My littlest DS (6) seems apprehensive about every form of change. He can get along in every social group, including his brother's HS freshmen friends. He was socially content in a regular class, but had reached his challenge limit (no further challenge foreseen) and moved to gifted class midyear. I worried, but it was like a breath of fresh air for him.

Maybe approach the skip as "try it, and if it doesn't work, you can go back".