G&T register; does your child know they are on it?

[lovecheese]

Just wondering really; DD1 isnt, although takes part in enhancement activities occasionally; DD2 is, but we have never mentioned it in front of her, and the school is cagey about it (Found out via foul means ) and will never mention it, partly because of the green-eyed monster fall-out bickering from DD1 to DD2. How about you?

[cory]

Dd did come home and tell us she was on the register at the start of junior school and that she had been offered to take part in lunchtime g&t club but had decided against it, as it would mean spending her lunchtime indoors instead of being with her friends. That was the last we heard of that. I don't think labels matter much to dd. She was never interested in Aquila either, or any other things you were supposed to do just because you were gifted; she always wanted to pursue her own interests. So that's what we let her do.

[MumInBeds]

DS is aware, we don't know ourselves if dd is as her school keep it a bit more quiet.

DS knows and understands it is a phase thing though, than it isn't a given that he'll always be on it and that many children have times when they have a 'learning spurt' and would benefit from a bit of extra work.

To be honest it helps him to know because it helps him come to terms with his limitations too - he is dyspraxic with a few ASD traits.

[lovecheese]

cory - so that explains the aquila leaflet in the book bag then.

[cory]

Probably does, lovecheese; it's what you are supposed to be reading if you're gifted. Presumably works best for children who have not already developed strong interests of their own, though.
Just noticed that they aim at a readership of "bright 8 to 13 year olds", seems a bit old to me- surely a bright 13yo can just read books for adults?
Can imagine that some bright 8yos might enjoy it though, if they are the amenable type- dd at that age just wanted her own library card and the freedom to decide what she was interested in.
I'd think it would be great for the bright 5-7 year old, actually.

[exexpat]

Yes, both are and both aware of it - DD (7) because she's been sent off on a couple of token external G&T enrichment days, and of course read the letters about them before she gave them to me (there was no notification that she was on the register before that). DS (11) because the letter offering him a place at secondary school also said he was going to be in their G&T program, and they have regular extra activities.

I don't think it has made them particularly big-headed or anything - they just feel normal for our family - there are cousins doing similar things, as did my sister and I at the same stages.

I remember Aquila - DS used to get it a few years ago. I wonder if DD would be interested now - at the moment she only has the lego catalogue arriving by post to get excited about, though my wildlife magazine does disappear sometimes.

[lovecheese]

exexpat - talking 'bout magazines, mine enjoy National Geographic Kids and "first news" weekly newspaper, in fact they fight over who gets to read the latter. Highly recommeended.

[cory]

Don't try to be grown-up and get them the adult National Geographic, though: it has a very morbid streak. Both dd and I found at least one article per issue too gruesome for perusal. Not difficult in terms of language or structure, just somewhat obsessed with the gruesome.

[MathsMadMummy]

ooh gruesome how?

I remember Aquila

perhaps somebody can explain something I've been wondering for a while. why on earth would a parent not be told their child is on G&T?

[cory]

Mummified Jesuit priests, piles of skulls from the civil war in Uganda- I'd say a fairly adult content. But the Kids version sounds fine.

[exexpat]

Lovecheese - we already get First News for DS, and it is good (a bit too much advertorial maybe) though I think he's a bit old for it now, maybe I should encourage him to read my Guardian more often (he already raids it for the sudoku) and pass the subscription on to DD.

We have bought National Geographic Kids sometimes, but it doesn't seem to keep DD occupied for very long. Animal Action seems a bit better in that respect. And I had forgotten that we are still waiting for DD's first issue of Puffin Post, which I hope should be good.

[singersgirl]

We found Aquila very 'worthy' and full of the sorts of things that bright children are supposed to be interested in - never worked for either of mine. DS2 (8) has loved NG Kids for a couple of years and we get First News too, but it is a bit kiddy for DS1 now.

[cory]

That was precisely my experience, singersgirl. Both mine (one g&t, one average) have shown a strong reluctance to "things you are supposed to be interested in"- so we ended up asking them what kind of magazine they'd be interested in: ds currently gets a football magazine and dd did some cuddly animal magazine for a bit, and then a teen magazine, but now just reads books instead.

[ReasonableDoubt]

I have no idea what it actually means, so havent told our DS. As far as I can see it is a box-ticking exercise.

Cant imagine saying to DS ' You are in the top 10% of academically able children in your bog standard inner London primary school! Well done!'

[cory]

How was it conveyed to you if your ds doesn't know, reasonable? Mine tended to read any information coming home unless it was actively labelled confidential.

[ReasonableDoubt]

DS is only in reception, so he is clueless, really. I only found out in a meeting with the SENCo (DS has Asperger's). He casually mentioned DS being on the G&T register and I said 'Oh, I didn't know he was', to which he replied 'Well, we don't really have to inform parents, it's just a way we show the government that we are identifying our most able children and meeting their needs'.

I had lost interest before he ended his sentence, to be honest

[MathsMadMummy]

so can anyone answer my earlier question, about why parents are often not actually told about it?

[exexpat]

Maybe because if the parents were told about it they might expect the school to actually lay on some meaningful extra provision? [cynical]
Or because they don't want parents getting all excited and thinking their kids are geniuses when in the context of some schools, the 'top 10 per cent' definition of gifted really doesn't mean anything?
But actually I have never asked....

[singersgirl]

Our school tends not to tell parents unless there is a burning need to as: a) the register changes from year to year, so a child might not always qualify, as they can develop rapidly and then plateau etc; b) parents can get upset about identification or lack of it; c) it doesn't really mean all that much and they don't want to stir up a hot-bed of anxiety and; d)(more cynically) then they would actually have to do something about it.

This year they have started running some enrichment programmes to which your child is invited by Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator, so that's an indication.

The school does test some children they believe to be 'gifted' (my inverted commas) with a short IQ-type assessment.

[MathsMadMummy]

good point exex, my stepson was G&T all through school but TBH to be cleverer than most kids at his schools you only had to, say, put two words together? I mean he is quite clever but I do wish they hadn't told him actually, it made him really complacent and he's failed most of his A levels

[ragged]

Parents often aren't told because then some parents would have an expectation that it means something; it doesn't mean anything, it's an accounting exercise (and a headache at that, I'd wager).

[WoodRose]

I strongly suspect that parents in my DC's school aren't told because the HT wants to avoid being ambushed by parents demanding to know why THEIR child isn't on the register!

[NoahAndTheWhale]

DS was on the G&T register for maths at his old school but we moved about a month ago and he isn't at the new one. He's in Year 1 and we were told at a parents' evening - he didn't know about it.

[notagrannyyet]

At primary school we weren't told. I knew DS were being given extension work in maths, but I didn't realise they were on any list until they were sent on 'masterclasses in year 5. I was told that DS5 was G&T for music.....At his primary he was one of a handful who could play an instrument. So grade 2 at the start of year 5 was G&T but only for his school. This is of course where G&T falls down....it depends on the school!

I assume all 3 are G&T for science and maths at secondary because they are/were in groups who started GCSEs early. Our 17 yearold told me he was G&T at sport. He saw his name on the list in the PE staff room. I have never been formerly told, and I'm not bothered really. All three do most of their sport outside school anyway.