"High Achieving"

[LIZS]

Can anyone, perhaps a teacher, offer a definition of high achieving ? Does it relate to potential or attainment and should it be measurable ? Is it interchangeable or perhaps overlapping with the (contraversial) G and T label or completely separate.

I am a teacher and I don't know! Thinking about it has made me realise how glibly we use phrases we don't quite understand. Worrying, when as a parent I know how much one reads into what teachers say about our children. Why did you want to know?

is this any help?
it's like RS says, one of those terms which we throw around as a comparative one rather than something that we can quantify iyswim.
I think it is separate from the G&T tag, because it is more a bright child devouring every learning opportunity and having a psychology where they want to be 'number one'.
I don't think the G&T fall into the same scale. But that is just my opinion, let's hope the debate continues!!
also wondered why you ask?

don't know if it has a specific meaning for teachers but in terms of normal language usage I would have thought it concerns attainment rather than potential or lack of.

I would say it describes what is actually happening rather than what might happen if they pull the finger out.

I would also apply it to children who were on course for an A grade.

Gifted means that they are high achieving across the academic spectrum; talented means that they are great in isolated subjects, including, of course and especially, the non-academic subjects.

I'm not sure who we address a pupil who could do well but fails to apply themselves. I don't think it is right to call them gifted if they are not actually delivering the goods.

Interesting , so it sounds as if it does n't have one specific meaning ! The context is in relation to descriptions of potential private secondary schools, with some "high achieving" pupils.

They will be talking about their GCSE results.

I agree with scummy. I think this is more about attainment actually reached, rather than progress made, or potential. If someone gets A* for their GCSEs or A levels I think you would describe this as 'high achieving'.