Guidelines for repeating a year level

Considerations and processes for repeating a year level

Repeating a school year is sometimes suggested as an intervention strategy for students who are not performing
as well as their peers at school. The belief is that a further twelve months at the same year level will give the
student an opportunity to catch up or mature.

The decision to approve or not approve whether a student repeats a year level is made by the school principal, and
this decision is not internally reviewable. It is important to consider whether repeating is the best educational option
for the student or whether there are other strategies or support that the school could provide to assist the student,
such as making adjustments to their educational program.

When making the decision to approve a student repeating a year level, principals should consider the student’s
best interests including factors such as the student’s age, academic performance, aptitude, ability and
development. It may also include consideration of the student’s maturity, social and emotional wellbeing, attitude,
peer group support and dependence.

It is important that schools take a collaborative approach to making these decisions, exploring the best educational
options in a sensitive manner with parents and the student (if the student is of appropriate age). For example,
discussing with parents the options/strategies other than repeating that the school could offer to assist the student,
the benefits of parental involvement to the student’s academic success, as well as the implications to the student’s
allocation of state education if repeating a year level is approved.

What the research says

Repeating a year level refers to students remaining in the same school year level they studied in the previous year.
It is mostly requested by concerned parents or teaching staff at the school, with the perception that repeating a
year level will provide an opportunity for students to improve their academic achievements.

Whilst it may create an opportunity for students to catch up academically, research shows repeating a year level
may not necessarily lead to positive outcomes for students. The following are some conclusions drawn from
research:
 Most students who repeat do not catch up academically.
 Children who repeat in primary school have a higher risk of disengaging in secondary school.
 For some students, the experience of repeating contributes to poor mental health outcomes, as they may feel a
sense of shame, stigma and loss of self-esteem. It could also lead to poor long term social outcomes, as
students need to develop new social relationships.
 Repeating could also contribute to a negative attitude to school and learning, and decrease the likelihood that a
student will participate in post-secondary education.
 Children who repeat tend to have higher rates of behavioural problems compared with non-repeating students.
 The negative effects of repeating increases with age.

Additionally, it is well documented in research that parental engagement may lead to greater success for children in
school. Parental engagement may include having routine, structure and time management for homework and out of
school activities. Research also indicates that parents with a higher level of involvement and support for children
are less likely to have their children repeat a year level.

References:
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London; New York: Routledge.
Jimerson and Kaufman (2003).Reading, writing, and retention: A primer on grade retention research. The Reading Teacher v56(7), pp.622-635.
Martin, A. J. (2011). Holding Back and Holding behind: Grade Retention and Students' Non-Academic and Academic Outcomes. British
Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 739-763.
McGrath (2007). To Repeat or Not to Repeat? Curriculum Matters, v6(3), pp.16-23.

Uncontrolled copy. Refer to the Department of Education Policy and Procedure Register at
http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au to ensure you have the most current version of this document.
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