Have you got Gifted/Talented child? What does your primary school do for them?

[Melondramatic]

I think 7 year old dd might be G&T. She has been suffering very severe anxiety symptoms for the last couple of years. Head teacher has suggested that this might be a factor

What should happen to support her in year 3?? I dont think the school have a progrs such

Why do you think she might be g and t....other than her anxiety?

My dd’s primary allows her (lots of) time off to attend things related to her ‘talent’ and provides some 1:1 time with the head teacher to allow her to access some higher level English work/activities/enrichment. Given everything else that they pack in to a day in year 6 I think that’s enough!

Why does the HT think it might be a factor in her anxiety?

Instead of it being ‘just’ anxiety I mean?

I would be expecting them to support her mental heath needs before worrying too much about g&t.

She got 100% in year 2 SATS. Shes a free reader. Speaking since early, huge vocab etc etc

I have just been so focus on her anxiety, i just never even thought about it until teacher said

She’s a high achiever then, within her cohort. School should be able to provide for this without any problems.

It depends on their ability and their confidence. For some G&T readers they'll read with higher year groups if appropriate. For Maths it might be differentiated tasks/challenges (our maths is fab because we have differentiated tasks anyhow so everyone's busy and working hard, but everyone's hopefully doing stuff at their own appropriate level). We have a dedicated member of staff who co-ordinates the learning and support for those children, and who can assist with giving them enough challenges in the class without making everything rigid.

The difficulty is that if a child's anxiety prevents them from accessing those things, it can make their anxiety even harder for them to deal with. The G&T thing isn't half so important as her emotional and mental health. Ask school how you (and they) can support that, then work on the G&T.

Yy anything they do support her MH...she sees psych. We have just had another 'flare up' as it were/another version

DD was assessed as G&T at 6. She's now 11. Her teacher sets work that she thinks will challenge her.

So, it sounds like its all within the classroom then...differentiation...which is business as usual

I was hoping things happened outside the classroom, as she hates school

That’s good then. They’re prioritising what they should be. They can have a look at her learning too and make sure they’re meeting her needs there. Lots of children who are high achievers do have difficulty with anxiety, there is a correlation in my experience, but I’m not sure it’s a causal link.

I would be expecting them to make sure she’s being stretched sufficiently but without any additional pressure.

I am thinking/hoping that stretching her would actually HELP with her anxiety anything; that is my motivation for persuing

philomena who does an assessment? How do you get it done??

But surely the things outside the classroom/school will fall under your jurisdiction?

From a parents perspective I think I'd go easy on the learning side of things at home and do things to boost self esteem and mental heath - fun clubs she enjoys, lots of exercise and fresh air, lots of praise for non-academic successes and lots of down time to just be a little child.

In terms of support all schools are really able to do is set her work that challenges her and helps continue her academic progress. There's no funding set aside for children who are ahead, the differentiation will all come from the teacher and TA who will also have to support the learning of up to 30 other children, all with their own needs and requirements. It's far from ideal, I'll grant you.

My DD primary said they couldn’t offer anything for my bright daughter. We have moved her to an independent school 🤷🏼‍♀️

Melon the teacher did the assessment without my knowledge, and told me afterwards.

School is in special measures so have funding at the moment. Yeah, fun clubs which she enjoys would be zero! Her anxiety is severe and i know how to deal with that. I am asking about G&Td

What does she hate about school? Surely that's the first thing to address?

My dc went to classes a year or 2 up for Maths and English. The head of English also ran a special creative writing lunchtime club for a few of the more able pupils. No anxiety though.

Thanks bumsex was that in primary?

Thanks philo

Yes they started in nursery - they’d sit ds in the reception class for phonics because he was already a very able reader but he was ahead of the reception kids as well so started going to year 1.
I’m not entirely sure I believe in g&t as a thing though tbh. He’s certainly bright but also September born so nearly a year older than some of his classmates. He did stay as one of the more able throughout primary and then gained a place at a very hard to get into selective secondary but I think starting older gives you an advantage in that your child is pushed more.

What aspects of school does she hates?

Our primary has ‘secret’ trips for G&T children. They select half a dozen from across the school every so often and send them off to special maths or English days. They are held at a cathedral in a city some distance away - at the last one they had access to the cathedral library, which isn’t normally open to the public. I thought that was pretty cool.

My dc are not G&T. I only know about these trips because dd’s best friend has been on some, as well as a friend’s son. It’s utterly unclear how they select which children go, and all a bit hush hush.

I suspect it is a church thing; school is fairly keen C of E, and would explain the cathedral venue.

Previous state primary wouldn't do anything for my 7 year old son . Nothing at all. No money to do it. I Moved him to an independent school where they said his reading age and comprehension age was 13, and the CAT testing confirms it, they do loads to stretch him and he's so much happier.