Repeating the year at vocational school

[Lucym]

Hi just wanting some advice. Just had a meeting with my daughter's teachers who have advised her to repeat the first year of vocational training rather than progress to level 2. I'm worried about the impact this will have on her emotionally not moving up with her friends as they are a tight group. Anyone got any experience of this?

[Pointetoes]

That’s a tough one and I really wouldn’t to be you. Having said that could you look at this year as being a foundation year ? Obviously that doesn’t solve the friendship issue but it might help her get her head around it. I am guessing they must have good reason for this. 

[Lucym]

Apparently her progression has slipped in the last 2-3 months and they don't want to set her up to fail by progressing to level 2 if she's not ready for the next level of training. However we have had some  issues with bullying which I think has affected her confidence with not wanting to put herself forward in class. I am having a meeting with the director of studies shortly as there have also been some issues with social media which they need to address. She says she wants to carry on even if it means repeating the year as she really wants it, but I also want her to be realistic as to whether she feels she can improve sufficiently to catch up with her peers. I am not particularly a "dance mom" so don't know anyone who has had this experience!

[Pointetoes]

I have no experience in this but it does sound like “starting again” would be a good thing for her. She doesn’t need to worry about catching up with her peers, I know plenty of students who have started at different ages for various reasons. By repeating the year she will start with a new group and they will work their way through together. 

[Lucym]

Thank you that's helpful

[drdance]

It could boost her confidence if she repeats, as she could be someone the other (new) students look up to or go to for advice.

[balletbean]

1 hour ago, Lucym said:

Hi just wanting some advice. Just had a meeting with my daughter's teachers who have advised her to repeat the first year of vocational training rather than progress to level 2. I'm worried about the impact this will have on her emotionally not moving up with her friends as they are a tight group. Anyone got any experience of this?

Hi, Without knowing if your DD is in LS or US can affect a response or advice. 

I know of a pupil that took time out for personal reasons during her 2nd yr of US rather than mentally struggle during the year, possibly extending the concerns she had Fully supported by the school. She then returned and joined the year below her old one as they started the new academic year without any noticeable issues. Slightly different but you may be surprised how many times this occurs across the schools. 

LS, whilst it is challenging as the child is younger and not mature enough sometimes to understand and appreciate the reasons for the change. It can be turned around and presented as a positive. Acknowledge her feelings but look atthe time strengthening her academnic grades which can only be a good thing as well as allowing her to embrace the additional year of training and better to be middle to top of one year group rather than linger at the bottom end and therefore place more pressure on her every single day of the term and possibly be at the centre of attention of her teachers but not for the right reasons. And be grateful of the opportunity rather than the other scenario of being "assessed out". 

Good Luck but please look at it as a positive, things happen for a reason. 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello LucyM and welcome to the Forum.

 

I'm not a DP and have never danced let alone been to vocational school but one thing that stuck out like a beacon to me was when you mentioned bullying and social media issues.

 

Are the school already aware of this?  If so, what measures have they taken to ensure that there is no repetition?

 

If it was the pupils in her year who were doing the bullying may they continue with this behaviour if she stays in that year or repeats the year?

 

As BB says it would be useful if we knew whether your DD is in lower or upper school.

 

Good luck with getting this situation resolved and good luck to your DD.

[Lucym]

Hello thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies. She is in LS and only 11 hence it's hard for her to understand emotionally.  The school were unaware of the social media issue but I have raised it with them and we will discuss further, as either way she will still be in contact with her current year group, so it needs addressing.  While the nature of elite ballet training is competitive it does need to create a supportive environment especially for younger students. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by Lucym

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Is this in the UK As repeating a year would have serious implications on her academic education too. 

 

I eouod not personally advocate a child going outside their year griupnunless its exceptional circumstances. It’s a bit different by the time they reach 16. 

[Pointetoes]

I do know children who have repeated yr 7, including my nephew ( August birthday ) but they have moved schools to do this. 

 

[sarahw]

CAT maybe?

[meadowblythe]

Quote

18 hours ago, Picturesinthefirelight said:

Is this in the UK As repeating a year would have serious implications on her academic education too. 

 

 

 

I'm  not sure that repeating year 7 would harm academically - there's no reason why GCSE's should be taken at a certain age, and it's close enough that it wouldn't hurt with sixth form applications   A student from my son's cohort was advised to repeat a year twice for academic reasons.  The second time he declined ...My concern would be the social media aspects - these, unfortunately, are not going to be addressed by a change of year group.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

If the child remained in the independent system then perhaps. It would seriously affect a schools Progress 8 statistics & might cause problems if they moved back into the state system

Aldo why should a child’s academic education suffer because they need to repeat a year dance wise?

[Nicola H]

On 24/05/2018 at 23:55, Picturesinthefirelight said:

Is this in the UK As repeating a year would have serious implications on her academic education too. 

 

I eouod not personally advocate a child going outside their year griupnunless its exceptional circumstances. It’s a bit different by the time they reach 16. 

 

 if the alternative is assessed out and  dumped  out of the system ?

[Picturesinthefirelight]

As a parent of a child at vocational school then yes, if my child had been advised to repeat a year I would have removed them from the school. 

[Pas de Quatre]

At DD's independent school two summer birthday children repeated a year. They thrived after previously struggling. This was in junior school though. 

[Nicola H]

21 minutes ago, Pas de Quatre said:

At DD's independent school two summer birthday children repeated a year. They thrived after previously struggling. This was in junior school though. 

 

 repeating years / ' grades'  is more common  in the US and  apparently in parts of the Europe ...  

[Vonrothbart]

I think maybe you will have to think of the alternatives, then make a decision on what's best for her needs. 

[Pups_mum]

4 minutes ago, Vonrothbart said:

I think maybe you will have to think of the alternatives, then make a decision on what's best for her needs. 

Absolutely. The question is  not "should she repeat the year" it's "should she repeat the year or...." What else is on offer if she doesn't repeat - carry on regardless, leave the school or something else? You need to weigh up the pros and cons of all the options.

[Harwel]

My brother in law was a student at Purcell school and had to repeat a year.  He thrived and is a professional musician performing all over the world.  He says it was the best move he made.  Everyone different, not everyone’s personality type would take it as a positive move.  It depends WHY the person is being asked to repeat and as said above what are the alternatives?  Clearly they still think she has potential as she’s not being asked to leave.  I think in this country we are too hung up on doing things at a certain age or in a certain time frame - not all development follows the same path.  It sounds like the school want to assist your dd improve and get to the correct standard  so she can progress in her future aspirations. 

 

The bullying is another matter entirely and needs to be addressed without delay. 

[invisiblecircus]

Lucym, are you in the UK or outside of it? Your reference to "level 2" makes me think you're not in the UK and perhaps in a place where there is generally more flexibility in year groups, which would make repeating a year less of a big deal.

 

In the UK where students in a particular year group have to reach a certain age between 1st September of one calendar year and 31st August of the next, it is pretty rare for anyone to repeat a year between the ages of 11 and 16, so doing so might be more difficult for a student to cope with.

 

As another poster said, you need to weigh up all the options available to you. If she doesn't repeat the year, what then? Is she allowed to go into level 2 anyway or would she have to leave the school? Could she move schools? What does your daughter want to do?

Also, the issue of bullying needs to be adressed urgently so I'm glad you've taken the first steps towards that.

I don't know anyone personally who has repeated a year in a lower school (vocational school) but those I know who have done so in a regular academic school have all thrived and all have said it was the best thing they did, so it can be a very positive thing.

[Pups_mum]

I think it is worth remembering that school years are pretty arbitrary things. Obviously there has to be a line in the sand somewhere, but maybe it's not actually as important as we are conditioned to think it is? It's now increasingly common for students to take "years out" before or after university, and I know quite a lot of people who have graduated "late" because they've taken time out for some reason or another or have changed courses part way. Then when you get into the world of work we all process at different rates for different reasons rather than staying with our school cohorts. What school year you are in varies from country to country, and even in the different countries of the UK the cut offs differ - my niece and her husband moved to England from Northern Ireland and found her sons were in different school years. I have friends who moved from the UK to Australia and back again during their children's school years, meaning significant changes of year group for them, but it doesn't seem to have done any harm.

I know that in classical ballet there is a lot of pressure to reach certain standards by certain ages, so it is a bit different. But if we take the broader view, whilst a year in a youngsters life seems huge, by the time they are adults it probably won't matter that much. I think it is far more important that a child is thriving than that they are kept within any arbitrary peer group.

[meadowblythe]

Definitely know of vocational students who have repeated years in both upper and lower school.  Variety of reasons - many injury related, but also in lower school for academic reasons.

 

I hope the fact that it's not the norm wouldn't stop me making the right decision for my child, but as others have said, what are your alternatives?  What are the pros and cons of each option?

 

Good luck with your decision.