Repeating a year

[HairScratcher]

Hi. DD has ADHD and has found year 9 challenging. Focus not capability.

she mentioned today that she would like to repeat year 9 at a different school so she has a year to sort herself out before starting GCSE’s. How easy is it to get a place at private school out of year like that? I understand state schools don’t like kids to be out of year. She wouldn’t want to stay where she is.

She is a summer born so I don’t feel it’s a bad idea but not sure how easy it would be to find somewhere willing to take her!!

When you say summer born what month? My DD is retaking Y10 and I can PM you with pros and cons if you like.

End of July

I'm.in a state secondary. I think there are definite cases where this should be allowed e.g. when absence is higher than attendance for a particular year, e.g. due to illness. Think it not allowed due to funding.

Funding has nothing to do with it. If her bday is end of July and you're doing it for the right reasons, I would. However, a lot of kids with ADHD, girls especially, tend to "run away" from scary things instead of doing them. Is there any way she's asking to do this because it's dawning on her that GCSEs are around the corner and it's all a bit too overwhelming?

i guess it depends how oversubscribed or not the school is.
my grandson repeated grade 2 due to adhd at a london independent with no pushback, mid august birthday.
started on meds and doing very well.

No I don’t think she’s suggesting it to run away from the exams.

she wouldn’t want to stay where she is

In state schools repeating the year has nothing to do with funding. Schools are often reluctant because of the impact it may have on the way GCSE results are measured for children out of year and the impact of statistics. SLT are obsessed with statistics.

most private schools would be totally fine with this.
phone them and discuss. Your DD sounds mature and conscientious.
We held DD down at nursery when she was 3. She is August. The government changed the rules that year 2016 to advise LAs that if a child is born on or after 1st April, ie the summer term, it is up to the parents to decide whether their DC starts school at 4 or 5. Best thing we did. She is going to secondary in September of this year instead of September of last year.
Private schools do not have to agree but most did before this ruling, in fact not all LAs took up the guidance from government. Good luck.

Thanks. I am going to have a look around

Just to add, DD is at a state primary currently in year 6 and is going to a private secondary in september. She had 3 offers and it wasn’t an issue with those 3 schools, obviously or the other 2 that she tried and didn’t get offered a place

I don’t suppose anyone knows if a London girls secondary with a year group of around 40?!?

Hair check out https://www.qcl.org.uk/
not 40 but v friendly. “Happy girls do well”. In Harley Street W1. Accessible from all over London.
Which part of London are you living? If you give me a clue N, E, S etc I can offer more suggestions. PM me (private message me) if you like.

should say about 72 in a year, in 3 classes

You might want to look at some of the smaller central London schools, e.g. Queensgate, More House, Queen's College (some slightly larger year groups, and some slightly smaller).

Their admissions person doesn’t seem to be around at the moment unfortunately

Thanks. I think less than 2 classes would be too small for her. Will look at Queensgate

st Margaret’s in NW3 is very small. If this area is accessible.

barbara porter@ qcl is great - email her and she will get back to you.

I think st. Margaret’s is too small

its like Goldilocks!!

Was misinformed re funding. I have never seen it done in my 30yrs of teaching in.a state school. There have been definite times when it was warranted .

My DD is in a state school currently repeating Y10. A few others there her age; not repeating but started reception a year later due to being summer born. My DD is also summer born which is how this was agreed.

How academic is she Op?

an alternative thought -Y9 is notorious for being a year very many struggle with - the drive / focus that comes with GCSEs years is not there , and the students are quite unmotivated . Repeating it may add to that lack of focus ?

yes I see your point but I think she feels settling in to a new school in year 10 would be hard so having that extra year would help her catch up academically and she would be happy socially by year 10

Honestly, unless I'm missing something, I would leave her where she is and redo Y10 if need be. As already mentioned my DD is retaking Y10 and it definitely has it's pros and cons. Y9 is SO hard for girls and a lot of the issues tend to calm in Y10 when everyone knuckles down. The curriculum is pretty much taught from scratch for GCSEs so she isn't behind on a lot come Sept. Assuming she's already in a private school, you have a long summer holiday she can use to catch up on the core subjects like Science that tend to start the GCSE curriculum in Y9.

It’s most likely we will move her (I think you were over on my other thread!) due to other issues with the school mail holding her back seemed the right time