Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Gifted and talented

Talk to other parents about parenting a gifted child on this forum.

wwyd - school's ofsted just confirmed fears over g and t provision.....

29 replies

eyeofhorus · 03/05/2011 17:07

school gone from good to satisfactory, one of the main tenets being provision for g and t only satisfactory. school apparently have to draw up action plan - is that going to take forever and not benefit my child or worth hanging on for? or should we start looking elsewhere? dc in reception.

OP posts:
squidgy12 · 03/05/2011 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

eyeofhorus · 03/05/2011 17:17

complaints are about eyfs and years 1 and 2. at the moment it is reactive rather than proactive support.

OP posts:
TrinityRhino · 03/05/2011 17:18

provision for g and t only satisfactory

and thats worrying you overly becasue?

is your child g and t and not beng helped?

TrinityRhino · 03/05/2011 17:19

ignore my last post, didn't notice the topic it was in

can't possibly comment on anything in here

eyeofhorus · 03/05/2011 17:20

worrying because the school has obviously gone backwards from being 'good'. worrying as it would appear that no one has any enthusiasm or drive to provide good education. fed up of having to keep badgering them about it tbh

OP posts:
FreudianSlipOnACrown · 03/05/2011 17:23

Well remember it is just a label - nothing has actually changed overnight has it.

So if you were happy before - and more to the point if your dc was happy - I don't see a reason to change :)

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 03/05/2011 17:25

Oh x post - well, if you weren't happy before, then once again, nothing has actually suddenly changed.

So if you aren't happy, take him out anyway - inspections arent the be all and end all anyway, go with your instinct.

DadAtLarge · 03/05/2011 18:55

worrying as it would appear that no one has any enthusiasm or drive to provide good education. fed up of having to keep badgering them about it
I doubt you'd find it much different in schools that are OFSTED graded 1 (outstanding).

KATTT · 03/05/2011 19:57

DadAtLarge

Second that (sighs)

smokinaces · 03/05/2011 20:02

Ofsted has changed quite a lot over the last few years - it is now harder to get a good, and quite a lot of schools are now finding themselves at satisfactory instead of good.

If your DC are in reception, it is still early days to be concerned about G&T surely? What other comments are in the Ofsted report? Why did you choose that school 12 months ago?

eyeofhorus · 03/05/2011 20:32

chose school as dd1 went there and it met her needs as she is a middle0of-road pupil and school has good community spirit. dc2 has completely different needs...... smokinaces - dc may be just in reception but if you have a g/t child who truly meets the 'gifted' critera then it's never too soon to plan ahead! think will check out some other schools.......

OP posts:
squidgy12 · 03/05/2011 20:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

squidgy12 · 03/05/2011 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

DadAtLarge · 03/05/2011 21:00

Ofsted has changed quite a lot over the last few years
Yes, they do less inspections and let schools grade themselves. Schools now do self-evaluation (via an online SEF form) and decide their own grades (in many cases)!

Outstanding schools that have graded themselves in the SEF as still outstanding can avoid a visit from the inspectors altogether.

Here are the latest changes to OFSTED inspections. I don't believe there's been any change in how they inspect provision for more academically able pupils. Heck, it's never even been part of their job to check that schools were meeting their legal responsibilities under the G&T program!

That's why the large majority of schools openly flouted the rules on G&T and got away with it. They got away with not even doing the basics - identifying G&T pupils (forget about doing anything for them!)

Now that the G&T program doesn't exist I expect schools to do even less for the more able pupils.

smokinaces · 03/05/2011 21:04

I guess it also depends on the areas in which your child is gifted. If that school is still the best in the area for that particular provision then you are better of staying regardless of an Ofsted report.

Ofsted are a good measurement in some ways, but parent and child happiness and feel for the school is far more important. The school could have an Outstanding, but if your gut feeling is that it isnt right for your child you need to act on that for sure.

Part of the reason I picked our school was because of the strengths in the maths areas -something both of mine excell at

smokinaces · 03/05/2011 21:05

forgot to say, our school has just been given a satisfactory too. But I am more than happy with their SEN provision, teaching and other things and it is the best school for my child by far so will take the findings with a pinch of salt.

smokinaces · 03/05/2011 21:07

Dadatlarge - yes, the SEF does mean the school need to judge themselves, but they also need to prove and justify it and the inspectors should change it if it is not a grade which is substantiated.

But yes, at present the Ofsted system does miss the G&T. It highlights foundation, and SEN, SATS and general teaching, but nothing about the more able.

namechangeforschool · 03/05/2011 21:17

I'm watching a few threads on this forum with interest atm,my dd is 5 and in reception at an 'outstanding' school and i'm completely dissilusioned with her education already!
I'm having yet another meeting next week to disscuss my dd's non existent progress!

Wafflenose · 03/05/2011 21:52

I have been lurking for a while, identical situation to namechangeforschool - 5yo DD, reception year, Outstanding school and not a lot of progress! She has just been given a reading book and maths work which she could have done a year ago, but that's a slight improvement on what had been provided so far (grr). I've spoken to the teacher a couple of times, and she is very defensive and dismissive. As DD is generally enjoying reception (especially PE, ICT and building things) I've left well alone for ages now, and let her research world weather online when it takes her fancy, and take up a musical instrument.

KATTT · 04/05/2011 07:57

The system is set up to reward schools (and teachers) who get as many of their children as possible up to a level set by the government.

So if your child has reached that level, there's no incentive for the teacher or the school to 'waste' time and resources on your child.

I've also had the other experience; if your child has no chance on earth of meeting the target, it's not logical for them to 'waste' time on that child either.

No where is there an incentive to get the best out of every child.

KATTT · 04/05/2011 07:58

squidgy12

Thanks for asking. She's sitting quietly, teaching herself. It's not ideal but for the time being everyone's quiet.

KATTT · 04/05/2011 08:15

Wafflenose

Have you come across the most depressing 8 words in education yet?

"We're not looking for them to do that.." (fill in with - in reception, in year 1, in year 2 etc.)

DadAtLarge · 04/05/2011 09:23

KATTT, you've got to appreciate that teachers are long steeped in the culture of the state system where delivery happens based not on the interests and apptitudes of the child but on the convenience of the system. The system deigns it judicious to deliver the "currriculum" in fixed installments in fixed units of time. That's the easiest way to deliver the mass education of children.

After many years in the state sector in various capacities - father, supplier, governor, G&T expert etc. - I've come to the conclusion that it is impossible for the state to deliver what you probably expect: provision based on ability. They'll make noises about extension and more "challenging" work etc., but they're far more expert at making the right sounds than delivering what parents of intelligent children expect their children to be taught.

But yes, at present the Ofsted system does miss the G&T. It highlights foundation, and SEN, SATS and general teaching, but nothing about the more able.
There's a reason OFSTED misses the more able ...and it isn't accidental. Intelligence isn't valued in the state system. This starts at reception and goes all the way up. Grade inflation at GCSEs and A levels ensures pupils get the same A* whether they're in the top 5% or top 0.01%. 50% of pupils get the "required" A-C (and going by the CVs I get half of them can't string a proper sentence together)!

The premise of universal education relies on a standardisation of curriculum and delivery. The (unstated) aim is to churn out mediocre pupils but to do it in volume. That's modern, that egalitarian, that's the only way you can mass educate children from disparate and widely differing backgrounds, abilities and interests (especially with a very limited budget).

KATTT · 04/05/2011 09:38

DadAtLarge

I haven't had as much experience as you but what I have had (and talking to friend who is training to be a teacher and is appalled daily) leads me to agree.

Any solutions, tips, hints - for OP and for my 7 year old sitting in the corner with her Year 5 maths books on her lap.

3littlebears · 04/05/2011 09:39

Aptitudes.
I know that. As a mediocre product of the state school system. Ho hum.