I wish that secondary school started in yr8

[Middleoftheroad]

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.

We're in a middle school area, and they start high school in yr 8. It works well as we're a rural area and they go from tiny (in some cases) village schools to a bit bigger middle school with buses. Ds middle school has specialist art, science, dt, pe teachers and they move classrooms to do different things, so its like high school light.

Yabu
My dc are both september babies and really needed the independence of secondary school by easter of year 6.

My summer born was more than ready for secondary, especially the more specialist curriculum and subject teachers. Also the greater independence. The slightly raised competitive edge, absent from our very 'nurturing' primary actually increased confidence.

My nieces and nephews in middle schools are less independent in some ways. I think it was something mentioned on a thread about early school closure in an emergency that Middle School can keep kids 'younger', in a less self-sufficient way.

All kids are different and for any system there will be some it doesn't suit.

My dd is also young in her year and physically quite small, but I think year 7 was the right time for her to move. She is thriving at secondary, whereas her same-age cousin in Scotland has definitely outgrown his lovely primary school now and is more than ready for the next stage.

It isn't about the curriculum as such, although I do think they reach an age where specialist teaching comes into its own. It's as much about the environment as anything else, I think. Primary school was a wonderful, happy bubble for dd, but I think it might have become rather suffocating if she had had to stay for much longer.