Is it a good idea to repeat a year at school?

We are in the last stretch of the school year and just weeks away from final reports.

For some students, results may indicate serious gaps in skills or knowledge. This may be a result of circumstances outside their control, for instance, serious illness or teacher shortages. But some families may be wondering if the gaps are serious enough to consider repeating the year.

We know successful learning usually happens when we have the opportunity to rehearse, repeat and practise something multiple times.

But when it comes to getting children to repeat a year of school, research shows it is usually not a good idea.

How many students repeat?

There is little current information about the rates of repeating in Australia.

In 2014, about 7.5% of 15-year-olds had repeated one year over the course of their schooling, down slightly from 8% in 2009.

Repeating a year remains a common practice in other countries, such as France and Spain. But there has been a shift away from repeating in Australian schools.

For younger children in particular, the focus has shifted to stopping students from starting too young – rather than delaying their progression once they get to school.

Repeating does not usually work

It is well documented repeating a year typically has a negative impact on a student’s social and emotional needs.

It is supposed to help a student “catch up” but can instead harm their motivation and engagement. Counterintuitively, it can also harm their progress in literacy and numeracy if they are not motivated or interested in school.

As a 2021 review of 84 studies showed, repeating a year can see students left behind by their friends, harm a student’s confidence, and worsen their behaviour at school if they are unhappy.

It also found on average, repeaters and non-repeaters seemed to show a similar level of development – so there was no tangible benefit to repeating a year.

This is why education departments now only suggest repeating a year in “exceptional circumstances”. Particularly in the primary years, schools will work with students to help them catch up in term 4 for the following year.

What can you do instead?

So if your child is struggling academically – or with some other element at school – how can you approach it?

You can start by investigating and understanding why your child is struggling. Does your child need specialist help for a learning difficulty? Is there an issue with bullying or another social problem that is harming their progress? Or is there something else going on for them outside school?

Other things you can do include:

1. stay in touch with your child’s school: it could include casual chats with the teacher outside the classroom after school. For older students it could mean monitoring due dates for assessments on the school’s information portal

2. think about how old your child is: especially when children are younger a few months can make a huge difference. If your child is struggling, is it because they are several months younger than most of your peers? This may mean you need to be patient and know with more time they will catch up

3. ask teachers for more specific help: helping students of differing stages and abilities to learn is core work for teachers. And they can use different strategies to help students learn

4. consider a tutor: if you child needs extra help, this could be one way to assist their learning. However, it is important to choose your tutor carefully and make sure a tutor’s approach matches your child’s specific needs.

It can feel very difficult as a parent to see your child struggling or failing academically at school. Let them know it is OK. Tell them it’s what they do next that matters and they are not alone. You are here to help.

And when in doubt, communicate your concerns clearly and consistently with the school.