SA grade level vs Australia year level

[IceMan73]

Hi All,

My son was in Grade 6 in SA. He was enrolled in Year 6 here in Australia. Its his second day and he says the work they are doing he did years ago and I am concerned that it will be an injustice to keep him in year 6. Can I request for him to be transferred to year 7?

[Willa]

We found the same with our kids when we initially moved to Melbourne and they wanted to enrol them in a higher year level but we stuck with the year they were in. We found a lot has gone missing in translation between subjects with the kids and keeping them in the same year level helped tremendously. They did complain a lot about the same work they the had to redo but in the end it helped.

[bluegill]

We let our son "skip" a year only for him to repeat it again the following year, a mistake we did not make with our daughter.The school will ask you to enrol them in the higher level due to the age proabably, in hindsight it was a mistake.

[Gizmo]

Make an appointment with the Head Mistress/Master and Teacher to discuss. Possibly they agree with him, but possibly they can see some gaps.

There is a lot more to take into considerate in addition to the level of their education. How would they cope emotionally being a year ahead of their peers?

Hubby skipped two years of high school and he has his reservations about the decision - he was still a boy at the end of highschool, while his classmates had turned into hairy men. :-D

[OubaasDik]

Well, my son was pushed a year ahead when he got to Oz, but I actually had a talk to the principal at the time and he said it really didn't make much difference, because they were dividing the little anklebiters into 2-year groups so

Year 6 and 7 would be together and so on down, and the kids would, in any case do the ssame thing twice (once as year 6 and again as year 7 , but they could be pushed up to more advanced - pulled down to less advanced. Seemed to work for him (academically at least). Socially he was an outcast.

That was Currambine Primary - I have no idea if it still works the same, the lout is now in University - hopefully finishing sometime (soon).

[gavinpetoperth]

^{We pushed our son up one grade (8 to 9) and although he has coped, he has dropped from an A Grade student to an average C Grade. My daughter on the other hand, stayed in the same grade and benefitted hugely from the decision and is flourishing. In my sons case, he had already done some of the work, hence the decision to push him up. However, it also transpired that he missed out on some vital maths and science stepping stones, which went unnoticed. My recommendation would be to keep the kids in the same grade when they come over. It is for their own benefit in the long run. Finishing school a year earlier may be attractive, but compromising academic excellence is not a good idea.........}

[OubaasDik]

Gavin - 100%

[Drought]

Hi

I work in a school, so have a bit of background regarding this- for the majority of cases, it is best to stay in the year that is age appropriate, but the best thing to do is to treat each case individually. A lot would depend on the size of the school- do they cater for a range of student abilities for example- in most cases the school would be able to cater for your child's needs- this is not uncommon as there is quite often a big range of abilities within a year group and junior school teachers probably cater far better for this than high school teachers do. ( Apologies to the high school teachers who may be offended by this- I am one myself!)

Year 7 will soon become part of high school in WA, and although it won't affect your son in the short term- assuming he attends a public school- he will be very young in high school if he skips a year.

Hope that helps

[IceMan73]

Thanks for the input. Basically all the work he is doing now he has already done in the last 2 to 3 years in a private school back home. And was already achieving A, B and C marks. He finishes all the work first in class even before the year 7 as they are in the same class. Problem is that his birthday is 30 July (today) and to young for year 7 but will creme year 6 and 7 as he is very intelligent!

[IceMan73]

This is so frustrating!

[Eva]

The work gets harder each year, eventually it should become a bit more of a challenge. Let him cruise for now, then he can enjoy school rather than having to battle with school as well as everything else that has changed in his life. He'll be right mate!

[miraclebabycaw]

I think it's dependent on the child, and you should definitely take it up with the principal. All the good schools will give him work that is advanced if he is showing potential even though he is in the correct year for his age. My daughter was put into year 8 here after finishing year 6 in RSA last year because her birthday is March, she is very mature for her age and her marks from RSA were also A's and B's. She is coping fine and had 6 A's, 2B's and 1C with her mid year report (and the C was for PT ). The only thing that I found was that she did have a gap in her knowledge of maths and it has been a bit of a struggle for her to catch this up but she moved from a C first term to a B this last term with the help of a tutor. She also came from a private school in RSA. She also says there is work that she has already done. We are looking at moving her though at the end of the year to a more academic school because she is a bit frustrated being so used to the RSA system, and she gets annoyed at not being sure how she is judged and how she gets marks etc, and is not being "challenged" enough. My son on the other hand was put back into Reception here despite being 6 because RSA do not teach them to read and write in reception and only in Grade 1 so the school said he must go back to reception so he can learn to read and write. This has brought other challenges because socially he has slid back as he is in class with 5 year olds and he turns 7 at the end of the year, so has battled socially a lot and is only now starting to make friends 7 months in. He also was doing really well in Maths and we see a definite decline in what he was doing with maths with his "kindy" teacher in RSA. His teacher and the school have been spoken to about it but don't seem to have done much about it. We will be moving him as well and hopefully will get him into a school where he might be in a 1/2 year class which I think will be better for him.

[Guest May]

My boys both jumped a grade 6 and 7 to Year 8 and 9, the subject they struggle with is maths because of the fundamental steps that they missed so an A+ student struggling, there is an option of Maths tutorial Tuesday morning, Maths help Monday afternoon and if that doesnt work a tutor. One has to find a school with good discipline, involved teachers, good track academically and for us we choose the school and then have to get accommodation zoned. Others will disagree as they say all the schools are good. There is good and there is better. And of course most of all parents have to be involved which with maths algebra can be a real challenge...my suggestion sit with them through the homework and get friendly with the basics again, my hubby has and he can answer questions however I havent got a cookin clue at this point in time.

[Kooskrokodil]

Hi All,

I posted this under general but also post it under this thread as I see many of you have experience in this and maybe you could give comments.

We found a place in a private school for our three children , but they are suggesting that my 8 year old (Birthday in July) remain in grade 2. He should be moving to grade 3. They do not have a space in grade 3 and said that it should not be a problem for him in grade 2 as it will help him catch up with the syllabus and the English. He is Afrikaans and can speak and read some English but not very well. The thing is that he will be turning 9 in grade 2 and his classmates all 8 or 7.

Anybody heard of this before?

Any teachers on the forum that could advise?

Thanks

[Bronwyn&Co]

Koos does that mean your child will turn 19 during year 12? Personally I think that is very old for year 12. My daughter turned 18 in the April of year 12 and she was the second oldest in a huge school (in Qld). For her I would say it was better to be older than the others. But 19 is very old for year 12. I think I would query that. The English will be picked up pretty quickly, not really a good reason to hold the child back imho. Good luck!

[Sibella]

I also think it is a bit old. I kept my middle daughter back, the cut off date was April. So this year she turns 8 in April in Grade 2 and is one of the oldest in the class. And even though it is very much the done thing here in Melbourne she still questions me about it.

If you don't have any other option go with it, but as you have three going to the same school it is a bit unreasonable for them not to make a space.

I got offered a spot for one child and not for the older one but she wanted to complete primary school at her state school. I know if I pushed they would have made a place for her in Grade 6.

[Parks]

Hi All,

Could someone please clarify for what reasons would they push a child up a grade. I have 2 family members whose children were pushed up a grade due to their age.

My daughter repeated in junior school as she battled. She is now an 80% aggregate child in Gr 10. If we stayed she would be 19 in matric. Would they want her to go up a grade if we had to leave this year?

Edited January 18, 2014 by PARKS

[AndreaL]

Hi Parks

Children are generally put in their age appropriate year, quite irrespective of academic ability. Kids don't tend to repeat years here ( I've only known one child that did and it was because of a lengthy absence with a health problem). Even children with intellectual disabilities are kept in the age appropriate year.....................

Depending on what time of year you arrived etc, they may keep her in her current grade though as she is close to finishing school

[Parks]

Hi AndreaL

Thanks for replying so fast.

She personally loves the idea of going up a grade as she hates been the oldest and having to play sport out of her grade.

If all goes to plan we would move either September or December this year.

[AndreaL]

Hi PARKS

I find that the education system and the schools are quite adaptive, parent involvement in schools is welcomed, particularly in state schools, if you talk to the school, you should be able to come up with a solution that suits everyone.

Let me see if I understand correctly, has she completed year 10 or is about to do year 10?

If she goes up a year and you only arrive at the end of this year, it means she is finished school and I can't see that happening, she needs some sort of school leavers certificate.

Can you just please clarify?

[Parks]

Hi AndreaL,

Glad to hear they are approachable.

My daughter has just gone into Gr10 this year. She is in her second week. If they wanted her to go up a grade she would skip Gr11 next year and go straight into Gr12.

Thanks

Edited January 19, 2014 by PARKS

[AndreaL]

Mmmm

Not sure about that one, might need some feedback from other families that arrived with a child in final year. Will she be able to cope with the final year of school and all of the changes and new experiences she will have in that first year?

It can be difficult for kids that age to leave their support system, some their boyfriend etc.

Also, what are her plans for after school, work, travel, study?

[Parks]

It is a hard one but in the end she will be far better off no matter what.

We have spoken openly with the kids regarding this BIG move and all 3 are on board and so excited.

She plans on going to varsity to study dentistry or engineering. She loves her sciences and maths so hopefully she will be accepted to study which ever.

[AndreaL]

In that case she wants to get a good OP to get accepted into Uni, alternatively she works for a year or so and enters as a mature age student for some Uni's this is 21, some older, or she can enrol in a bridging course as I did, I did the LIFT program with CQUniversity and was offered a place.................the good thing is that there are a number of ways, you are not restricted here.

Just bear in mine that you will pay fees upfront as a domestic student with p.r. and can only HECS debt once you are a citizen

[Parks]

Thanks Andrea I will look into this more closely when we are granted a visa.