Skipping a year

GreenMarigold · 2023-05-23T06:25:02+00:00

My daughter is currently in y1 and her school is talking about her skipping a year as she displayed ‘deep understanding’ when she took some y2 tests. The teacher said she’d struggle to keep up with her learning needs next year as reception, 1 and 2 are taught in the same classroom (it’s a small school). Obviously it’s lovely that she is doing so well but I’m not sure socially that she’s ready to go up a year and be away from her friends. Has anyone got any experience of skipping a year? Good or bad.

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Morph22010 · 23/05/2023 07:26

They can move them about within a school but the issue would be when she got to year 6 she wouldn’t be allowed up to secondary early (assuming you are state school not private)

TookTheBook · 23/05/2023 07:27

If it's the same classroom, won't she still be with her friends?

Personally I wouldn't do this as development is also social not just academic. She should stay with her peer group.

However, is she a September born?

PuttingDownRoots · 23/05/2023 07:27

Is there two classes in the school or three?

If they are splitting Yr 2 between a Reception to Yr2 class and yr2-y4 class its completely different to putting one Yr2 in a Yr3-6 class.

RhosynBach · 23/05/2023 07:28

I’m a teacher and I didn’t think this was a thing anymore. School should be able to differentiate and challenge her appropriately without resorting to just moving her up a year.

MrsSamR · 23/05/2023 07:28

I had 2 friends at secondary school who had skipped a school year at primary school and started in Y7 at 10 years old. They were both November born so turned 11 shortly after. They were obviously incredibly bright and did absolutely fine in the older year both academically and socially. This was a private school though.

Original poster

GreenMarigold · 23/05/2023 07:29

She is at state at the moment but we are considering a private secondary so the transition might not be an issue.

She would go into the y3 and 4 classroom and her friends would stay in reception, 1 and 2. She would still see them at playtime though.

She is a Feb baby so middle of the year age-wise.

OP posts:

UndercoverCop · 23/05/2023 07:30

I lived with a guy at uni who has an August birthday and skipped a year, by then he was no brighter than the rest of us (tbf the entrance requirements were very high 3A for my course before A* existed, so he was still bright the playing field had just levelled) , but he was sufficient and emotionally quite immature. Now this may be completely unrelated but he's the only person I know who skipped.
They should have a plan to support your daughter without moving her, in year 2 my teacher was setting me different work, bringing me in books from home, giving my parents a text list to get from the library, extending every topic. I went to a small state school too.

TeenDivided · 23/05/2023 07:30

If they are talking about 'maths and English with the y3s' that's one thing. She would be stretched in those subjects whilst still doing other things with her peers.

Being formally put up a year would be quite another. Socially it is hard (I did it, though I was summer born), and maturity wise sitting GCSEs effectively a year early would be troublesome.

Even with just going up for maths & English they would need a plan on what to do in y5/y6.

MuffinToSeeHere · 23/05/2023 07:33

In a state school? I'd be very very surprised to see it happening and it would make me question whether the school was the right place for my child. I've taught some very intelligent children over my years and 2 I'd consider truly academically gifted and moving them up to skip a year was never on the table, it's just not the done thing any more for so many reasons.

Original poster

GreenMarigold · 23/05/2023 07:34

Thanks everyone for your input. Sorry I just realised I wasn’t clear - I meant going up a year from September which is why she’d effectively go from y1 to y3.

It’s definitely the social side that is more of a worry for me. She’s got friends of all ages at the school but I think it’s important she has those strong peer relationships and not rely on the ‘mother hens’ in the older years.

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StillWantingADog · 23/05/2023 07:37

I’d be more worried about the social aspects and at least at this age would prefer to keep her where she is

I also am surprised this is a thing. Not heard about it for years. Though a very good friend of mine was moved up I think from y2 to y4 ish in the 1990s and it definitely did not affect her negatively at all.

Original poster

GreenMarigold · 23/05/2023 07:38

UndercoverCop · 23/05/2023 07:30

I lived with a guy at uni who has an August birthday and skipped a year, by then he was no brighter than the rest of us (tbf the entrance requirements were very high 3A for my course before A* existed, so he was still bright the playing field had just levelled) , but he was sufficient and emotionally quite immature. Now this may be completely unrelated but he's the only person I know who skipped.
They should have a plan to support your daughter without moving her, in year 2 my teacher was setting me different work, bringing me in books from home, giving my parents a text list to get from the library, extending every topic. I went to a small state school too.

I think the extra resources and extended learning would be a really healthy way of helping her along. I’ll raise this when I talk about it with the school. Thank you.

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1AngelicFruitCake · 23/05/2023 07:42

I’m a teacher and that sounds a terrible idea! The bright children who are ahead academically wouldn’t have found it easy to be with much older children socially. It sounds a lonely experience for your child, yes they’ll see friends at lunch and break but that’s assuming the friendships with those children remain the same if they aren’t with them.

mondaytosunday · 23/05/2023 07:44

I skipped a year, when I was about 6/7. I was a Soring baby and was just a year younger than everyone else. It was when I switched schools (so new set of friends anyway) and I have no idea why - this was around 1970 though. It wasn't an issue progressing and I was tall and matured at the same time as the other girls. It did mean I went to university just a few months after I turned 17 though!

1AngelicFruitCake · 23/05/2023 07:45

Also I’d worry that older children were looking after her or allowing her to play rather than forming proper friendships. If my child in year 4 came home saying she’d been playing with a year 2 child I’d be concerned my child wasn’t socialising at an appropriate level and whilst I’d think it was lovely sometimes, I wouldn’t be keen on her putting all her energies into a younger child.

Soontobe60 · 23/05/2023 07:49

GreenMarigold · 23/05/2023 07:34

Thanks everyone for your input. Sorry I just realised I wasn’t clear - I meant going up a year from September which is why she’d effectively go from y1 to y3.

It’s definitely the social side that is more of a worry for me. She’s got friends of all ages at the school but I think it’s important she has those strong peer relationships and not rely on the ‘mother hens’ in the older years.

It sounds like the teacher suggested it for her convenience, not for your daughter. She should stay with her peers and the teacher should provide appropriate tasks. Moving children ‘up’ and ‘down’ classes away from their friends is never a good idea!

StillWantingADog · 23/05/2023 07:49

Also bear in mind if she is sporty this could cause issues as she will be in a different age category to her peers

ViolaV · 23/05/2023 07:49

I wouldn't allow this under any circumstances. Your dc belongs in her year group. Change schools, if you can go to prep.

fernfriend · 23/05/2023 07:51

I skipped a year. I didn't really notice at the time (I skipped year 1). I was quite a confident and happy child. I'd be happy for my child to skip a year, if they have a similar temperament to me. However, if my child was super shy, and found friendships tricky, I would definitely not want them to skip a year.
I went to secondary school when i was 10 and transitioned really well. I'm still close with my school friends! I think it all depends on temperament.

LizziesTwin · 23/05/2023 07:54

There are so many ways in which this would be detrimental to your daughter. Her manual dexterity wouldn’t be the same as the older pupils so she’d be worse at crafts/art, she wouldn’t be as co-ordinated so she wouldn’t do as well in sports/PE, socially she wouldn’t have a natural peer group.

Press for extension work, there is a lot of breadth available. (I was put up a year & then back down when I changed school, DH was put up 2 yrs, I was told DD1 had done all the work for yr 1 in the January of Yr 1).

hiredandsqueak · 23/05/2023 07:55

My son used to do Maths and Literacy with older classes but he stayed with his friends in his class for everything else. Is that an option? It wasn't a big deal in his school as children were taught with others of the same ability so whilst some went to the older classes others went to younger classes. They got over any potential teasing or bragging by giving the maths and literacy classes animal names and assigning a child to an animal.

Nomowmay · 23/05/2023 07:58

My DD and her friend skipped a year at their private prep school. The big problem was moving to secondary, so then they have to repeat a year or as we did, take a year out to home educate - we discovered a lot of privately educated children did this to prepare for entrance exams. They employed tutors to prepare them for scholarship levels. We didn't, we went travelling instead and educated our DD ourselves. I guess it depends on the rules of the secondary school you are aiming for and whether they will take them younger.

Peacepudding · 23/05/2023 08:01

Moving her into the y3/4 class would mean that the autumn born y4s would be 2.5 years older than her. Absolutely no way I would entertain it.

PuttingDownRoots · 23/05/2023 08:06

How big are the classes?

NewtyB · 23/05/2023 08:07

I skipped a primary year (30 now for reference).
It seemed like a massive deal at the time, kids thought I was a bit strange and kids can be mean. I was also an early May baby, so was basically almost 2 years younger than some of the kids in my year.
Private secondary, not too much bother, just kept my head down really. Never had an issue with making friends but I'd always been on the more mature side.
Only really at university - I had my whole first year at age 17....so socially was a little bit trickier with going out etc.
Now obviously no one even knows, apart from I got some curious looks when people think I'm a bit too young to be where I am. Personally though I would take it or leave it, yes I got pushed academically (which I loved) and have had an extra year's experience out of education compared to people my age but did it really make a difference to my life...,not really to be honest.