Qs about skipping a year...

[brachy]

My DD is officially a Year 2 child, however, she is (full time) in a Year 3/4 class with some subjects being taken with the Year 6s. She is registered at the school as a Year 2 being taught out of age-group.

We are looking to move within the next year to a new county. What happens when we move schools? Will it depend on the school or county policy?
Do we get her registered as a Year 3 child now whilst she is at her current school? Is it even possible to have her registered as a Year 3?

Many thanks.

It depends entirely on the new school and the Head and what they think of the policy of acceleration.

Personally I am not a fan at all; IMO it rarely solves the issues, but rather can mask them.

Is this a state school?

Yes, she is at a state school.
For DD, the skip so far has been the best thing we've done with with schooling, she is just so much happier and actually enjoys going to school again. She has always struggled socially but this year, she has blossomed so much; it is just fantastic to see her confident and chatty.
A one year skip hasn't really soved the academic issue, hence she has access the Year 6 classroom. Her class teacher is already worried about what to do next year with her...um, differentiate was my reply!
We really have no idea what to do with regards to schools, we just assumed she could move sideways into the same age group.

I don't know many schools that let children skip a year. My ds was in a mixed yr 1/2 class & when in year 1 he was top of top group & i was told that the school wouldn't consider him going up a year. Tbh at the time I was concerned, but I'm happy with the in class differentiation he receives. If you really want your dd to carry on in a higher yr group you'll have to do a lot of research with schools you are considering, as I think skipping isn't really popular with most schools.

Any other people with a similar experience?
Thanks for the replies so far.

Even if the primary school will re-label her, you'll need to check what happens when she gets to the final year there - will she be able to move to secondary school with her new class, or have to re-take a year?

And even if she can move up to secondary early, I wouldn't say that's a great idea - you get into all kinds of social / teenage / puberty issues if you're "out of year" then, as everyone else is at a different stage in their development.

My sister was put up a year, and I don't think it did her any favours in the long run - she could cope academically, but the social side got tricky as she wasn't ready for it.

Hi there,

My DD has been advanced, and as you have found, socially it's been fantastic for her. However, we're considering moving from State to Private and have been told by the private school they would be happy to keep her in her advanced year, so long as she performs to the standard in the entrance exam. I'm happy to go with whatever the school feels would be most appropriate (socially and acamdemically).

A new school may take a view on how 'old' your child is - for example, my DD is only 4 weeks from the cut-off point that would have seen her being in the year above anyway.

In terms of 'problems' further the down the line....well, it'd be great to have a crystal ball! Personally, the arguements of she won't be able to drink/drive/going out with boys/whatever at the same age as some of the others issues don't really wash with me. I kinda feel - tough - sometimes in life you just have to wait for things, and that's not a bad lesson to learn. Somebody in the year group is going to be last to hit legal ages! She's miles ahead in terms of maturity, anyway.

We were told by our current school it would be a 'tragedy' for our daughter if we didn't let them advance her and - whilst I feel they were probably over-egging the pudding a bit! - I really can't imagine her being happy in her choronological year now. We'd asked at the time what would happen if we moved school, and our current school said they'd talk to a new school to explain their rationale for thinking advancement was the best thing for DD.

Phew, bit long-winded, but hope it helps!

katcan, i always mean to ask if you are anything to do with the katcando charity? your username always reminds me.

just marking place out of interest to see what happens when the op discusses with new school. so much depends on their pov.

We had the option to advance a year with DS. We decided against it as he would not be permitted to start secondary school a year early. I don't think he could cope with doing year 6 twice.

madwoman - no, I'm nothing to do with katcando charity. I'm sure they wouldn't want me posting my opinions under their name !

it's just one of those little things that sparks when i see your username. will now attempt to erase it...

My Eldest DS is a MAT pupil but as hes at a very small village primary the lessons are ability targetted not age targetted. He has ASD and so social skills are an issue that are also being addressed. This mixed ability and age group schooling really works for us from socialising with appropriate peer group and being stretched acedemically.

I was moved up a year for most of primary school, it was difficult socially as the work was still not challenging, yet the kids were huge and grown up (to my eyes, but a year is a long time in infants). I remember looking longingly at my previous year group playing in the sandpit while I did algebra. In the end I decided to move back to my chronological year group but did extension work for much of the lesson time.
Listen to your DC, a bright child especially needs input in decisions such as these.

My DS is a year ahead in the system. He sat his 11+ a year early and started at Grammar in September.

He was assessed at an early aged and for that reason, we continued in the private system. He's very mature in his outlook and in fact was Head Boy at his last school, so in terms of maturity this has never been an issue.

We did have to go through a significant process to allow him to sit the 11 + early and move on in the state system. Having said that, it's definitely been worthwhile as he's already ahead in his new school.

Allowing my child to be advanced a year or more at school is number 2 on my list of things I will never allow to happen after my experience.

I am a dyslexic, but like most dyslexics I have a very high IQ. Once my parents moved me to a school that acknowledged my dyslexia and helped me with it I flew away academically so the next step was deemed to be to move me up a year. Then followed the most awful two terms of my life yes I loved the academic work, but hated the social interaction and ended up hiding in the cloakrooms at breaktimes crying. Fortunately the school and my parents worked it out and moved me back to my correct year and I did extension work.
The long term effect was that at senior school I 'hid my light' a bit and ended up with average GCSE grades. I then switched again to a sixth form college who encouraged me without pushing end result vet school and two degrees.
I still now have flash backs to being laughed at by those older girls for being young. If I had had the choice I would have said no.

Every child is different. I think it is emotional maturity that is more important and physical maturity eg for sports/puberty/socialising. Often if they have been up a year from the start (very common in my family as it means the mother could go to back to working more regular hours quicker) it is not noted as different as is not obvious (tall family). Academically if they are that far ahead will it make a difference?

In previous posts I have mentioned the importance that social interaction has for progression eg happiness, interviews,confidence so I would be wary if it was an obvious skip a year IYKWIM.

I was up two years at primary but then did Year 6 twice as I my (independent) senior school wouldn't accept me into year 7 at 9-quite rightly so I think. Doing year 6 twice was incredibly boring. I sat in a corner for the year and taught myself the year 9 sats work. When I did get to senior school I coasted for the first 3 years and did practically no work but was constantly top of every class. I got very lazy and over confident (and arrogant tbh) and then in Year 10 got the shock of my life when I suddenly had to start working because I didn't know it all already. I ended up with comparatively rubbish GCSEs-if I'd worked normally all the way through years 7-11 I think I'd have done considerably better.

I would stick to the right year group and make sure proper differentiation is going on-the school had a duty to challenge every pupil regardless of ability.

Pippaand polly was the problem for you the lack of appropriate work ( I really suffered with that one as well) rather than the skipping a year? Also the obvious skipping 2 years (very hard to hide two years at primary level especially with the secondary school not accepting you).

I would say that what you really want to do is not look for a school which will keep her up with year 3's (and not be stretched by their work but suffer the social disadvantages). But to search for a school which can cope and is experienced in dealing with very bright children.
For instance my DCs school, has levels of achievement such that I was told once that my child was achieving at the national average but for their school this below average and they were concerned (correctly as that child is dyslexic). The same school has also managed to cope with a boy who sat GCSE Maths in year 4, has ASD but stays with his correct chronological age group. He is supported with stretching his Maths skills, but also challenged to develop his social and other skills.
Children from this State primary often are accepted by highly selective private secondaries (several each year with scholarships and bursaries).

If you stick within the state sector and she stays officially "advanced" you may well hit problems at secondary transfer. I don't officially know because my area don't do this (and I'm not keen really) for G+T but the reverse ie keeping a child with SN in a lower year group is something I am aware of- in this case they still were forced to transfer at age 11 (fortunately to a SN school) and so did the whole transfer stuff from a year 5 class.

Go private to a school that will be able to fully address her needs - that's my advice BUT as everyone else has said there are "bad" private schools a plenty, and for some a "secondary style curriculum" with latin and the works wouldn't be a "good " school for them, but it could be for your DD. Possibly consider (if you are in the right area) the sort of prep that still goes to 13 and prepares for CE as, the school then has a structure in place to stretch beyond 11yrs (even if you do end up transferring at yr7)

I was a year ahead at school and did well academically, but I was so ASHAMED of my age and lived with a dread of people outside school (boys, basically) finding out. And I thought I was terrible at sport until my 30s.

A quick update and a thank you for all the replies...lots of great advice and ideas to think about.
We have decided not to move just yet for a variety of reasons. Plus DD is actually quite happy right now and we don't want to change her environment or school and have to re-start all the friends she has made etc.
Right now, she cannot imagine being in a Year 2 classroom. As it is, she spends 3 sessions a week with the Year 6s and she is loving that; they are her best days. The school SAT tested her in Year 1 and she was a level 5 on the reading paper and her maths just missed a level 4 (Year 6 paper) so we know she is quite bright. How the school deal with that though is another matter and one that we constantly have to review.
I don't know what we'll do next year let alone what happens when she hits year 6 and secondary transfer.
Thanks again for all the replies.