can an average child in primary school really pick up and achieve in secondary school

[lupy]

Can an average child in primary school really pick up and achieve in secondary school

Of course! FWIW my sister has two dd's. One was 'bright' and went to grammar, one struggled all through primary and went to secondary. The 'bright' one didn't achieve at all really, the one that struggled did incredibly well. They just developed in different stages.

It probably depends on whether "the basics" taught at primary school have really been grasped. If not, the child will probably not achieve much at secondary school which will inevitably a rather more impersonal environment than primary school.

Yes! Especially summer born children - they sometimes take until age 10/11 to make up for being 'youngest' according to my teacher friend?

Yep. I did. I'm a summer born.

my ds was born in May!

certainly I see it all the time.

Yes! My DS1 who was 12 on Thursday of last week and is now in YR8, excelled when he went up last year. His SATS levels were all level 3 when he left primary and he was achieving levels 5 and 6 when he finished YR7. He is really enjoying high school and he is working really well.

yep
are you worried?

My dad had a funny story that he was bottom but one of his class (in the bottow stream) at the end of his first year at secondary school. His parents were groping around for something nice to say and said "at least you weren't bottom". Dad didn't have the heart to tell them that the person who came bottom had their arm in plaster and couldn't write!

Fast forward to end of 6th form, he got bumped up a year and still finished top of the year. He went on to qualify in record quick time for an extremely technically difficult profession (actuary).

He said something just clicked as he got older. Interestingly he was also very young for the year, so there could have been some of that type of "unwind".

DB improved hugely in secondary school. He got some good teachers, found an interest and blossomed. Admittedly it was a private school but the principal is the same.

I think so. My DH could not read at all at 7. My MIL says that all the other mums felt sorry for her. But he was one of a few in his school who went to university and now runs his own successful business. He is really bright but says it didnt all start to make sense until he started GCSE's. His Dad still seems slightly amazed by his success

It depends how you measure 'achievement' in Secondary. A* results? Then maybe not. Decent B's and C's - enough to go on to A Levels, then yes.

My ds1 is August born and struggled in primary, particularly early on. Thanks to excellent Yr5 & 6 teachers and some hard work he scraped 4's in his Sat's so was deemed 'average' when he left. He got a mix of B's and C's at GCSE.