Is this true?

[vintageteacups]

Hi,

My dd (9) has been on the G & T list for reading and writing at her current school since she started in Yr 2. Now in year 4 and only down for G & T reading, someone (a seemingly jealous who's dd isn't on the list for any G & T[hmm}) told me that the schools have a quota for G & T and that if any new kids join, they can't just knock another G & T child off the list to make way for them.

I discussed this with DH last night and he thinks she's talking twoddle. Surely, if a child is G & T, they are G & T. Do they really have a cut off mark for numbers?

One head teacher (from DD's first primary) said G & T was developed to allow G & T children to develop themselves further (in the same way SEN children have extra help with things they find tricky). Surely it'd be wrong not to add a G & T to the list purely on a numbers basis???

[belledechocchipcookie]

It's the top 10% for each school so I'd imagine it was true, if they have an influx of new bright children then they can't put all of them on the G&T register with the ones who are already there.

It's all a farce to be honest, the top 10% may not be the top 10% in a different school.

[vintageteacups]

What a load of rubbish then. Is it also true it's being scrapped?

[vintageteacups]

I hope so. Teachers should be bette able to differentiate in order to allow G & T kids to further themselves; it shouldn't literally be the G & T kids and the non-G & T kids.

DD came home this week with a letter for G & T kids saying they could go on a maths and technology trip. DD is not G & T for maths and I feel really sorry for 'jealous mums' child who loves maths and is very good at it.

Also, the G & T kids get to do an after school club to produce the school magazine. I am sure lots of other children would like help who may not be on the list but would be still fab at doing it.

[belledechocchipcookie]

I've no idea, sorry. It is a load of rubbish, designed to stop parents of bright children moving them to a private school. IIRC, it started off with a parent suing because his child's state school wasn't meeting her needs and he wanted help with private school fees. The LEA won, using the basis that they could adapt work to meet any child's needs

[belledechocchipcookie]

That seems unfair vintage. I don't think they should be rewarded like this for being bright.

[vintageteacups]

Belle - DD (unknowing how bad it sounded) came home and said

"the gifted and talented chldren are allowed to miss the choir festival".

I felt awful that they actually refer to each other as G & T!

You're right - it is unfair.

The maths and technology trip is to a theme park where the topic is 'killer coaster'. Although they won't be going on rides, just knowing they're going to a theme park makes it seem so unfair for those not going.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Sounds unfair on many levels.

[fluffycauliflower]

I too have felt that actually the whole system is not very logical. In my daughter's school it tends to be the children who are being tutored, also the ones who have autumn Birthdays. They are given opportunities like doing Shakespeare before school and computer programming after school for free. It is unfair on the summer born children who are already disadvantaged.

[FreudianSlippery]

Wow, I've always thought the system is arbitrary at least, but this school seems to be handling it really badly :(

[overmydeadbody]

The G & T list is just the top 10%. As someone else said, a G&T child in one school might not be anywhere near the G&T children in another school.

My head doesn't even bother. We have a list, but focus on every child, pushing them, stimulating them, and challenging them at their ability level, whatever that is.

[stoatsrevenge]

We had a boy at our school who was in intervention groups for literacy and numeracy - low end of average. He left to go to a school in a less salubrious area, and jumped on to its G+T list!

I think labelling as G+T (particularly in KS1 and EY, when the children are developing at such different rates) is asking for trouble - particularly from pushy parents!

[cymruoddicatref]

This is madness. A well known psychology study in the US, (before it became illegal to use children as guinea pigs) showed conclusively that if you take one group of children (or adults for that matter) and mentor them by telling them over and over again that they are bright high achievers, that on its own will cause a measurable improvement in their performance relative to the control group, where the intelligence and aptitude of all the children at the start of the intervention is the same.

This is "ancient history" science. I can't believe educationalists behave like this.

[vintageteacups]

I cannot wait until the stupid G & T list has gone!

DD is now saying she's going to spell her words incorrectly incorrectly so she doesn't have to go to the book club and so she's not G & T for reading.

[LoisSanger]

DS was put on the G&T list for maths at his old school. We moved and he definitely isn't now. But has smaller class and is much easier to give all the children the attention they need.