I spent my elementary school years in the American west, in Oregon. So yes, Mrrzy, 'smart' kids did skip a grade or two.

I must say I'm glad I didn't go to school in the UK. It sounds dreadful. I loved school. I loved books and 'traveling' to other lands. I remember how amazed - and kind of disappointed - I was to learn that schoolteachers got paid- I thought they taught for the love of it.

I am now close to the end of my life and my all-time favorite job in my life was tutoring, both in Basic English and in ESL Which I still do.