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Education

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Original poster

Child being moved up a year, but then being moved back down. Is this a thing?

19 replies

DoggyDay · 23/08/2016 19:29

My son is 11. He is in Yr 7 (should be in Yr 6) but was moved up a year when he was going into Yr 3 (he went into Yr 4) so as you can imagine, he has just settled into his new school after completing Yr 7 and has made a few good friends. The school have recommended he does Yr 7 again. I assume this school has pupils who are more intelligent and so the standard to be moved up a year is a lot higher, which is fair enough. However, what a shit time to do it... So he has to go through that awful Yr 7 stage all over again.

Does this happen quite regularly?

OP posts:

nostaples · 23/08/2016 19:54

That's ridiculous and uncommon or unheard of. Was it the same school that moved up him up that now wants to move him down? If so, that makes it clear moving him up was an error of judgement in the first place. Seems to me you are within your rights to refuse to make him repeat y7 again he has made friends. Also seems like repeating the same stuff would be counterproductive and not aid his progress as suggested. Arrange to meet the head, I would.

Original poster

DoggyDay · 23/08/2016 19:58

No, it was his primary school that moved him up a year, it's his secondary school that wants to make him repeat Yr 7 again. I didn't know I was allowed to refuse as they would just be putting him back in his 'correct' year group, I knew I could refuse going up or down, but not back to the same, IYSWIM?

OP posts:

clam · 23/08/2016 20:11

Well, to be honest, I'm surprised they allowed secondary transfer out-of-peer group in the first place.

peteneras · 23/08/2016 21:27

Is he coping well academically and socially in the accelerated year? If he's fine as I would imagine (as he'd been in the year ahead for a few years now), then tell the school you want him to remain where he is now and stand your ground. I'm talking from experience.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 23/08/2016 21:31

I've heard of parents having to reapply for out of year group status at each transfer stage but once that's been agreed (which you'd assume as he's already at secondary) there shouldn't be any further discussion about it. I'd arrange a meeting with the Head to find it exactly why, has he been coasting this year and they've seen it as struggling? Has he been unhappy or does he gave a good friendship group? Has he had good attendance?

sharksontheplane · 24/08/2016 10:06

One of my dc school does this. They move year 9s into year 10 but if they don't seem ready for year eleven they do year ten twice (obviously in a new year 10 year group)

It sounds a mess but it is quite common there and is handled smoothly. It is a small school though so socially easier to maintain friendships.

Its common in the US isn't it?

mrz · 24/08/2016 12:57

Like Clam I'm surprised that he transferred to secondary school rather than repeat Y6. Were the secondary school aware that he should have been in Y6 by age?

gonzo155 · 26/08/2016 10:11

It's not very common unless at KS4-KS5 e.g. a child transferring into Year 11 but being put into Year 10 or a child who should be in Year 13 but retaking Year 12.

Are the school saying he is academically struggling? If so, I'd get him to do Year 7 again.

If not, I can't see the point of him repeating the same lessons.

You need to have a detailed conversation with head of year over this. It shouldn't be a case of 'other kids are smarter so the bar to move up is higher'. Generally once you are out of chronological year group you stay out if it. They should not be making yearly decisions.

mrz · 26/08/2016 11:14

I'm afraid it's very common for LEAs to insist pupils are returned to their correct year group by age. What is unusual is that it's happened after a year in secondary school not before transfer.

Original poster

DoggyDay · 01/09/2016 00:27

Yes, he is struggling a bit, as there was a death in the family. He is much better and more focuses and his grades had improved in his last end of year tests.

Honestly, no idea if the school knew he was meant to be in Yr 6, they never said anything to me, but they must have known, surely?? He just did everything all the other children were doing that were in 'his year' so when they went to school open days, he did and we applied like that, but it had to be applied for separately, as we didn't just get that random LEA reminder, IYSWIM?

OP posts:

Autumnsky · 01/09/2016 13:24

It would be better to drop back to his normal year I think. I know a few people who jumped a year but regret it. One friend's DS and DD all have been moved up a year, they did very well academically, but DS is not so mature compare to his classmates, DD is fine. And in my DS1's school, the boy who moved up didn't get well with his classmates either and moved back and is much happier. I think at this stage, a year's emotional and physcial development is quite big.

Curioushorse · 01/09/2016 13:29

Most of the colleges/ sixth forms round here won't accept entries from students who are too young to be there. Certainly, there's no point in moving a child on if they're struggling in the wrong year. I'd support moving him down now rather than later.

(And what were the primary school thinking?)

Original poster

DoggyDay · 01/09/2016 14:07

He has been moved up for years, as he was significantly more advanced, and had developed bad behaviour, due to them not giving him hard enough work, he was also emotionally more advanced. He is still doing very well academically, and has lots of great friends. His grades dropped, due to the death but like I say, are back up to what an average child a year ahead would be.

I think moving him down will cause some problems, due to him having to go through that horrible making friends stage again.

OP posts:

MindSweeper · 01/09/2016 14:12

I'm surprised this happened tbh

I was moved up to year 6 when I was supposed to be in year 5. But it just meant I had to do year 6 twice because the high school wouldn't have accepted me a year early.

mrz · 01/09/2016 14:54

It really sounds as if somewhere in that process someone failed to realise you were applying for a child who was a year younger and admitted him by mistake.

user1470171746 · 03/09/2016 17:44

Talk to the school to see if he can go into yr 8... explain to them the reasons for his grades dropping... and maybe use it as carrot for your child to do well..

OutDamnedWind · 05/09/2016 10:40

Would you rather he continued as an average child in the year above, or give him the chance to really excel in the year he should be in? Genuine question - can see pros and cons either way!

You'll also likely hitting more difficulties socially as he gets older, I the majority of his friends are from his class. The gap starts to widen a bit - the difference in being just 16 when friends are about to turn 18, for example.

Also make sure if he continues into year 8 that he can stay up the whole way through - Y7 might be the best year to repeat, if not.

yeOldeTrout · 08/09/2016 16:17

If he was emotionally more advanced than his peers then why did he exhibit difficult behaviour b/c he wasn't being given challenging enough work? Emotionally mature = can handle a bit more boredom than usual.

Longlost10 · 08/09/2016 21:26

Obviously he has to repeat a year, but it is unusual for that to be year 7, it is normally year 6.

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