We had our meeting with the Head yesterday and DH and I were told that the decision was up to us.
We have been considering three options:
(a) Leave DS with his age group (going into Year 3) and give him differentiated lessons. This is what they have done this year, with varying success. He has had a lot of individual tuition (Math, English and an additional language), but he has also had timetable instability and teachers cancelling because they have other commitments. We have been very grateful for all the extra effort that the teachers have put in and we understand that they have other commitments, but when DS doesn�t get his special lessons he finds school untenably boring.
(b) In September let DS join the year above (Year 4), but acknowledging that he will still need all the differentiated lessons.
(c) In September let DS join two years above (i.e. Year 5 instead of Year 3). DS has done trial classes in English and Math with the children from this year group and it went smoothly for him � although he has only done one of each. He came home beaming and really loved the lessons and told us that he enjoyed using his brain. My only concern is that DS is already fairly young for his year (only just 7) and that in September some of his classmates are going to be turning 10! They will let DS do games (sport) with his year group if the timetable allows for it, and I am worried about this aspect of the skip as DS enjoys his sport.
The Head is fantastic and said that nothing is �set in stone�, if it is not working we can change what we are doing (yes I know that we should clone her!). She is very helpful, but ultimately the decision is up to us. Following lots of discussion DH and I have decided on the rather drastic option (c). I am desperately worried about social issues and fitting in, but DS has no good friends and just mingles with the crowd at recess anyway. DS dislikes school and leaving me in the morning, and to him the only bit of school that he enjoys is the academics, so when that isn�t working he finds it very hard. We think that he will cope well in this age group from a work point of view, but there are obviously going to be a few glitches. I don�t think that he is at an age when he feels the need to be top of everything, but saying that I am not sure how he will react if he isn�t or if he starts struggling. The school are very supportive and I know that things can be changed but I worry anyway!
I am interested to hear all your opinions and experiences. This has been on the cards for us for a long time and I feel is inevitable, but I don�t want to make any wrong decisions and mess up his life because of it (not that I�m putting myself under any pressure!)...
