To move up or not to move up that is the question.

[BeckyBendyLegs]

Hello! I have a DS1 who started at reception in September. I've just been to the open evening at school and his teacher took me by total surprise by telling me he is well above the others in his literacy and numeracy and she wants to move him up to Year 1 after Christmas. I didn't even know that schools do this. I don't know what to do. In one respect he will benefit from being stretched more but in the other he will be parted from the friends he's just about started to make (we moved house in September and he started a new school, new class totally afresh) and have to start all over again and then in the summer lose friends again as they all move to Year 2 and he stays in Year 1. Does anyone else have any experience of this? Should I move him up or keep him with his friends?

well, i would leave him be, to be honest

there is plenty of time to push the academic side of things

I'd leave him be as well at this stage. Even though it would stretch him it may backfire and he may struggle/knock his confidence if he finds himself near the bottom of year 1 rather than the top of reception if IYSWIM and also having to make new friends. Better to be a big fish in a small pond and all that.

what purpose would it serve if its only for two terms? - surely then he would be even further ahead?

i'm with lurker, i wouldn't move him unless he is very very bored

I'm really surprised - I didn't know that schools did this either. I would personally leave him. Reception is about teaching them about school, play, social skills. He needs that more than he needs to be with children on the same reading level.

My DS1 stayed in the same Reception class but went up to year 1 for literacy, and then in year 1 went up to year 2 for maths. It worked fine because he stayed with his friends who were the same emotional age but he was being stretched. TBH a good teacher should be able to make something like this work for an able child without having to make them move years altogether.

What is the point of moving him up to year 1 and then keeping him in year 1 for another year? That sounds even more boring than not being stretched in reception.

Also, do his social skills match his academic skills?

Have I got this right? He would effectively do year 1 twice?

The idea sounds daft to me and (frankly) a cop-out on the teacher's part. The teacher should be able to adapt the teaching and learning to match your son's abilities and even if that means spending some time with another year group it surely doesn't need him to move up a year.

I agree you need to think about the social and emotional aspects. And if the plan is in fact to keep him a year ahead throughout primary school, you need to check whether your local secondary schools will take children a year early, as some won't.

I totally agree. I'm so not a pushy mother either so it is kind of ironic in a way this has happened! I always say to my DH I like to teach him about life and stuff not sit down and do anything academic at the table or with flash cards (just makes me think of the film Parenthood). I don't do academic!

Perhaps I'll suggest the being with Year 1 for certain subjects idea, thanks procrastinatingparent. That might be a good compromise.

His social skills do not match his academic skills at all. He received 1 to 1 extra help at preschool to help him with his social skills. He's come a long way (he used to really struggle socially) since then though. We moved house in Sept as I said and he's coped better than me!

the vast majority of LEAs keep children with their year group especially at secondary transition time, so even if he moved up and stayed up in primary he'd probably end up having to do Y6 twice (not a fun option ..)

my ds2 is in Y4 and he's doing Y6 maths but staying with his class and friends for everything else

Life was much easier when I was at primary school. I am happy for him to be in the class above for literacy and maths. I'm going to suggest that. Thanks everyone! What would I do without mumsnet