Gifted and Talented / Gifted and Able...

[Misfitless]

Just wondering if anyone in the know could explain the difference between the two, please.

Do schools tend to have either one or the other?

Also, should parents be told about the list, or is it mainly there for the teacher's reference?

The teachers have said that my two DCs are very bright, but it's only by chance that I've found out that they are on the 'Gifted and Able' list.

What kinds of extra support do teachers think I should be giving them at home, as up till now, I haven't been doing anything above and beyond what I'd do if they were average.

TIA.

[juniper44]

G&T is no longer a legal requirement, so some schools still maintain the lists and others don't. It used to be the top 10%, so 3 children per class.

As far as I know, there is no additional money any more.

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

I believe they are the same yes.

no schools don't have to tell parents - many don't and the kids aren't usually aware either.

lots of schools don't have lists.

you don't need to do anything differently.

[Impatientismymiddlename]

Talented doesn't always mean academically bright; it can mean very talented at sport, music or art whereas 'able' is usually user to describe academic ability.

[Misfitless]

Thanks everyone. That's good news, I think!

I do remember there being a lot of buzz around G&T when my eldest was at primary school, but haven't heard anything about it for years - probably because the funding has run out and it's no longer a legal requirement, as someone has pointed out!

Happy to hear I shouldn't have been doing anything out of the ordinary.

Appreciate you answering.

[columngollum]

I couldn't care less about this list or that list regardless of what it's called.

[SweetPenelope]

At our school, we get a letter saying that the child is in the top 3 in the class in maths or literacy and that they will be helping some of the other kids during lessons. they also say that there is the usual differentiation in class. So, it doesn't mean much.

[Misfitless]

No, but you care enough to comment on this thread, so that's nice, columngollum.

Thanks SweetPenelope.

[Iamnotminterested]

A letter home saying they will be helping the other kids? Really? I'd be mightily cheesed off at that. Anyone else?

[pyrrah]

I would be fuming. I would expect my child to be given extension work not be an unpaid and unqualified TA.

In the same way, I would be very unhappy to have my child helped by a classmate. They should be helped by a trained member of staff. What if they don't do it correctly? Then you end up with a confused child who is perhaps struggling in the first place.

I can see the point in children consolidating their learning by explaining it to others - can be a useful tool in one's own learning, but not at Primary school.

I went to a private prep-school and no way would any child have been expected to help another because they were ahead. There were team exercises in things like history and science and perhaps role-play in English, were some children would be stronger than others and in a sense help out the weaker ones, but it was never a case of a child being asked to all extents and purposes "teach" something like maths to a peer.

columngollum - I'm a bit confused by your comment... if you don't care, why bother commenting or am I missing something?

[simpson]

DS is in yr4 and has been taught that if they find something hard to ask someone on their table first before a teacher.

Obviously this does not apply for certain things like the big write or a test etc. but I guess its to stop the constant hands up and "Miss! Miss!" all the time

The problem with letters home is that what happens if a child is taken off the G&T list? For example a couple of new kids join a class who are higher ability than the "G&T" kids, do 2 then get bumped off?

With DS (yr4) I only found out by chance this school year, with DD (yr1) I have known (been told by the school) since the October of her reception year.

[ohthegoats]

We have a gifted and talented list, and a more able list which is just the kids who are above average by a little, rather than clearly gifted.

Gifted and the more able tends to be about academics.
Talented tends to be sports, music, performance etc.

We also have some kids who fit the list for leadership.

It used to be the top 10% of each year group, but it doesn't make sense to just have a generic number who should be on the list. In some years, the lower year groups had more gifted and able children than the upper year groups - in terms of national levels and true ability. So 5A readers in year 5 on the G&T list, but 5C readers in year 6 on the G&T list.

I tend to think that if you have to think about who you want to put on the list, you haven't got anyone. It should be screamingly obvious that a child is 'out there' whether it be maths or dance.