School Year changing after Half Term

[FunkyFlanFlinger]

At our school the children are all going up a year after half term, just wondered how many other MNers have this at their school.

FFF x

Apparently what is going to happen is they go back after half term and they have all gone up a year. With the exception of Year 11 who have already left...

So, my DD2 who is Year 8 will become Year 9, my DD2 will be going from Year 10 into Year 11. They will start their new timetables as if it is September...

FFF x

It is quite common. Good for year 9 as they have chosen their options so start their gcses.

I think they do it at one local school. The theory is that it stops the "coming to the end of year can't be bothered slump". Actually it sounds like a gimmick, that means little but sounds good when stated with total confidence in the prospectus.
This particular school is good at that-apparently their pupils learn better because they've replaced the sound of the school bell with an extract from Carman. 5 second sound track of Carman actually sounds like someone switching a radio onto classic fm and realising and in horro switching it off.

Ours doesn't BUT they do all move up classrooms and playgrounds (they have separate playgrounds for each year to hang about in in break).

It sounds quite a good idea - they can get stuck into the work now and set some sensible work over the holidays to avoid forgetting what has been learnt over the summer holidays.

I've come across a school which does this. It's to do with best use of time. After half term, year 11 are essentially gone (in only for exams and any set piece days for a good send off). So their timetable becomes redundant, IYSWIM. You can either leave those as staff free periods, or move everyone up and have the year 7 as the gap (IYSWIM).

It doesn't make that much difference - unless things like availability of lab time is an issue, in which case it gives an extra half term in them. And of course the novelty of going up may help keep motivation going in those last few, hot, wish-you-weren't -there, post annual exams weeks.

A friend's dd's school do this. I always thought it sounded like a good idea. for all the reasons given above.

Is this a new thing at your dc's school? You don't sound completely convinced :)

Effectively that is what always happened at the kids schools. You weren't labelled as " the next year up" but you started the new curriculum etc. Once the GCSE and A level kids were on study leave there was " spare capacity" as it were.

My DC's school does this and it works really well.

Apart from anything else, there are quite a lot of new subjects that can be chosen for GCSE (eg business, sociology). They are run as tasters for the last few weeks so DC can try out options. They change in Sept if they are not happy with what they have chosen.

I think this is fairly standard practice.

We have been doing this for years in Scotland as it gives the next year a flying start and allows more revision time at the end. Also, pupils like choosing subjects and getting a fresh start. When they do make choices, those choices are often made months before courses start, otherwise; this means they feel they are wasting time.

Also, teachers still have extra free time for planning as the new intake has not arrived yet.

Thanks for all your replies. I suppose a lot of my concerns are due to the fact that we have had very little information about it, but fingers crossed it goes OK.

FFF

It's what our school does; DS is going to KS4 so needs a new blazer. I can understand why the system tends to work well.

we do this. I like it but I am knackered starting a new year. However after a six week break and all classes settled it makes September brill