Stage1 is for all 7 and 8 year olds (and some 9 and 10 year olds) who may not be able to cope with the numbers in groups or the content of the session or the work required outside of a Saturday in Stage2. Also research and past experience has shown us that it is around the ages of 9 and 10 that young people can take their own notes, pass on information, have considered opinions, learn blocking, take responsibility for their own learning etc; Stage2 is for 9-21 year olds who feel confident they can cope with all this. Any 9 or 10 year old who is not sure can come to the main Stage2 intro and decide after that which option they would like to attend from the following week. (Stage1 has a less formal intro one week after the main Stage2 intro).