maths

[millerhouse]

My daughter has just left year 5 on level 5b. Would that be considered gifted??

It depends on what you mean by gifted. If you mean would she be in the top 5% of the class, which is what the government requires schools to identify for their G&T register, then probably in a lot of schools she would be. Equally, in a very high-achieving cohort she might not be. My own DD2 is at that level now (also end of year 5) and she is one of the top two or three in her class, but I have equally known year groups within her school in which she would not have been.
But gifted in the sense that most people mean, then no, I wouldn't say so - just a bright, able child.

DS3 is a 5b at end year 4, he is in a cohort of about 6 children who are at similar levels - his friend is a level 8 - I think his friend is gifted, on the flip side he also exhibits certain social behaviour issues

Don't know how much those levels really relate to giftedness actually. They are a measure of attainment (what a child can do) rather than potential (how quickly they grasp new concepts). So, for example, if they have had excellent and regular maths tuition thus far then a 5b is perhaps not that special (not sure how far ahead of average it is), but if they've missed nearly all their maths lessons for one reason or another & can still achieve at that level they would almost certainly be gifted.

The test at the end of year 5 only measures up to a 5b, so your child could far above this. You could ask if she could sit a 4-6 paper or a 5-7 paper and see how far she gets (these are key stage 3 papers)

assuming she could have been tested to level 6 and she got 5b I'd say she is very able and should have no problem being in a top set maths in secondary school

congratulate yourself and her too :)