Moving up a class in a state school

[Comfy55]

My September born son just started Reception at a state-run primary a week ago and already I am very concerned. The problem is that he's been in a private run nursery for the past two years and he is quite advanced for his year group. He reads competently, does very well at addition, subtraction and even multiplication and division, writes short stories etc etc. Since he's been at school all they have done is had a couple of books read to them, they have played in water and sand and done some colouring. Although this is all good for learning via play etc. I am very concerned about his academics and given his personality I know he will soon tire of this and start getting distracted. I am thinking he probably needs to be assessed by the school and perhaps moved up a year. His nursery school teachers advised me to try and pursue this before he left nursery but I have no idea what the process is and if it is even possible. Has someone being through this and what is the process? Or is it better to leave him where he is as he has started making friends.

I'm afraid you're going to have problems. It's highly unlikely you'll be able to move your son up a year in the state sector. If you want to do that, you'd probably have to go private...
A mum at our school experienced this last year when her son (and mine) started reception. Hers - an October birthday - didn't have a great year, but is much happier now they are learning more in Y1. Reception is good for socialising etc, but it does sound as if your son is very advanced. Speak to the teachers about him being given some extension work and speak to the head too if you get no joy. But I'm afraid I think it highly unlikely they would move him up a year. You could also try and stimulate him out of school - eg piano lessons. I would probably leave him where he is, to be happy socially and work out how to help him academically in different ways.
Hope that helps a bit.

It's very very rare for this to happen in state school - they are very reluctant to move children out of their year. And even if they did, you would have the problem again at secondary, as state secondaries are even more reluctant to take children early. Children who are advanced at this stage often prove to be early learners but not necessarily gifted - by the end of reception/Y1, others will have caught them up.

He sounds bright, but not hugely exceptional, and I expect you'll find that whilst they've been doing play the teachers have been assessing all the children and figuring out their levels. Hopefully once everyone's settled in, they'll make sure he gets the right level reading book etc. Reception is about a whole lot more than just the academics. If you have doubts, bring them up at the first parents evening if it's soon, or make an appointment to talk to his teacher.

Does the school implement a G & T register? My DD was placed on this at the start of yr1 (unbeknown to me, but that's a different matter...) and yes, stretched and given extension work, but remaining for most of the time with her peer group.

Don't assume your ds is going to get bored. I have two dss who started school reading fluently, doing complicated sums, etc, etc, and yet they never objected to anything they did in reception class at school and always came home happy. My and my dh's family also have negative experiences of family members being moved out of their own academic year (not academically negative, just negative in most other ways, particularly with regard to sport, social and emotional development). So, unless you want your ds to read maths at Cambridge at age 14 and not get much of the social fun involved in school and university life, I wouldn't push to have him moved away from his peers. Find other solutions to deal with the issue - if it actually turns out to be an issue at all. And it's not impossible for your ds occasionally to go in to have lessons with older years, if he's a confident little boy and the school thinks it can't stretch him sufficiently within his own classroom, but he should stay with his peers as much as possible, imo.

ps I've just noticed he's a September birthday, so I guess you're thinking there won't be much difference in age between the youngest in the year above and your ds. However, I would still favour keeping him with his year group, as the Year 1s will already have established friendship groups, will have the confidence of children who have been at the school for a year already and some of them will be over a year older than your ds, physically and emotionally even if not intellectually (and as others have said, you are exceptionally unlikely to be allowed to move him up a year, anyway).

He's only been in school for a week!! I think it's way too early to be concerned, and you should wait and see how it goes.

FWIW, my dd started reception last year able to do all the things that you have listed, and she loved every minute of it. And she learnt a lot too. As Pixie has said, the joy of learning through play means that the children can play at whatever level they like, and in our experience, the teachers were great at providing stimulating opportunities for her. True, your school might not be so good, but I think you need to give them a chance!

At the end of reception, the school did suggest that we accelerate her a year, and I refused, because I thought it was better for her to stay with her peer group. I'm really glad I did that now, especially having read the thread the other day on the G&T thread about an acceleration that didn't work!

You're assuming that he will get bored and distracted before it has even happened. If I were you, I'd chill a bit right now, and let him take the lead. If he does show signs of boredom or frustration later on - and he might - then that's when you need to go into the school for a chat. :)

He's five and you are concerned about his academics when at this age (well any age) is his happiness... he has settled well and is making friends [shakes head sadly]

sorry I am so lost for words I forgot to type them
the most important thing is his happiness!!!

He'll be fine. If he's way ahead academically let him have a lovely year of playing and socialising.

It's far too soon to raise this with the school.

If, later in the year, it does seem that your son is getting bored by all means raise your concerns with his teacher. But I'd be surprised if he was bored, because he will be able to tackle all the Reception activities at his own level (and very clever children are usually good at finding new challenges). Reception classes often have a huge range of ability/readiness for school and if his teacher has any experience she will be used to catering across the range, from those who can read fluently to those who don't know which way up to hold a book. By the end of the year, the gap between them will have shrunk enormously.

It is very rare indeed for children to be moved up a year at state school, not least because they run the risk of having to repeat Year 6 while they wait to go to secondary school.

I was moved up a year at primary school, long long ago - as your son would, I went from being among the oldest in the year group to the youngest. Academically I was fine, all the way through school - actually coasted a lot, which has left me with a real difficulty in concentrating! I think they are better at differentiation these days.

In just about every other respect, however, I struggled - and if the option were to come up to move either of my kids up, I would not take it.

Waves across the room to mrz, (not in creepy way)
Don't worry re your son. The teacher is just getting to grips with a mixed bag of abilities. Your son will shine and do well provided he isn't completely ignored. Just provide extra stimulation at home in the way he needs.

My dd is pretty academic, but though she is now 6, she never gets bored by playing.

Work is differentiated from pretty early on, so your son should be found work applicable to his age. Plus, he may be great at reading and maths, but is he good at art/gardening?

Moving up a year isn't that good an idea; my old University (Cambridge) hated having to take 17 year olds because of all the issues of Child Protection, taking out loans, acting in-loco parentis etc.

hi
Your son sounds very bright to me. Most year 3s are not writing short stories.
Make sure he is stimulated at school, or in a few years he will become bored of school and learning.
If he is not moved up, then make sure he receives extra work, as gifted children should now be assessed as having special educational needs. Ignore other mothers/friends; unfortunately most people are jealous of anyone elses child being brighter than theirs. But they will pretend otherwise.
If necessary change schools. You will regret it, if when he grown up he hasn't fulfilled his potential. I am not talking about him going to university early. A 17 year old, could always have a gap year!!
But some gifted children dont even do A levels they had enough of school long before that.
Good luck!

Just to add.
As for social skills. Make sure he does Beavers/Cubs with his own age group.
Why should she provide extra stimulation at home bullethead? Surely the school should do that.

waves back (in a non creepy manner)

How do you know what he has done though? I can't get any information at all out of my Reception aged ds!

Young children who get bored are actually the ones that teachers worry about along with Y3 children who can't write short stories

You need to take a step back and let the teacher do her job, which, given that he has been at the school for a week, will currently involve assessing him and all of the other children. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised in a couple of weeks time when all of the initial settling in has been done and the teacher starts looking more at the individual needs of the children. Please don't fall in to the trap of thinking that 'playing' is in any way inferior to formal 'learning' - my eldests 'earliest' work on fractions came from filling a bucket of sand 'half full' and then emptying half of it out to make a quarter in reception - I was gobsmacked Seriously, he has a long school life ahead of him and it's way to early to worry yet.

A few years ago I worked for a head who "fast tracked" a handful of bright children into Y1. After two weeks one very sensible mum fought to have her son put into reception. Guess which child has been most successful academically ...

It is very very unusual to have children accelerated a year in state schools in the UK. And it is often not that successful either.

You have to think long term.

At some point he may well have to repeat a year. There is no guarantee a secondary school will accept him a year early. If you mve house there is no guarantee another school will keep him a year ahead. Equally there is no guarantee a college or university will accept him early.

There is no reason why a state school, esp at primary, can not cope with a bright child. They are not going t be working above the teachers own academic levels after all, not like you may get in late secondary. Instead of fighting to accelerate look at making sure the teachers are offering challenging work.

But also bear in mind that reception IS about way way more than academia. The social side of things are key and also the year ensures the basis is there for ALL areas, not just reading and maths.

There is absolutely no reason for him to gtet bored. i am often sceptical at this anyway because it is pretty unusual to find a child who doesn't enjoy playing with his fiends, esp when there are a large number of different activities around.

And it may look like sand and water and that's it, but it is more. They are learningabout various concepts when using funnels and jugs and mxing colours within the water. They are learning to deal with sharing and communicating with other people, they are learning to follow new school rules, etc.

Oh and bored doesn't have to mean disruptive or naughty either. A very bright child does not have to be naughty. If they are bright they will often have the skills to seek out more challenging activities within the activities that are there IMO. Most of hese receptiona ctivities are very open ended.. One child may be simply happy to play in a shop role play area. Another child may be working out how much different itemscost and what change to give back to the other child. Another may be writing up a shopping list. One might be designing their own item to sell in the shop.
Give it chance.

Florence
If her son is really bright, he will soon stand out and the teacher should recognise the need to make sure he's working at the right level and that she's stretching him alongside lots of play as well. He won't lose his brightness (I hope the human brain doesn't work like that!)but I agree he could lose motivation if he doesn't feel challenged. Of course it is DEFINITELY not for parents to do the school's job (but parents should try to support what the school is trying to do eg practice spellings etc when they're older)- but his mum is obviously concerned enough to write to mumsnet about it and I bet she does stuff at home with him. I just meant she should carry on with that too. He can only benefit all the more.