep
Schools won't be able to say good bye and finish their prep school journey.

All rather sad

We have a 3 tier system, our middle school is Y6-Y8. DS is Y6, and we’ve been told he can go back, this is the way it will work etc. The school have looked into whether they can have Y8 in as “leavers” instead of Y6, but have been told not, its a 1 size fits all Y6 return, regardless of non-standard school systems. I believe uptake for Y6 returning w/c 1 June has been very low for our school.

As an aside @GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat, i love the middle school system, and consider that we’re very lucky to have it here, although only 2 middle schools across the borough (19 first schools, 1 high school).

We have a 3 tier and no they're not being offered a chance of going back. The letters send by first and middle (part of the same academy) just said something along the lines of "there is currently no space to offer other year groups to return"

I think it's short sighted as Yr 4 and 8 should have priority over others in this system but it is what it is