Is a 2 tier system better than a 3 tier?

[QE2]

Bedfordshire is one of the very few county's in the country which still operates a 3 tier school system.

A consultation is underway by the Local Authority to determine which is the preferred choice of parents with regard to changing to a 2 tier system to bring it into line with the rest of the country.

Personally, I feel it would be of gretaer benefit to the kids as a 2 tier system fits better with the Key Stages and SATS exams in years 4 6 and 9. My dd changed schools in Septe-+mber at 13 and her grades have definitely dropped (not much, but enough). This could be avoided if she had changed at age 11, I feel.

What are your experiences of a 2 or 3 tier system and what do you feel the significant pros and cons are?

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Hi there, Worcestershire have just been through this review. I'm a teacher in a local school and (If I avoid the havoc this has played with our careers - a soapbox you don't want me on!!) in my personal and professional opinion 2 tier is better. Previously, when we have sent children to middle school after year 4, I have always thought 'if we could only have them for another year or two...' iyswim. Children's grades do drop -statistically- when they change school and I think there's a lot to be said about children benefiting from as few changes as possible in this way. Having said all of that I also understand the arguement that states children will be biting at the bit by year 6 and bored silly of the same school.

How do you find their peer groups work within a 2 tier setting? Do the kids tend to stick to their own age groups? I would be concerned about the lower age ranges picking up things from the older ones before they may be ready for it iyswim?

I'm afraid this Year 4 are the first year we're keeping on as our new Year 5 iyswim so I have no experience of that yet. This concern has been voiced though and it was one of the things we were most worried about.

My county is possibly changing from 3 tiers to 2 - court case pending.

I think the disruption will be huge and could have serious effects of the children reaching critical points of their education.

One personal point and I'm not saying all schools do this - but in this area the children reaching the middle school now are below national average and I wonder if it is because compulsory Sats have been abolished at 7 years so the first school doesn't have to push the children as much as there are no results to justify, whereas if the children were to stay until 11 they would have Sats exams and maybe things would be different. Once the children have been to Middle school by the time they take their Sats they are average and above.

I know my son was pushed to his full potential once in middle school and was bored in year 4.

Is that how the system (if they decide to go for it) will be implemented, dizzymama? One year group at a time? How is it decided which schools stay open and which close down, I wonder? And how can a primary school be adapted to suit 11 year olds, for instance?

The London Borough of Merton changed from 3 to 2 a few years ago. A number of smaller primaries were closed down - DW fought successfully to keep ours open. Some Middle Schools became primaries, others became comprehensives. Some children caught in the middle did undoubtedly suffer, but the new 2-tier system is an improvement. Previously Middle Schools lost a lot of children at the end of Year 6 as they went out of the borough to join grammar and comprehensive schools at the start of year 7. Senior schools were left very weak, as all the brighter children had gone elsewhere.

Slowly standards in Merton secondary schools are improving, but they are well below national average - so parents still prefer to send their children out of the borough if they possibly can.

So in principal, I think it is right to change from 3 to 2, but it is hard on the kids it affects directly.

Sorry to hijack slightly - Dizzymama - I'm in Worcestershire too, but have just left to move elsewhere. My old school was part of the review finalising in September 2007- we must live near each other!