To think my DC is too clever for state secondary school?

[GeniusCreator]

DC is Yr7. Top of year according to what I’ve been told. Read the full series of Harry Potter books by 7 years old. Excels in STEM subjects. Spends ages at home researching science stuff like quantum field theory and nuclear fusion/fission and enjoys it! Designs his own websites and writes his own code for his own games. Primary school were always pretty amazed by him. Secondary school have picked up on him now and have said they’ve never seen anything like him.

He’s already mentioning being a bit bored in class. We live in what could be described as a deprived town and are not well off, no family to help out, so would never be able to get him into a private school. I did check with the private school in the next town but there are no scholarships available.

WIBU to try to crowdfund for private school fees?

He needs a much higher level curriculum than the state school one to continue stretching him. I honestly think he’s destined for amazing things.

<only slightly light hearted>

Some posts sound rather jealous. I'm not doubting that this kid is super clever.

Surely, approach private schools nearby; see if they want to give him free education. They possibly will. Keep planning and thinking about it, so you develop ideas, such as getting him into groups for super gifted and talented kids. I think Private Eye used to have a section devoted to people asking for money. Also, approach Industry for funding; research educational trips. You'll need to work hard and to keep googling gifted and talented opportunities and follow up. Get him to join MENSA, too.

You'll have to read and study science to get up to his level too, in order to stimulate and guide him.

Have you seen Young Sheldon?

NC for this. I was top of my class 3 years running in a grammar school and got annual awards for this (back in the 90s when they were happy to give us a class ranking!) Straight As/* for GCSE. I read science books for fun etc. I certainty didn't know everything and learnt new things in my lessons. And I still had to work hard at some subjects, as well as develop soft skills. I remember English lessons in secondary school we read adult books, so even now I'd still be learning things if I attended those lessons and studied new books. In science we learnt how to plan and write up experiments, which is something people still struggle to do well at university level.

Maybe your child far exceeds my capabilities at his age. I feel sad though for children who are promoted to a higher school year or constantly told they are gifted and pushed to do academic after school activities (which my parents never did and could have made me very arrogant) will they really have the same friendships and social skills? Just leave him be imo. Also seen mention of boarding school in this thread... That would have destroyed me as a child. Personal opinion but think boarding school is just horrendous.

Also... Just want to add that I actually moved to an average performing comp for my A levels as was fed up of the constant pressure and being told that anything less than an A was failure. There was no impact to my grades, still went to uni etc which I think was very telling. I just wanted to be a kid and that school had a far better balance and attitude to mental health.

Haha, just imagining me saying me saying to DS when he was smaller, you want to be a theoretical physicist when you grow up, don’t you honey, don’t you?! I had to look it up when he started saying it in Yr6 😂I might have perhaps said Astronaut but I’ve never told my kids what I wanted them to be.

Aye yes, that’s right @TheAbbotOfUnreason

Y6? I'm in Scotland, is that S1?!

When did he first know what a theoretical physicist is?

Sorry if I've missed your response. Does he have friends?

Absolute shite! DS1 is very academically bright. He's just finishing school- has not been bored at his comprehensive as he's been constantly stretched. He's a member of Mensa now too. Schools are there to meet all learner's needs.

OP, actually he might have a better shot of getting into a place like Cambridge if he's stunningly better than his classmates than if he's middle of the pack at a private school.

I agree to look at bursaries, but you could also look instead at some form of enrichment that might stretch him and give him supplemental education - far cheaper than private school and perhaps as useful in stretching him.

And, I've worked in education for 27 years: I've never met a school refuser who was academically gifted. Most have nurture issues/ adverse childhood experiences/ MH issues. Get your facts right.

I'm at 10 years.

But don't be so silly - they're refusing because they're bored and so utterly wonderful that school can't help them.

I'd speak to teachers at current school and ask their thoughts about ways to stretch him and whether they think you should look for scholarships to private. If you'd let him board then contact the top academic schools and possibly even reach out to Cambridge uni physics dept now, they might have summer activutes for gifted abd talented etc. If he really is this exceptional I'm sure someone would be intrested in funding his education - ie a school would want him as their star pupil. Connect with the physics teachers. Don't listen to the naysayers. Champion your son

Like I've said above, OP, my DS1 is very academic, incredibly so. He certainly wasn't held back or disadvantaged by attending a state school. Do you think private schools are some kind of magical place with magical teachers? Teachers are trained to the same level, actually some teachers in private school in England/Wales have no post-graduate in teaching or even a degree in the subject they teach. The very best teachers I've come across in my long career, are in the state system.

I cannot stand this presumption that private school is better. You may have more 'contacts' but not a better education.

I have 4DC one is precociously clever. We have never told anyone else. He is emotionally fine and will be great academically.
The one that we spend our limited extra cash on is the bottom.oje academicallyz SEN diagnosis and lots of issues. Keep youra8n attention and resources of on that one!

Oh yes, of course. How silly of me. As professionals who are highly qualified we just cannot cope with some pupils' huge brains.

Cannot understand why some posters believe that very bright equals problems socialising with peers or making friends. On its own, it doesn't.
Maybe would be issues, caused by parents, with moving children into different year groups unless the norm.
Almost inverted snobbery in some of the yes but does he have friends, good mental health etc
posts.
It's normal amongst many people that I know to be intelligent, interested in learning, popular and to have hobbies such as sport etc

My little sister is very bright

Try again. My little sister is very bright and was a, strong all rounder at school - art, sports, social etc I'm considerably older and I tried to persaude my parents to look for scholarships to private schools. They were concerned about the other side of private schools and didn't. My sister got the best results in the country at equivalent of A levels. They felt vindicated. But I wonder how much more mind broadening the education would have been and she may have been introduced to other opportunists and pursued a different university subject / career - she studied medicine abd regrets it.

Perhaps they could teach us - or read us harry potter?

Is there a grammar school near you? Or can you sign him up for a society for gifted people (like Mensa?). Or if he's into physics, he can sign up for a physics club?

Tbf if he was top of his class in everything they would move him up a year group i was moved up a year group from year 5

Boy who went to my state school sounds very much like your Ds.

I saw him mentioned in an article in the papers about 20 years ago. He was heading a research team in I think the US

Whilst he might have been very very bright
I think it was his father and mother who I think taught him and showed him things and helped him to follow his interests rather than any school private or otherwise could have done
Rather than spend money on private education they would hire him tutors to learn Russian, Mandarin, Maths Science at a higher and higher level.

Is he called “ sheldon”

I’m so sorry but your description made me giggle

I doubt you will get any sane person donating to your crowdfunding but approach some science based schools ( Local and National) and have a chat

He sounds like he is happy and settled where he is, and I assume he is also happy at home. I think a private school runs the risk of being an emotionally bad experience for him. Students who are particularly gifted usually find ways to thrive academically in any school and i have known too many people really messed up by the private school experience to think it's worth risking.
On a different note, lots of people on here come off as quite bitter about you having a bright son; I have met the families where all the kids go to Oxbridge but the all ability families with a stand out gifted child somewhere in the mix are not unheard of. You are doing something right because he sounds very well adjusted.

Well adjusted>

OP has yet to tell us if he ahs friends or anything about his personality.

If he's such a genius, surely he can find a scholarship for himself

@stopwaitingforpermissiontobeyou

OP has yet to tell us if he ahs friends or anything about his personality.

OP clearly stated:

Sorry to say he’s great socially. Has a big group of boy/girl friends. Very well liked by all. They’re all always happy to see him.