to not tell the school why we are leaving?

[hellomonster]

NC for this.

DC has been identified as "able, gifted and talented". The school we are at has no provision for this (and in fact has been pulled up on the lack of provision in the last two inspections). We have asked and asked for some guidance/help but got nowhere so decided to look elsewhere. We are lucky (and over the moon) that DC has been awarded a scholarship to a school that differentiates and seems perfect.

My AIBU is that when I informed the school that we would be leaving, they were all of a flurry and asked why and want me to come in and explain my reasons. I don't want to have to go in and say the same things I've been saying over and over. It is not my place to tell them how to do their job or quote the inspection report at them. Is it?

You sound a bit stealth-boasty - there's no issue is there? DC is moving schools, tell them you've already covered the reason in the past.

Congrats to your dc on the scholarship.

State schools certainly do still have some form of G&T. Renamed with no additional funding, presumably.

I received an email saying:
"We identify your son/daughter as a student that has ‘High Prior Attainment’. This means that in year 6 they excelled in Maths and English which is why we have such high expectations for their academic achievement".

I was urged to look at the special section of the website, which I did. There is absolutely nothing on it beyond many aspirations for doing well.

It's all nonsense. This is an additional task lumped onto a member of staff for no extra pay, who will have no clout at all in trying to get other teachers to do things.

As it happens, I think the teachers at my DC school are great. Committed, cheerful, efficient, I don't know how they keep it up. But it isn't really catering for my DC who could do (a few) GCSEs with his eyes shut and will come crashing down to reality as soon as some requirement to work actually enters the process.

My son was identified as 'able, gifted and talented' in English, science and maths.

Just meant they had a seperate class with the other 30 odd pupils. Basically a top set. We didn't move him and neither did the other 30 kids move.

Not putting your dc down, but look into the school first and what they mean by it. Who identified it? If you have already done so, great.

Lonicera - no, you're quite right, there is not a dedicated full time co-ordinator. Although there are plenty of Heads of this and Directors of that and I imagine one of them has responsibility for whatever they are now calling the previous G&T programme. What it translates to is invitations to additional events, seminars, extra-curricular clubs and workshops in subjects which students excel in and there's a reasonable programme of those.

My eldest daughter (yr 11) has also been invited to join a weekly breakfast session for those who are predicted top grades in Maths, English and Science. Heads of subject are spending some time with them covering some interesting and higher-level work (and also, I think, keeping a close eye on how they are responding to the pressure).

This is all totally irrelevant to what goes on in primary schools, or whether the OP should talk about why her son is leaving. But I think our school is fab and it irritates me somewhat when there is an assumption that you have to go private to get decent provision. I also recognise that clearly I am lucky to live where I do.

Considering standards are so low in UK, gifted and talented just means "not thick as pig shit and should be able to learn at a speed considered normal in the rest of Europe".

UK averages aren't great but they are brought down because we have too many at the lower end of the achievement ladder, not because our higher achievers aren't so great.