Too young for secondary?

alandg

Our 10 year old (nearly 11) daughter is moving into 6th. class next year but we're thinking she's a little "young" to move to secondary September year - the rest of her class are at least a year older than she is and we feel she has a bit of maturing to do before moving up.

Does anyone know of any school in Dublin that offers a "7th. Class" (like they do in Ring) that would allow her to delay moving to secondary but still challenge her through the year - academically she's at the top of her class.
Thanks

Hi Alan
in my experience there were a few children 10 and 11 in first year (not all at once, over the years) of the school I was in and there were no problems.
If she is 11 going into 6th she will be 12 going into 1st year which sounds ideal?

I don't know specifically about the 7th class thing though, good luck

Chuchoter

Loads of people are 12 going into first year, its not really unusual. My brother only turned 13 the very end of 1st year, and the only problems he had was he found it a bit hard to sit down and study, and he was also quite innocent and naive, but that was just his personality, not really to do with his age. You'll be moving her school twice in two years, which I would find really hard. Why do you think she is too immature for first year?

alandg

Thanks for your comments guys - appreciate it.

tweenie

Some people send their kids to boarding school in Ring to improve their Irish and give their kids an extra year before secondary

pooch90

I think she'll be ok at the age she is. I had a friend who wasn't 12 until sept of 2nd year. She wasn't overly academic or mature but held her own. If needs be she can always do TY but i agree with other poster than changing schools twice in 2 yrs is a bit much. Would she be moving onto same school as her current friends? I'd be inclined to let her go next year.

CookieMonster.x

I was 9 going into 6th class, 11 in 1st year because I skipped a class when I was younger (I'm 14 now). I think that if she is academically ready for it then let her go on into first year. She will mature in 6th class. She doesn't seem that young to me, that means she would be 12 in 1st year and I really don't see any problem there. I personally would have hated to be kept back just for the sake of age and I'd say she would rather go on too.

dambarude

I'd let your daughter move on to secondary with her friends, she shouldn't have any problem. I was only just 4 for three months when I started primary school and it never did me any harm either academically or socially. I didn't turn 18 until my summer exams at the end of my first year in college (problems could arise there with ID), but I didn't mind. She might make up the year if she has to repeat the leaving cert, but even if she doesn't it won't make a difference.

caffo1

Alan

I am in exactly same situation (daughter in 6th class june birthday and investigating an rinn). I would love to know did you find an alternative to Ring for 7th class. Did you end up sending your child onto 1st year?

Rebekahx

I honestly wouldn't bother with it. I started secondary only having gone 12 the June before it and in 6th year now with no problems. There's girls in my year even younger than me, some not going to be 18 until the September after the Leaving. If she's not having any difficulties academically, I'd just let her go into 1st year, and there's always TY if you feel she's still a bit too young.

hilarymcl

I would take bets that although she may not seem very mature now the year in 6th will be a year of change. As a teacher of 6th I used often be surprised at how quickly the children mature and change once they are the 'oldest' class in the school. If she's doing well academically it might be better to leave her with her year group so that she has the peer support she'll need entering first year.

malascoile

i was too young for secondary aswel and, june birthday. i did 7th class in scoil na nog in glanmire in cork boarding. it was the best thing i ever did and would recommend it to anyone. if you live far away you can go home on the bus or train. they have a bus that brings people to the train and bus station in cork every friday at about 1 and it also collects people in sunday nights at around 7. there was people from everywhere there with me

Toto Wolfcastle

malascoile wrote: »

i was too young for secondary aswel and, june birthday. i did 7th class in scoil na nog in glanmire in cork boarding. it was the best thing i ever did and would recommend it to anyone. if you live far away you can go home on the bus or train. they have a bus that brings people to the train and bus station in cork every friday at about 1 and it also collects people in sunday nights at around 7. there was people from everywhere there with me

Scoil na nÓg is an excellent school. A few people in my year in secondary school did 7th class there.

CIARAN_BOYLE

caffo1 wrote: »

Alan

I am in exactly same situation (daughter in 6th class june birthday and investigating an rinn). I would love to know did you find an alternative to Ring for 7th class. Did you end up sending your child onto 1st year?

I am going to talk from a slightly different prepective than most responses

I finished 1st year in college last year. There were 2 students who started the year as 17 year olds. They didn't have any problems socially or otherwise doing college as a 17 year old. There was also a 16 year old who had problems fitting in socially to the class and I felt that he was too young. He ended up dropping out half way through the year. When picking out a secondary school check what type of transition year there is cause I feel that if you send a child starting first year age 11 to secondary school he must do transition year.

Muilleann

I went to college when I was 17 yrs old.

I wouldn't have done so if I had a choice.

Different for girls though,they're more mature.

Muilleann

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

Scoil na nÓg is an excellent school. A few people in my year in secondary school did 7th class there.

Ya,Scoil na nOg has serious rep alright.

Gaughan12

i'm going into 3rd year now and im only 14, so i started secondary school at 12. she'll be grand. age doesn't really matter

Outkast_IRE

I was 12 a month before I started secondary. I was the 2nd youngest in the year.

I got on fine. I would say it depends on the child, I was always fairly mature for my age so I was grand.

I was 17 when I did my leaving and turned 18 shortly afterwards. Depends on the child is my only opinion, and nobody will be able to answer that better than yourself.

Muilleann

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

I was 12 a month before I started secondary. I was the 2nd youngest in the year.

I got on fine. I would say it depends on the child, I was always fairly mature for my age so I was grand.

I was 17 when I did my leaving and turned 18 shortly afterwards. Depends on the child is my only opinion, and nobody will be able to answer that better than yourself.

You're right in what you say but if there's any doubt an extra year in school is the safer option.