School year system in the UK/Gluttony

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 128740

In message 128733, Tonks wrote:

OK, now I must add for the record, the number seven is an important
number in the Bible. It is not just in magic. And JKR could have
started Harry in the equivalent of 7th grade instead of 6th. I don't
know how the boarding school system is in the UK. In the US Junior
High starts with the 7th grade and it would make more sense to me
that a boarding school would also begin then instead of with the 6th
grade. But maybe the UK is different. Does the UK consider 6th grade
to be part of secondary education, or primary??

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Geoff:

In message 127769, where we were discussing the transfer age at 
Hogwarts, I wrote:

"Excuse my being pedantic, but large numbers of pupils change schools 
at 13+ and some at 12+. The percentage of transfers at 11+ is far 
less than it was in the past.

When I started teaching in a UK state secondary school in the 1960s, 
transfer at 11+ (in the state sector)was almost universal. 
Followingthe Labour Government's document Circular 10/64 which aimed 
at making all UK secondary education comprehensive, a large number of 
Local Education Authorities (LEAs) went for a first/middle/high 
school structure to replace the infant/junior/secondary layout; for 
many of them, it kept the costs of converting buildings down.

My LEA switched in '69. We then underwent a further change in 1990 
when we moved to 12+ as we were transferring Sixth Form pupils to 
Sixth Form colleges and out of the main schools so that my school 
then had Years 8-11 only (corresponding to Second up to Fifth Year at 
Hogwarts)."

So, in the UK, schools following the First/Middle/High pattern can 
change either at Year 4/Year 9 or Year 4/Year 8 while LEAs who stuck 
with the Ibfant/Junior/Secondary scheme change at Year 4/Year 7.

Interestingly, although Hogwarts follows the 11+ transfer age, before 
the UK started introducing the Middle School concept (as outlined 
above), many Public schools did transfer at 13+ and therefore didn't 
match the state system.

A further thought. Is the US Grade numbering slightly different to 
the UK Year? Harry /did/ start Hogwarts in what today is Year 7.

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In post 128738, catkind wrote:

I'm not so sure gluttony is a sin in the Potterverse. The first thing
Hagrid does to cheer Harry up is feed him sausages and later
ice-cream. Hogwarts' feasts are amazing, and there are always
desserts, and then there is the sweet-shop. If gluttony is a sin, why
all this wonderful food all around? Ron's also quite keen on his
dinner if I recall correctly.

Or is there a technical definition of gluttony beyond eating lots that
I don't know?

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Geoff:
I believe there is a subtle difference between the pupils eating well 
and being gluttons...

My dictionary gives definitions as follows:

Glutton>noun an excessively greedy eater 
Gluttony>noun habitual greed or excess in eating

I think it's the /excess/ in eating that is the difference.