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Original poster

pros and cons of repeating a year?

8 replies

SpringSunshine · 16/03/2012 13:24

My DS (Nov birthday) is in Yr 5 and is currently a 'year ahead' - has been since nursery and identifies socially and mentally with the children in his current year group.

I was thinking of him repeating a year so once he gets to age 15ish at secondary he will not be the last to do everything such as driving, pubs etc, and also he would have a greater chance to shine at sport which he loves

We sent him for a couple of taster days but the schools mentioned that he did not get on particularly with the other children; he said that most were 'very young' and he had little in common with them.
He is generally very quiet and takes time to get to know people really well, but once he makes friends they are long lasting friendships - he is in a close-knit group of 4 who have been inseperable since Yr 1, altho they do have wider friends too.

Now I am back on the horns of a dilemma - do we keep him where he is and let him go to secondary 'early' and stay that way, or do we make him repeat yr 5 and him possibly be unhappy as there is no one that he really 'fits' with in the younger age group?

OP posts:
ragged · 16/03/2012 20:23

In the UK a Nov. birthday makes him one of the oldest, one of the first to "do" everything, not youngest. Are you saying that as things tand he would skip a year & go up with the current y6s to secondary? But he won't go thru puberty any sooner, will he?

asiatic · 17/03/2012 07:41

most secondary school won't take him early anyway, so even if you find one that does, you are limiting your choice

crazymum53 · 17/03/2012 14:45

Some independent schools do take children a year early but have not heard of a state secondary school that does this.

QED · 17/03/2012 14:56

Do you mean that he is currentky a year ahead ie born November 2002?

ohmygosh123 · 18/03/2012 13:11

At my schools there were always 2 or 3 kids in every year who were ahead a year. The schools didn't publicise that fact ...... I am also aware of kids now who are a year ahead within the state system. Then and now, there is a requirement to sit a simple test of proof of ability, and that is it to my knowledge. Go and ask the schools, and your son's current head. Of the kids who were a year ahead, they were all bright and functioned reasonably well socially, and most went on to top universities. The school's main concern was that if a child was advanced a year, then they would do as well academically as if they had been in their correct year. As far as I am aware it is a case by case basis, but I'm happy to be corrected and find that the ones I know of are the exception that proves the rule. Good luck.

Colleger · 18/03/2012 14:23

Can he stay at this current school or does he need to move on at the end of Year 6? If not then should he stay at his current school I wouldn't move him down as this would create more social problems. What about finding a very academic school and put him in his correct year group. Not every boy a year below will be less mature than him and plenty will be more mature. It's to do with the child, not the year group.

DS was always a year ahead and was due to go to senior school last September. We kept him back and he is a different boy now. Captain of sports teams, Deputy Head boy, taking leading roles in other aspects of school. Within his peer group he is one of the most mature and it has been wonderful for his confidence and development. With his other year group he was merely the bright boy with some friends but now he is so much more.

Original poster
SpringSunshine · 20/03/2012 22:03

Thanks for all the comments.

DS has agreed to repeat a year, but not yet, which I am happy with.
He will stay where he is for now and either repeat Yr 6 or Yr 7 in a new school depending on what his friends do at the end of Yr 6; by then hopefully he will find those in his correct year group less 'young'.

Had not thought about this option so shows looking into things and talking about them really helps :)

OP posts:
aleene · 20/03/2012 22:13

Have the schools okayed this idea of him repeating a year? I thought it would be disallowed because of present budget restraints.

Ragged - Scotland is very different in its cut-off dates for school entry, so a November birthday would be a young pupil. Although looks like the OP is not in Scotland so just making a point for the sake of it Smile

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