Repeating a year at school - good idea or bad idea?

[kenbren]

I posted this on the general education board and someone recommended posting here too:

My nine year old DS has struggled educationally and is emotionally and physically immature. He has made educational improvements in the last fifteen months or so, since he came to us (he is adopted), but he continues to really struggle academically in general and with his reading in particular. He seems at about the same level - or a bit below, as his sister who is six years old (his biological sister - also adopted).

We are considering him repeating this year - he is in a composite class primary 4/5 anyway and he would stay with many of his year 4 classmates. We have been warned repeating a year is not always positive - particularly in later life. We want to make the right decision and this feels like the last year this would be possible.

The school will accommodate this and he already has lots of extra educational support. We are in Scotland - so he will just continue on to Secondary as normal. He is a September birth and one of the youngest in his primary 5 class.

Does anyone have experiences, good or bad of a child repeating a year?

No experience - but sounds like an excellent idea in your specific case.

So if he stays down a year will he go to secondary a year late or will he have to miss year 6?

Sorry if I am being dim but I didnt quite get it from your OP

I'm guessing he was a non deferred P5, and had he been deferred he would be in P4 anyway? Do it!

In Scotland, it is one of the best things about their education system - the deferral possibility also means that schools are more open to moving a DC down a year and then keeping them with that cohort all the way through Secondary.

IMO, if it was my DS, I'd do it in a heartbeat in this situation!

I'd get him to repeat the year. I think being in a composite class is the perfect opportunity to do it as well.

I think it takes courage to do it because a lot of parents are wary of what other people might think. However, I fail to see how keeping a child in his current year class is going to boast his confidence if he is going to be struggling.

From the other side of the coin I know of some parents who didn't defer their dcs and who are struggling. I do wonder why on earth they didn't defer when they really should of and can't help but think they just buried their head in the sand. I think some parents feel embarrassed if they defer their dc and others won't do it because of the finanicial implications (saving on childcare costs).

I deferred my dc and it was the best decision for him. There can be the issue that your ds will be the oldest child in his year but the reality is some other dcs will have deferred in p1 so he could be the same age as some of them.

Look at the pupils in the p4 and p5 class and what does your gut reaction tell you?

What you're considering for your ds should be admired. Going through his school years struggling all the time is not beneficial to his learning.

If my DS had been young in his year group I would have held him back a year, no doubt. The fact that you are in Scotland would seem to make it even easier. Have you discussed it with him?