Early transfer to secondary school from primary school

[joh39]

Has anyone attempted to move their child early to secondary school as they are academicaaly and sociably able? If so what was the outcome?

It depends on the local authority. My local authority flat out refuse to allow children to be in any year group other than the one for their age.

It drives my headteacher mad. We have some children with very specific special needs, and even if the school and the parents want the child to be held back a year, the LA says no.

I had a year 6 who was/is gifted at maths (now at trinity college) who went to our local seconday for two lessons with the top year seven class and two lunch sessions for early gcse lessons, a week. We were lucky as we share the same grounds almost. I've not heard of any children starting secondary earlier in this area.

I have never heard of it. I don't think it happens in our LA. DD's high school has 1700 pupils and unless your 10/11 year old is very self confident I think your child might feel pretty intimidated by the experience. DD is in year 7 and finds the older/larger pupils rather scary.

Why would you do that? Seriously, why? How could it ever be good for a child?

Wouldn't happen in my LA and personally I think it would be bad for the child they need to be with their peers and not older kids,behaviour in high school is very different to primary. If you felt your child isn't being stretched mention it to their teacher to get more interesting work to do.

Dont get why you would
Your child won't be old enough to live away at uni any earlier
Imagine a 16/17 year old at uni with 18/19 year olds illegally drinking in pubs

Plenty of time for them to shine in their official year group when they get to senior school in year 7 at age 11. I think it would be hard for a younger child to 'fit in' with older children and teens no matter how 'sociably able'.

Happens occasionally in private schools if a child has been moved up a year earlier in primary school. Eg, there is one boy in DS's year 9 group who should be in year 8 still. I was moved up a year at age 8 (year 4), so started secondary at age 10; worked fine for me but I was big for my age and socially mature/confident as well - it doesn't work for everyone. And as others have said, state schools here are very much against it.

I don't think even a private school would take a child from year 4 or 5 and suddenly move them into year 7, though - I think it would be a recipe for social disaster. How young are you talking? I have heard of that kind of extreme acceleration in the US, but it's controversial, and usually only in the context of a profoundly gifted child - the kind who'd be doing university-level work by age 11.

There is a huge difference between an eight/nine year old child and a twelve/thirteen year old adolescent

Ds was taught by a secondary school maths teacher for the last two years in primary from the school he eventually attended but he was taught in his primary school. He was socially very able as well but I wouldn't have wanted him to attend the secondary school early. He was known as Dexter boy genius by the end of the first term anyway after winning the whole school maths challenge.It was a learning experience with the support of his peers who he went through primary with I hate to think how he'd have coped had he entered the school out of year tbh

Thanks for advice decided to stay at primary until end of yr 6!