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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Year Groups in England - please confirm! (Getting mixed up moving from Scotland!)

22 replies

JoJoMummy321 · 10/06/2011 17:26

Hi!

Please can someone clarify...my DD is 8 years old and birthday is 20.12.02.

Am I right that she would currently be in year 3 in England and going into year 4 in September this year?

We are in Scotland and with the Scottish system she is in P4 now and would move to P5 in August but I think the difference is to do with the English system having a year called reception perhaps the diffent cut of months for them starting school.

Please can someone clarify that she would be going into year 4 in September when we move to England.

Thanks so much!

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MigratingCoconuts · 10/06/2011 17:29

I think you are right. She would be in year 4 of the academic year in which she turns 9...which is next year!

(that took a bit of working out!)

stinky · 10/06/2011 17:32

No she would be in Y4 going into Y5. HTH

SingingSands · 10/06/2011 17:34

Think I agree with stinky - y4 going into y5.

cat64 · 10/06/2011 17:36

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IndigoBell · 10/06/2011 17:36

No, you are right, she would def be in Y3 going into Y4 in Sep.

cat64 · 10/06/2011 17:37

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stinky · 10/06/2011 17:40

My friends son was 8 in April and is in Y4.

cat64 · 10/06/2011 17:42

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hockeyforjockeys · 10/06/2011 17:44

No def Year 3 going into Year 4. Children turn 8 during Year 3, and 9 in Year 4, so as she has had her 8th birthday in this academic year she will be in Year 4 when you move (my brother is a November birthday and went from the end of Year 4 in England to P6 in Scotland when we moved during the summer if that helps you work it out!)

exexpat · 10/06/2011 17:47

Yr 3 now, yr4 in September for any child born between September 1st 2002 and August 31st 2003. So yes, you are correct about your DD, OP.

Mum2be79 · 10/06/2011 18:11

If she's 9 in the academic year 2011-12, then she will be in YEAR 4. Believe me, my Year 4's will be 8 going on 9 from September!

Original poster

JoJoMummy321 · 10/06/2011 20:21

Thank you so much for your help so far.

I was getting all in a muddle and all my research with regards to availability of places at schools has been based on year 4 starting September 2011 so I am glad it's not all been in vain!

So it seems she would be year 3 now and year 4 from the next academic year starting September 2011 which is what I thought but I started to get mixed up when I was looking on the internet at various things.

Any further comments or re-assurance would be very welcome too!

I don't really understand why the year groups are different in Scotland...is it due to reception?

Thanks!

OP posts:

auntpetunia · 10/06/2011 21:14

Your daughter would be year 3 now and going into year 4 in September. My daughter is the youngest in her year 4 group with a birthday of 28.8.02. Anyone born after 1.9.02 are currently in year 3.

The years are different in England because as you say we have Reception, then years 1 - 6. Whereas I believe in Scotland you start in Primary 1 and move up.

Original poster

JoJoMummy321 · 10/06/2011 22:48

Thank you for all your help and guidance so far. I was really worried there for a while! I think all the stress of organising our move must be getting to me!

OP posts:

Chelseahandfull · 11/06/2011 22:32

Take childs age, add 4 and a "+". So in year 1 they are 5+ is start the year 5 and turn 6 at some point during the school year (ie from Sept to Aug). Works throughout the years (if you take the word "reception" as having no numerical value)

Original poster

JoJoMummy321 · 12/06/2011 10:44

Thank you Chelseahandfull that's a great system!

OP posts:

darleneoconnor · 12/06/2011 18:21

What is here is strictly correct, however, because the structure of early years is different you may find that your DD will be quite far ahead in an English Y4. If she is quite high up in her year group it may be worth considering entering her for yr5, if the school allow it. You dont want her to be bored all year, this could turn her off education in the long run.

Original poster

JoJoMummy321 · 12/06/2011 21:31

Thank you Darleneoconnor that's an interesting thought. I will speak to the school although I don't know how I would feel about her being much younger than the others in her year group.

I'm also worried that the move itself will unsettle her so it might not be a bad thing if her first year wasn't too taxing from an academic point of view...although maybe a challenge would take her mind of things and I certainly don't want to put her off education.

I will certainly speak with the school and see what they recommend. I currently know that they have a space in Year 4 for her which was why I was so desperate for clarification that I had the year groups right but I am not sure about year 5. I will see what they say! Thanks for pointing this out to me, I appreciate it.

OP posts:

exexpat · 12/06/2011 21:42

I think the chances of a state school in England putting her in a year above her age are very, very slim - they are usually extremely reluctant to do it even for gifted children working several years ahead of their age-group. It causes all sorts of complications with moving up to secondary school because few secondary schools would accept a younger child - it could lead to her having to repeat year 6, for example.

Private schools would be more likely to do it, but only if she was working a long way ahead of the class she was supposed to go into.

I'd stick with her proper age group, specially if it sounds like there is a place for her, and let her have a relaxed few months to settle in. Of course there is no guarantee that she will be ahead of the class she goes into - levels can vary so much at that age.

IndigoBell · 13/06/2011 10:05

Stick with her proper age group. There will be a wide range of ability in the classroom and it is unlikely that they'll be any problems at all if she is further ahead.................

Original poster

JoJoMummy321 · 13/06/2011 12:28

Thanks for your thoughts...very helpful. I am pretty sure that the school will want her in her regular year group and to be honest, I am quite looking forward to her being one of the older children in the class with her December birthday. Here in Scotland with the different cut off dates, she is the youngest girl in her class.

She's quite sensitive and I do worry about this move for her so perhaps being able to feel quite confident in her academic work for the first year will be a good thing. Like you say exexpat, the levels do vary a lot so she may not be ahead at all anyway.

Thanks so much! :)

OP posts:

hockeyforjockeys · 13/06/2011 18:18

Don't even think about trying to get her into Year 5. Having done the reverse move as a child, I know that it is quite a culture shock particularly if she is sensitive. There will be a range of abilities in the class and unless she is especially gifted there will be others working at the same level as her. I find that when children move they stay still or go backwards for the first 6 months or so while they find their feet and learn the rules. After that they get back on track quickly so don't worry about doing any long term damage!

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