Is it ever possible to 'skip' a year?

[SuePurblybilt]

My DD is a Sept birthday so she just squeaked into Reception last year - born a bit earlier and she'd be finishing Year One now.

We're moving and the new schools have no room in Year One. If there is a space in Year 2, could I ask that she be moved up? So effectively skip year one?

She's very bright and reading/writing at that level already - spends the majority of her time with the Year 1 group atm and is ahead of them all in reading and writing (sorry - there's no way to put that without sounding smug and boasty. I'm not- just want to illustrate that she'd not struggle). She's strong across the board, physically tall and IMO socially developed enough to cope. As I said - it's only a matter of a few weeks between her and the youngest in the year above anyway. I know there are areas that she won't have covered but as she's been working with the year group and has the relevant basic skills (the maths and phonics stuff - the tools if you like) - would it be less of an issue perhaps?

I doubt if they have space anyway but does anyone know if this is even possible?

I did as a child, but it was instigated by the school as I was ahead of my peers in maths and English. I wouldn't recommend it - whilst it worked just fine at primary school, I ended up repeating a year at secondary school and rejoined my year group.

There is a lot of difference emotionally between a 12 year old and a 13 year old. I just didn't fit in when I got older.

I also know of a school which did this, the child then went on to private education at Yr7, so there wasn't the usual issues about being obviously younger than other teenage pupils. However, like nancerama this child was moved up because they were particularly gifted, not just because there wasn't space in the class for their "original" year. I can't see a school agreeing to have a child in a higher year unless there's a good reason for that child - the school I'm thinking of did stress how unusual this sort of move up a year is. I doubt your proposed school would agree to it.

Would she have to repeat a year later on, as there's just a couple of weeks in the age difference?

Yes,I doubt they'll do it, I just wondered if it was even legal.

I did this when I was at primary school - I skipped the equivalent of Year 3 and went into Year 4. I hated it, I was desperately miserable and very conscious of being younger than the others. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend it.

Also, be aware that there are blocks of the curriculum that are taught in different years, techniques in maths for example. I work with Year 4s and my own DD is in Year 3. She's at the very top of Year 3 and a lot more able than many of the Year 4s I support. However, there are things that they have covered which my DD hasn't yet.

(I appreciate both my examples relate to Y3 / 4s, I have read your OP and know you're talking about Y1/2 )

These days, I think it's unlikely they'd do it. However, I doubt there's any legal reason why they couldn't, there's lots of precedent of children being educated in mixed age classes - just look at small village schools.

I can't help thinking that those who home educate can skip whatever you like. If she presents herself for sixth form college or university a year late or early, who is going to mind? As long as she is settled in herself, nobody will notice. I hear of many, mostly on mumsnet, for whom it was difficult, but know many including some who are in senior school now who are perfectly happy.

My family, over the generations, have skipped years all over the place, and the only difference it made was we tended to be a little shorter than most in class, though not all, and continued to gain height in sixth form when most had stopped. Nobody commented apart from casually when someone has the initial double take at the birth date in university or sixth form applications. HTH

I did this, early Oct birthday, skipped year 2, I'm 25 so it wasn't years and years ago.

I wouldn't recommend it though as others have said. Throughout school I did fine, got better gcse's than many of my peers etc but emotionally I certainly wasn't mature enough to finish school at 15!

I lived in a small village with no public transport, 10 miles or so from the nearest town with job prospects, obviously no option to learn to drive and parents who worked full time so couldn't ferry me around. I ended up going to my schools 6th form as it was literally my only option that I could get to on a daily basis. Hated it, failed all my AS levels, more lack of trying then academic ability iyswim, total waste of time.

The next year I signed up for college, doing a course I was actually interested in, learnt to drive within 6 months of my 17th birthday and all was good.

But the year I skipped was a waste of time as I effectively wasted another one a few years later!

Extremely unlikely in the state system these days, and even if she did, she would end up repeating Yr 6 (she wouldn't be allowed to go to secondary early).

A good state school will stretch her in her year group class; she won't be the only one working a year or so ahead of her age.

I did it, many years ago but - as someone mentioned upthread - in the rare circumstances when it happens now it usually results in the child having to repeat Y6 because secondary schools won't take children out of their cohort. Independent schools may, though, be more flexible about this.

If none of the schools in your new area have places, the LEA ought to be ordering a school to accept your child under the Fair Access Protocol. Details of that should be on the LEA's website.

Thanks all. I was less worried about her working at an appropriate level than I was trying to think of a way to get her into a school tbh - I agree that a good school will find her level regardless.

I was generalising re the school places - there are two schools with places Panel, one very very much a faith school (which would cause me problems but is another thread entirely) and one that I really don't like. And both are a fair leap across town - couldn't be further if they tried - but for the purposes of admissions, they are close enough and have available spaces so the LEA don't need to do anything. The half dozen schools close to the new address have no room at the inn.

I'm sure it'll be sorted out one way or another, thanks for all the responses, very helpful.

Hmm. In that case, I doubt the FAP would kick in (and anyway it's usually kept for those who have been out of school) but you can apply for places at your preferred schools and see what happens. If they are full, you will be automatically refused but then you can appeal and emphasise why you want one of the local schools and why it's a better fit for your child than the faith school or the other one. When you apply, though, the LEA will only consider an application for your child's correct year - moving up a year is done (rarely) by local discretion within the school but never by the LEA via the admission process.

Thank you, that's very helpful.
Yes, it's a case of waiting and seeing - I don't have any sort of a proper case for appeal. The year group idea was just idle musing, seeing as she is so close in age.

Much better to be the eldest cleverest one rather than the youngest. Academically it is not such a problem when they are younger but later on you might be kicking yourself if she were not doing as well as you hoped.

You can enter secondary early, one of my Year 5's starts year 7 in September and is missing out year 6 completely

We've seven children in our community here who are all 1-1.5 years ahead ability wise, three have now skipped y1, two skipped y2 (regular state primary).

School have accomodated this by

1- early testing (the community children carry the reputation of being bright so school now are primmed for our lot!) testing includes IQ and Gutheri Assessments at 3 and again at 4years 9months.

2 - school then register the children for their correct age group so that they have the full seven years of primary funding, but the children are moved throughout the day to their appropriate learning group (for example my eldest spent 2.25 hrs today in year4, 1 hour in mixed year3/4 and remainder of the day in y2 - he is technically a y2 child,Feb birthday). 3 - when numbers bulged last Sep our community children were shifted between registers for different classes so as to allow for the bulge class in the overall total number of children at the school, in this way the school could take in 7 children more than their PAN.

So there is, in some schools, scope for juggling - I think it's very much down to the HT.

Personally I think it is of far more benefit that she is the eldest in year one than the youngest in year two. I have an end of August born child and a start of Sept child and I know who has the biggest advantage out of my two.

I 'was skipped' in the days of 11+ exams and had do two years in the top form of junior school (otherwise I'd have been 10+). Probably a wasted year.
However,I eventually ended up in the private sector and was put forward by two years. genug mentions size,never a problem as always tall.Ilovepie totally agree that it's best to be the cleverest-that was never the problem.

The year 5 boy I mentioned sat and passed his 11+ a year early and is now off to state grammar school, so it can be done.

Aaaah, I'm going back to the 70's.

Which LEA is that, Snowball3? The usual MN consensus is that state secondaries won't take children out of their year, so it's interesting to hear of one that will.

Lincolnshire. He sat his 11+ when still nine, passed with flying colours and, after a great deal of humming and aahing, the local grammar school accepted him into year 7 in September. He is phenominally bright however!

My daughter will be skipping a year from September, but will repeat it somewhere before secondary school. She is currently in Reception so will be going into year two.

I'm not that thrilled to be honest, but have to trust that the school know what they are doing. I think she will miss her friends a lot.

Yes, one of my Year 5s will be going into Year 7 (state secondary) in September.

Have to say I never thought it possible and it's certainly down to an individual headteacher. I think this headteacher is just more flexible than most - he has also been known to allow children to defer a year, which many heads will not contemplate.

Obviously, the child is pretty bright and there are a specific set of circs that make it even remotely appropriate. She isn't even old in her year though - a spring term birthday. I'm not convinced, but parent fought - not even very hard really - and won the case.

My DS went from Reception into Y2 this year and HIS school consulted the Middle and High school who are both happy to take him a year early.

I know a child who skipped Year Five and went straight from Y4 to Y6. She has a late September birthday as well as being very bright and was just spinning her wheels (and getting into trouble) in her original class. She was allowed to start secondary school as usual after finishing Y6. Both her junior and secondary schools are state sector. I think heads must have a lot of discretion about this.