A Mistake and a Question

[Florence]

No: HPFGUIDX 23337

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Steve Vander Ark" <vderark at b...> wrote:
> 
> The clincher, though, is going to have to come from our British 
> friends. In my opinion, if they say that parents do get to make 
that 
> kind of a choice in British schools (and in fairly traditional 
> schools, which Hogwarts certainly is), then I'd say Hermione is 
young 
> for her class. That would almost certainly be what would happen in 
> the US. If they say that no, the rule is always Sept 1 and is 
really 
> never broken, then I'd say that Hermione is very old for her grade 
> and turns 12 three weeks after the start of their first term in 
1981.
> 

I'm British, the rule is fairly rigorously enforced depending on the 
school and the cut-off is 1st September.  So I'd say it would be rare 
(but not impossible, especially if Hermione had attended a private 
school) for someone to START school early.  However (again this 
depends on schools) gifted children do sometimes skip a year in the 
course of their education, but even this isn't always a passport to 
going to senior school early.  A friend of mine (birthday early 
September, and bright) was made to re-take the top year at primary 
school because the secondary school wouldn't take her a few days too 
young!!

Florence