Start of the School Year

[Mitch in Notts]

A question for those of you slightly older than me!

Has the School year started in a month other than September?
I`m trying to puzzle how two ladies I know - born March 1944 & December 1944 could be in the same school year.

If it was different when did it change?

Thanks

Mitch

[LaurenceB]

I may or may not be older than you, but it has certainly been September at least since the war. However, in the 50s and 60s they were much more flexible than they are now about children starting at different ages or skipping/repeating a year. My oldest sister went to grammar school a year early and so was 2 years above her younger sister instead of 1 year.

Laurence.

[Pam Downes]

In the early-ish sixties, at senior school there were people born in February and October of the same year. So, similar to the March and December of 1944.
I believe the cut-off date for starting school in September in those far-off days was 31st December. (A far more sensible date than the present system.)
Pam

[Mitch in Notts]

Thanks for the replies.

Certainly came up with a complicated scheme didn`t they!

Thanks again,

Mitch

[Pam Downes]

Thanks for the replies.

Certainly came up with a complicated scheme didn`t they!

Thanks again,

Mitch

What's complicated about 'if you're born between 1 January and 31 December in year B, then you start school in year B +5' - which is what the 'old' system used to be? e.g. born any day in 1950, then you start school after 1 January 1955. A more precise start date being determined by the month. I know if your birthday was between 1 June and 31 December you began school in September. Can't remember the cut-off date for starting school after Easter.
If you mean the complicated scheme (and complete dog's dinner) that currently exists, then yes. Back then the dates were no doubt nationwide. Now start dates differ from county to county. Two children born about five days apart in January. One lives in Kent, so started school in the September prior to his fifth birthday. The other lives in East Sussex and wasn't allowed to start school until the January in which he turned five.
Pam

[junedye64]

I was born in 1941 and started school just after my fifth birthday in the May.

June

[Mitch in Notts]

I spoke to the younger of the two ladies this morning.
She was born Dec 1944
Started infants in Jan 1950.
Started secondary in SEPTEMBER of 1956.
She left school at Christmas 1959, starting work in January 1960.

She was in the same school class as the older lady (born Mar 1944).
The older lady started infants at Easter 1949
and started secondary SEPTEMBER 1956.

BUT if the school year started in January WHY did they start Secondary school in SEPTEMBER?

That is what I`m finding complicated Pam!!

Mitch

[Pam Downes]

Mitch, I didn't say the school year started in January. I was talking purely about starting school, and explaining (obviously extremely badly ) how two people born several months apart could have been in the same class/year at school.
I would assume that the school year has started in September for many years. Certainly in the fifties, as your ladies have proved.

However, I must say that some of the dates given to you don't seem to add up when I do mental arithmetic so I think the easiest way is for you to just accept that it was possible for people born in seemingly different 'school years' to be in the same class at school in the Fifties (and Sixties. )
Pam

[David Benson]

I started infants school at the start of term after my 5th birthday (October 1946) so that was in January, after Christmas. I believe they staggered the start dates so the teacher didn't get a complete class of new 5 year olds all at the same time. The change to the secondary school, aged 11, was in September along with everyone else.

[Pam Downes]

I started infants school at the start of term after my 5th birthday (October 1946) so that was in January, after Christmas. I believe they staggered the start dates so the teacher didn't get a complete class of new 5 year olds all at the same time. The change to the secondary school, aged 11, was in September along with everyone else.

My apologies, Mitch.
Having just read David's post, I've realised that I'm basing my assumptions of people starting school on the fact that in my class at secondary school there were people who were born in February, June and October of the same year.
Arthur, born Feb 1957 started primary school in January 1962, and had two terms in Mrs Allitt's class.
Sept 1962 (new school year) moved to Mrs Brown's class. (equivalent of today's year two).
September 1963 up to Mrs Cave's class.
September 1964 stayed in Mrs Cave's class another year.

Bertie born June 1957 started primary school in September 1962.
September 1963 moved to Mrs Brown's class.
September 1963 up to Mrs Cave's class, joining Arthur.

When Arthur and Bertie went to secondary school in September 1968, they were in the same class as Charlie who was born in October 1957. Charlie went to a different primary school, but would have started school in either September 1962 or January 1963.
Pam