Accelerated Entry... help please!
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Re: Accelerated Entry... help please!
Is there any way you could do something more interesting for a year?
I know it's not an option for most people with work committments or similar, but I can think of great things to do with a bright youngster that would be much more educational than repeating a year at school and still give her the opportunity for a grammar school place.
I know it's not an option for most people with work committments or similar, but I can think of great things to do with a bright youngster that would be much more educational than repeating a year at school and still give her the opportunity for a grammar school place.
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kenyancowgirl
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Re: Accelerated Entry... help please!
To be fair, they are not preventing your younger daughter going to grammar school....they are stopping her from going this year but she can still apply and go next year - and there may be merits in that (as pointed out by others above). My son repeated Y6 with his correct age for exactly this reason - having gone up since the end of y2 SATs - we flexi-schooled him one day a week throughout and between us and the school managed to extend his knowledge so he didn't feel like he was just repeating the year. I would certainly recommend doing that as an option and then allowing her to sit the 11+ for entry to the GS with her correct age. Or, you could possibly move her to an independent for the second Y6 (different school will feel like she has moved on?).Katerina wrote:Thanks for this. We've been rejected by the SCC Fair Access Panel and I have tried to appeal via a letter but have received a short response informing me that I cannot 'appeal'... only 'complain'. Our catchment high school has agreed to take her a year early as it is an academy and therefore determines it's own admissions so it is currently our only choice. It's a good/improving high school and our older daughter goes there and is doing well so it's potentially the best option. I am aggrieved that SCC are preventing us from having the opportunity of my younger daughter going to grammar school because of their policies. Given that they have no knowledge of my daughter, her personality or her abilities, I feel this is wrong.
Why don't you start by asking them where their concerns for her emotional and social wellbeing come from/what additional evidence they would like? Have you seen the actual letter the head teacher has given them? If not, maybe that was not quite as supportive on the emotional and social side as you had hoped?
Re: Accelerated Entry... help please!
I agree that academy schools can determine their own admissions but as far as I was aware you still have to apply via the LEA on either the CAF form or via the on line admissions, you can't apply direct to the school.
Re: Accelerated Entry... help please!
As a parent of a child who was "accelerated" several years, from the earliest years of primary, I have first hand experience. I wouldn't recommend it.
There are the obvious social problems further on. When your DD's friends are all celebrating their 13th b/days going for a 12 graded movie, your DD will be left out. When her friends are all old enough for alcohol or admission to certain venues, she'll have to stay at home because she lacks their calendar years.
We decided to home educate all our children. It proved a good choice. They get to do academic work way above their age but socialise with children their own age. I recommend you explore that option for your DD if you can. Or at least for a year. Essex and Suffolk have huge home ed communities.
[Added: A local comp is willing to let ours sign up as flexischooled, attend Y11 lessons whenever they fancy, and take whatever GCSEs they want at 12, 13, or whatever age they're ready. You won't get that in grammars where every bright kid, no matter how bright, needs to patiently wait for Y10/Y11. Our 12 year old is taking up their offer, attending the odd Y11 class and sitting a couple of GCSEs this year. You could explore that as well.]
There are the obvious social problems further on. When your DD's friends are all celebrating their 13th b/days going for a 12 graded movie, your DD will be left out. When her friends are all old enough for alcohol or admission to certain venues, she'll have to stay at home because she lacks their calendar years.
We decided to home educate all our children. It proved a good choice. They get to do academic work way above their age but socialise with children their own age. I recommend you explore that option for your DD if you can. Or at least for a year. Essex and Suffolk have huge home ed communities.
[Added: A local comp is willing to let ours sign up as flexischooled, attend Y11 lessons whenever they fancy, and take whatever GCSEs they want at 12, 13, or whatever age they're ready. You won't get that in grammars where every bright kid, no matter how bright, needs to patiently wait for Y10/Y11. Our 12 year old is taking up their offer, attending the odd Y11 class and sitting a couple of GCSEs this year. You could explore that as well.]
Re: Accelerated Entry... help please!
As an "accelerated" child in the 1970s I strongly agree with others who say don't do it. I hated being much younger than my peers, and was definitely affected socially, as meerme mentions. Academically it was no problem and I did well in my exams. But that's only a small part of your education. In your shoes, and with my experience, I would thoroughly explore some of the ideas others have given to enrich her learning in a repeated year 6 and put her back in the correct year.