Applying for secondary school for your twins

Moving on from primary to secondary

Whatever decisions you made about primary school, secondary school is a new stage with its own mix of opportunities and worries. Timetables change, buildings are bigger and friendships often shift. Even if things felt settled in primary, it’s normal for questions to bubble up again as you look at the next step.

If your twins, triplets or more are being taught out of their usual age group in primary school, contact secondary schools in Year 5. Ask them to place your children in the same ‘adopted cohort’ when they transfer to secondary school. This helps them avoid missing a year of learning. If you’d like support, Twins Trust can help you with next steps. Schools must act in children’s best interests, and missing a year of education isn’t in a child’s best interests.

One of the biggest differences now is that your children are older. Their views really matter. Try to involve them in conversations about school choices and separation, while making it clear that the final decision sits with you. That way they can feel heard and included without carrying the weight of responsibility.

The question of keeping twins, triplets or more together or apart can come up again at this point. Maybe they’ve always been in the same class and you’re wondering whether it’s time for more independence. Perhaps they were separated early on and one now wants to join the other.

Key things to think about for secondary school

If your children haven’t been separated in primary or junior school, you may feel secondary is a natural time to think about this. At secondary school spend far less time in their form classes, so the issue of whether to place them in separate forms or not is less key and we would encourage you to prepare your children to be able to cope with this level of separation. When you visit the school you might want to ask questions about how the year is divided up, how classes for different subjects are decided, so you can get a picture of how much independence your children would have from one another.

There’s no single right answer to the question of together or apart. Some twins and triplets feel more confident when they start secondary school in the same class or even the same school. Others are desperate for a bit of space and flourish when they’re given it. You might find that one child is keen to be in a different tutor group while another needs more reassurance and wants to stay close.

Some families also consider sending children to different secondary schools, especially in areas with more than one option. This can sometimes suit children with very different interests, learning needs or levels of confidence. If you’re thinking about separate schools, talk this through with your children and visit each school with them. Try to get a feel for which environment might nurture each child as an individual. Alternatively, you may be sending your children to the same school, but one has an EHCP, and the other doesn’t. Our Professional Advice Service (LINK) can help guide you through this process.

Twins Trust experience suggests that for many families, the ideal situation is for multiples to be seen as individuals long before secondary school. Separate classes, different friendship groups or distinct hobbies can all help with this. If separate classes haven’t been an option, you might be able to encourage individuality through clubs, sports or interests outside school, so that each child has something that feels “theirs”.

Together, apart and different school paths

Grammar and selective schools can complicate things further. Many parents feel it’s worth “having a go” at the exam, just in case. But it can come as a shock when only one child is offered a place. If the most important thing for your family is that all your children attend the same school, it’s worth thinking very carefully before entering grammar or entrance exams. Try talking to each child separately about what matters most to them, and be honest about the possible outcomes, including the chance that their results could be different.

Occasionally, if one of your multiples gets offered a place, but the other doesn’t, and their test scores were close, if a primary school can show that your children have had very similar test results over several years, there may be grounds to appeal a grammar or selective school decision. Twins Trust may be able to support in some situations, but there can never be a guarantee of success. That’s why it’s so important to weigh up whether selective schooling fits with your wider priorities as a family.

Getting support with tricky decisions

You know your children best and you’re in the strongest position to decide whether they’re likely to thrive together or apart, in the same school or in different ones. But that doesn’t mean you have to figure everything out on your own.

If you’re struggling to reach an agreement with a school about class placement, separation or admissions, Twins Trust has a team of professional volunteers (LINK) who can help. They can offer guidance if you’re facing disputes, considering appeals or simply feeling unsure what to do next.

Above all, try to remember that secondary school is a journey, not a single moment. Arrangements can be reviewed, friendships will evolve and your children’s confidence is likely to grow over time. With open conversations, a bit of forward planning and the right support, you can find a path that feels fair and workable for every member of your family.