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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

I wish that secondary school started in yr8

54 replies

Middleoftheroad · 21/03/2017 10:05

Yr7 feels too early. My DTs are smallest in year, bright academically, but quite young in other areas. It still feels too little to start secondary.

I went to middle school in 1980s and started comp aged 12 which I think is better. so why year 7 in this country? I gather kids are 11/12 when they start secondary in Scotland.

OP posts:
troutsprout · 21/03/2017 11:07

It depends on child
Ds could have done with longer at primary
But Dd couldn't wait to (and really needed to) move on

anotherdayanothersquabble · 21/03/2017 11:10

I have a bright young one too and yes, an extra year at primary would have been perfect but he survived the first hellish 3 months and is fine now. Would habe been so much easier if he was 2 months younger! Still would really but them the breaks.

UnicornMadeOfPinkGlitter · 21/03/2017 11:10

yes it really depends on the child, ds2 was ready and had been ready for a while, however dd who is going to secondary in September, doesn't seem ready, either emotionally or in terms of education levels.

Another year at primary would be fab for her, but ds2 would have been climbing the walls in frustration.

youngestisapsycho · 21/03/2017 11:13

They are 11 when they start secondary in England too?

MrsJayy · 21/03/2017 11:15

we have primary 1 to primary 7 in Scotland so yes 11.5yrs to 12yrs old when they go to secondary we have no Reception either this is where it starts imo get rid of Reception and just start them at 5 not just turned 4

Sparklingbrook · 21/03/2017 11:17

We have three tier, First school YR-Y4. Middle Y5-Y7. Then High School in Yr8 so they are 12.
I wasn't sure at first but I think it's been good.

MrsJayy · 21/03/2017 11:17

My English cousins went to middle school then secondary at 12 (i think)

Nousernameforme · 21/03/2017 11:18

They used to, in Exeter I started in year 8. Though the two I have at secondary school haven't really had any issues with older pupils in fact they used to until recently have mixed year form rooms which was a lovely idea as the older ones took the younger ones under their wing

Original poster
Middleoftheroad · 21/03/2017 11:28

Sorry - yes they are 11 when they start in England. I think it's a year later in Scotland? It was for me too and I still found starting a large school overwhelming at 12.
The Scottish system of no reception then start secondary at 12 would definitely make sense for us.

OP posts:
PuntCuffin · 21/03/2017 11:34

My DS are in an independent school. Some move after Y6 and some after Y8 depending on where they are going. We have elected to keep DS1 at prep until Y8 (he will be one week off his 14th birthday by then) as he is not ready to move due to only recently identified dyslexia, and various other learning issues which have whacked his self esteem.
DS2 may well move after Y6 as he is a much more confident and capable child.

Helenluvsrob · 21/03/2017 11:34

All 3 of mine had " outgrown" primary by mid year 5. To wait till year 8 to move would have been torture. IME there are very few who really aren't " grown up enough" to move on.

Mind you I always thought middle schools were really the way to go , till my neice went to one and spent year 5 trying to dress and toss her hair with the best of the year 8s!

Fee paying schools sometimes have a year 6 entry from state schools then a year 7 from the prep element. We seriously considered this for one of our dc

MollyHuaCha · 21/03/2017 11:35

I went to school in an area of England that had middle schools:

R - Y4 Primary
Y5 - Y8 Middle
Y9 - Y13 High

IMO it was my much better.

TartYvette · 21/03/2017 11:42

They start at 12 in ireland and I know many (including teachers) who think they should start the year before that, when they say they are ready. May eldest certainly was quite bored in her final year of primary but I felt 12 was too young plenty to start school with fellow students who had beards and were well, full grown adults (6th years so 18 or 19 years old)!!!

Badbadbunny · 21/03/2017 11:45

All 3 of mine had " outgrown" primary by mid year 5. To wait till year 8 to move would have been torture.

Same here, my son was bored stupid toward the end at primary school - he was desperate to move on. He could easily have moved up a year early.

MrsJayy · 21/03/2017 11:46

When can Irish kids leave school?

MrsJayy · 21/03/2017 11:49

My eldest and her table group got work sent from high school when she was in p7 (English and Maths) she is in her 20s now the cirriculum has changed so not sure if they still do that but stopped them getting bored

WyfOfBathe · 21/03/2017 11:53

All 3 of mine had " outgrown" primary by mid year 5. To wait till year 8 to move would have been torture.
This was certainly true for me (my own DC aren't this age yet).

I think that whatever age DC move up, there will be some who are ready, some who aren't quite ready, and some who have been ready for a year. By the end of the first term of y7, the students have all grown a lot although they still scream when a One Direction advert comes up on the board

Sparklingbrook · 21/03/2017 11:54

We also have some High Schools that start in Yr9.

I liked Middle School because they got to go somewhere new after 5 years and it was all a bit more grown up.

Although we did get two lot's of 'Leavers' assemblies/church services stuff, one in Yr4 and one in Year 7

SagelyNodding · 21/03/2017 11:58

In Belgium they start in yr8. I'm in France and ds will be 10 when he starts secondary (Dec birthday) He's also tiny for his age...I think it will be difficult Sad

justgivemethepinot · 21/03/2017 12:03

Hmm, I have been to both a secondary school (starting in y7) and an upper school (starting in y9). Personally I preferred the secondary school but it does make you 'grow up' faster for want of a better phrase. So if you have a child that perhaps isn't ready at 11 for any reason, the three tier system would definitely benefit more I think.

AugustRose · 21/03/2017 12:06

I went to a middle school and it was a great way to move away from primary style teaching to a more formal style, different teachers/classrooms, etc without being thrown in at the deep end.

I live in a rural location now and most children go from tiny primaries (less than 50 pupils) to big secondaries - DS went to one with 1500 pupils - it was a huge difference and quite intimidating. Not to mention the sudden increase in homework and expectations.

Sparklingbrook · 21/03/2017 12:08

Yes Middle School is a good stepping stone. My DC went to a tiny first school with mixed year classes then onto a Middle School that was a bit bigger then the really big High School.

Sparklingbrook · 21/03/2017 12:09

Oh and the big bonus for me was that the school gate stuff finished in Year 4. I had had more than enough by then.

rainingkitsandpups · 21/03/2017 12:11

I don't understand those saying they're bored stuff at primary? Surely the curriculum for that particular year group would be the same wether they're physically in the primary building or senior building?

Butteredparsnip1ps · 21/03/2017 12:14

I went to a middle school - admittedly a long time ago now - and would say it has advantages and disadvantages.

Looking back it was nice to be able to remain in the middle school womb bubble, and meant we were a year older before we had to deal with the social side of secondary school.

Academically I would say it wasn't so good though. Our single teacher didn't have the specialist knowledge that secondary science teachers have for example, and we didn't start learning another language until year 8.

Some DC are always going to be more ready than others. The ideal balance between closer pastoral care vs academic challenge will depend upon the child.