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Education

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Original poster

Anyone know what happens when a child skips a school year in the UK?

22 replies

sockrage · 25/05/2016 20:51

Asking for a friend.
Say a child went into year 9 instead of year 8. Moved through school and took gcses a year early (I.e in year 11 when age wise actually year ten)

What then happens that child finishes the school at 15 rather than 16 if the school has no six form.

Will college take them early?

OP posts:

Original poster

sockrage · 25/05/2016 20:53

*sixth

OP posts:

timelytess · 25/05/2016 21:05

You're very lucky if you can get a school to agree to it. But if you do, yes, they can start college early. Or do an extra year in Yr 11 if they need to.

Original poster

sockrage · 25/05/2016 21:39

Thanks timely. School have already agreed to them so it is just a case of logistics.

OP posts:

Costacoffeeplease · 25/05/2016 21:44

I did it back in the 70s, went to secondary a year early but then had to stay on the extra year, but went into 6th form anyway so it wasn't a problem

LIZS · 25/05/2016 21:48

They continue through. Some Unis will take them at 17 , others won't.

uhoh1973 · 25/05/2016 22:24

I was at school a year early! I chose to do a 'year out' between school and uni so I ended up the 'right age' at uni. Shouldnt be a problem.

homebythesea · 26/05/2016 07:43

Remember in Scotland everything is a year "early" compared to England- so one could go to Uni age 16!

esornep · 26/05/2016 13:28

Some Unis will take them at 17 , others won't.

This is misleading. Can you actually name one university which categorically refuses to take students who aren't yet 18? I don't know one, and I know that the vast majority of universities do take students who aren't 18. Bear in mind that it is very common for students to finish school at 17 in other European countries (e.g. France where grade skipping is quite common) and in Scotland.

Bolograph · 26/05/2016 13:33

Can you actually name one university which categorically refuses to take students who aren't yet 18?

UCL medical school.

Balletgirlmum · 26/05/2016 13:37

That's probably more to do with age requirements for working in medicine than a uni per se

A friend of dds is taking some GCSE's early. She's year 9 & sitting some today. However she is in a year 9 tutor group i don't know how the classes are being handled.

Bolograph · 26/05/2016 13:46

That's probably more to do with age requirements for working in medicine than a uni per se

Indeed. But, stereotyping wildly, the set of parents enthusiastic about moving their child ahead is not disjoint from the set of parents enthusiastic about prestigious medical school.

teacherwith2kids · 27/05/2016 18:52

I did this - in my case I skipped Year 7. I 'reset' myself by taking a year out after a-levels.

i wouldn't recommend it, tbh.

teacherwith2kids · 27/05/2016 18:55

What you need to do, though, is get all your ducks lined up in terms of next stages - so if the school has no 6th form, call the possible 6th form options and check their stance. I have had to do this for pupils who were registered in the year below their chronological age, to make sure that the next schools all the way up to 17 were prepared not to move the child back up to their 'correct' year, as that would have undone all the good the 'moving down' had done.

marcopront · 28/05/2016 08:52

If the school has agreed to it, I would be asking them what they expect to happen when they finish.

HostaFireandIce · 30/05/2016 19:10

I did this, skipped year 6, went to university at 17. Never caused me any problems!

dolkapots · 31/05/2016 09:52

I don't think there is an legal age minimum for university. There have been cases where a 14 year old has been admitted (not that I'd advocate that though).

Cakedoesntjudge · 31/05/2016 09:58

I skipped a year at primary school along with a handful of other kids (note to the poster suggesting pushy parents - mine have never been even remotely pushy, it was suggested by the school simply because we were ahead and getting bored in lessons).

We then moved when I should have been yr4 but was in yr5 and my new school didn't do the whole skipping a year thing so I re-did yr4 and carried on as normal from there.

The other 4 kids who'd skipped a year with me had issues when it came to secondary school as none of the local ones would agree to take them early. Three sets of parents gave up and their kids redid yr6, the other one really pushed and did complaints and spoke to the local papers etc until one did accept them.

I think things have changed a bit now though (I'm 26 so it wasn't forever ago but was a fairly long time) and it's more of a common thing. I'd second what others have said - just consider your local area and if the facilities are there for the school your friend plans for them to go to afterwards then it shouldn't be an issue.

Needmoresleep · 31/05/2016 13:30

You may find that Universities vary. The problem is that students under the age of 18 are still minors. London Universities are often quite good. They are used to students coming from other education systems who regularly accelerate bright students, and they have a higher proportion living at home. Such Universities will often have seperate (no alcohol) freshers events designed to allow younger students to meet each other, and give priority for suitable housing. Scottish ones also tend to be fine and many Scottish students will leave school at 17, though obviously their degrees take longer so are more expensive.

In recent years DD has known two 14 year olds and one 16 year old start University. None from English schools, though it is not unknown in private schools for kids to be a year in advance, though in our experience this has tended to be kids coming in from overseas who are already advanced.

esornep · 31/05/2016 14:18

But, stereotyping wildly, the set of parents enthusiastic about moving their child ahead is not disjoint from the set of parents enthusiastic about prestigious medical school.

You are stereotyping wildly. When I was at Cambridge as an undergraduate there were quite a few students who have been moved up by their schools, studying a wide variety of subjects and from a wide range of backgrounds. My DC's private school has a small number of children who have been moved ahead. They cannot be stereotyped as belonging to any particular ethnic group, nor are any of the ones I know aiming for medical school.

Most of my family were grade skipped, as my DC have been, and none of us encountered problems entering university early. I would not however recommend grade skipping without carefully thinking about the next steps, and I wouldn't do it at all unless it was advised by the school/ed psychs.

lellio · 02/06/2016 13:34

I'd make sure that local sixth form options are happy to take a year early although I can't see it being a problem as many offer courses for 15 year olds.

She will still have to be in education or training until the correct age.

jabed55 · 05/06/2016 10:06

I have taught several pupils who have been accelerated through by one or even two years. The only problem I have ever met was with an overseas pupil who needed a guardian in the UK until she reached 18. I was her guardian.

The others had no problems at all, although it is up to each university.

nocoolnamesleft · 11/06/2016 16:34

I got moved up a year in the infants (mainly for the sake of the headteacher's sanity). Had no problems staying with the new age cohort when I moved up to secondary school, changed secondary school, went to college, and then up to university. The only downside is that I was somewhat socially immature hitting uni, which was not entirely in my favour.

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