Which school year should DS be in?

[movingmuddle]

DH has been offered a job in Edinburgh. All being well, we'll move up early next year. Currently we're in England and although DP grew up in Scotland it's been a while since school!

DS will turn 11 this December. He's just started secondary. I know the years are different in the Scottish system but I think that means he'd still be in S1 in Scotland, is that right? And if so, might there also be an option to hold him back a year, so that he starts new with the other S1 kids next Sept instead of straight in to an already established class? (I'm in two minds about this, but just wondering if it's even possible).

Thanks.

If he is turning 11 in December then he would currently be in p7 at primary and moving to S1 in August 2021.

He would be due to go into S1 in August next year.

No, if he's currently 10, he would have just started p7 in Scotland and would start S1 in August. He'd also be quite young for his year in Scotland.

How is he in secondary school in England if he is only 10 now?

Oh bum. I have no idea why I wrote DS is turning 11 in December, he's 11 now! (I must be in denial!)

I was just replying saying how great it'd be that he'd be in P7 then realised my mistake.

I wish this had been last year as it'd be so much easier for him to go up a year with a cohort of kids he'd met in P7, than start late in the year in S1.

It's my understanding that in Scotland, some people will have chosen to hold their DC back a year for starting P1, so there might be some kids his age in the year below anyway, is that right? Would it make any sense to do that now, do you think or am I over thinking this?

In the English system, he'll have 5 years of secondary then 2 more at 6th form before he goes to university. But it's a year less in the Scottish system isn't it? So if he effectively went down a year he'd still be doing the same amount of school as if we'd stayed in England.

But is that a bonkers idea?

I would definitely defer if you can. Older kids do better in their exams. Also if he didn't defer he'd be going to uni at age 17 and missing out on many social activities.

Thanks Aurea. Do many DC defer? Could we reasonably expect there be some his age?

He's a tall bean pole, easily one of the tallest in his year. I'm worried about him standing out a mile! (More than usual, anyway!)

You might have a fight on your hands to "defer" him, its only a given in P1 with Jan and Feb borns. Also the school year starts mid August rather than in September

Moving in from a different education system usually allows flexibility but you need to discuss with school. It will depend on his maturity and education level and not his height. Kids are all different, mine were both tall and they have summer birthdays so not deferred, but didn't stand out. DS2 had a friend who had a proper beard at 14 and other friends who looked about 10 at the same age.

At my kids school, the oldest deferred from an October birthday (he had stuff going on at home). There are several kids that defer from December onwards.

From what I gather, January and February can be deferred on the wishes of the parents and December birthdays can also defer but they may have to put a case to the school. There have been several deferred children in each of my children's years.

My kids are now older (one second year uni, one S4) and a couple of my friends who did not defer their children now regret it.

My DF will be 11 this December she is in P7, your son would be in S1 unless you had deferred at the beginning. When DD started deferring December birthdays was very rare and not automatic, if you moved next January I really don't think anyone would accept him in P7 as already at high school in England therefore he would be in S1 just now and S2 next year

I really don't think anyone would accept him in P7 as already at high school in England therefore he would be in S1 just now and S2 next year

Thanks. It's not what I want to hear but probably what I need to hear! I think I need to accept this is the likely scenario and moving year groups is only an outside possibility.

We've been talking about the possibility of moving to Scotland, on and off for ages. DH is Scottish and we have family and friends in Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere in the central belt. But I'm wondering if we've left it all too late now. DS2 is 8, but I'm less worried about him, he's a sociable little things and makes friends wherever he goes. DS1 finds it really hard to make friends. If he could start with a new cohort that'd be one thing, but I wonder if moving schools when he's already started secondary is unfair on him.

But then again I'd love to bring the DC up in Edinburgh (and I'd love to be there myself). We live in a small town we ended up in for work, and I've never really felt at home here. There aren't that many work opportunities here and not a lot to do for teenagers, not compared to Edinburgh, anyway. It'd be great to be near DH's part of the family - where we live now we're neither near mine nor his.

But - our budget is pretty small for Edinburgh (about £300k) so I can see we're limited about where we can afford.

Kicking myself for not being more decisive sooner! This job came up out of the blue (it's through a friend). DH has accepted it, but there is a small window in which we could back out.

I really want to make this work, but worried if I'm maybe doing the wrong thing by DS1? Long term, I have no doubt I'd much rather we were all in Edinburgh but I just don't know if the price DS1 would have to pay would be worth it.

Anyone got a crystal ball handy?

Contact some schools and see what they say. There isn't a blanket policy.
Good luck!

Agree, it's not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. I have 2 DSs a year apart. A boy moved into DS2s class in primary even though he was older than DS1. The following year he moved to DS1s class and went to high school with that group. Another lad was in DS1s class, moved to another primary and then turned up in DS2s High school year.

My nephew, summer birthday, was in high school when they moved back to Scotland at Christmas when he was 11, he went back to primary for 6 months and then up to high school.

It's not as cut and dried as suggested, especially as he's a winter birthday.

As said previously it’s v common to defer Jan/Feb, it is also becoming increasingly common to defer Dec born. I don’t think it will matter that your DC is already in secondary in England as it’s a completely different system.

If you google deferred entry for Edinburgh council you can see the stats for a few years and there are quite a few (into the hundreds) each year under ‘discretionary deferral’ these are those born before Jan who were under 5 at the start of the school year. Not all were granted but the majority were and the figure was even higher post appeal.

I think if you are looking at schools in Edinburgh a lot will depend on your catchment school and where they have space.

Though to be honest I think your DC would be ok in S1 or S2 - it might be a bit easier in S1 but they are still fairly early in their high school progression in S2 and you are not impacting any exam years.

It’s not a blanket policy. Once you decide where to move to, just approach the local primary and apply for a P7 place for him. Why would they not take him - most have space and TBH they don’t do a lot of a academic work from Easter of P7 until the summer. He’d have lots of to to find his feet and make some friends he would move up to high school with.

When they start first year of high school there’s lots of revision of basic work , as often kids have come from various primary schools. It’s a good time to move .

Your big issues is going to finding a house for that budget near Edinburgh with a good high school. However if it can be done, MN are the best people to advise you - there’s lots of experts here.

Have you searched old threads here for Edinburgh housing / schools ?

I know a few Dec born children in Edinburgh who have been deferred, plus many Jan/Feb birthdays deferred. If you have a school in mind you could talk to them about this - the likelihood would be your son would be one of the oldest in p7 but there would be others.

I would agree with posters here that the best approach would be to look at areas where you can afford to buy. Look at the home report value and add 10% at least.

If you find an area that you like it's best to contact the schools, some are near bursting and others not. Given that you're moving mid academic year you could find that your catchment school has no space and I'm not sure what happens in that case. I guess you'd be offered a space at a nearby school.
Edinburgh is expensive and I think that will be your main constraint.

This ,ight be useful, it's the projected capacity of edinburgh High and Primary schools. Obviously that is overall capacity not by year so it doesn't necessarily mean that space is or isn't available in a particular year.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/school-places/school-roll-projections/1

Lots of schools at full at P1 stage but not at P7. Especially half way through the year. In Edinburgh lots of kids move to private at P5-7.

It’s the same at high school. Even the most high demand, over subscribed schools usually have spaces at S6.

If catchment school is closed the council will find a space at a nearby school. The Op could opt for one that’s associated with the same secondary school. The child will never be left without a school place.

Isn’t he quite young to have started secondary? My son has just started secondary (he’ll be 12 in November) and friends I have in England with kids the same age have just also just had their kids starting in secondary

Obviously I believe you lol but 10 years old is pretty young to start secondary IMO!

I agree ALLISOn and I wouldn't advocate not moving to an area just because of the projections I've attached. Just showing that despite people talking about a crisis all the time for school places, there is actually a lot of capacity and at some decent high schools too.

In OPs position I'd maybe look at somewhere like Kirknewton, on the edge of Edinburgh and in catchment for balerno? Depends where DHs job is in terms of which side of town to be at.

@MadameBlobby

Isn’t he quite young to have started secondary? My son has just started secondary (he’ll be 12 in November) and friends I have in England with kids the same age have just also just had their kids starting in secondary

Obviously I believe you lol but 10 years old is pretty young to start secondary IMO!

I think OP explained upthread that she had a brain fart and DS was 11 coming up 12.

I'd go if I was you.

You may be able to defer, but even if you can't, there's nothing to say DS won't make great friends. It's not written in stone that the kids keep the same friends fromS1, it's really not.

Having an 8 yo as well, who though more sociable, you might not want to move schools by the time DS1 has finished. You're basically tying yourself to staying out for another 10 years, somewhere you're not happy and 'just in case' DS doesn't make friends.

Even if he doesn't, living in Edi & being near DH's family (not to mention having happier parents) doesn't mean he won't be happy/happier there anyway!

Take the opportunity you're being handed!!

Doh! Must have missed that sorry! As you were OP x