SUPPORT FOR GIFTED & TALENTED -UK AUDIT

[Bafreem]

I am proposing an audit of any parent/carer with a gifted/talented child/ren that lacks confidence in state education, who would be prepared to register their name/contact details or just a story of their childs' issues etc. in dispair of the Govenments lack of provision for gifted/talented children of the UK.. HOW BIG IS THIS SITUATION???
What is your story/?
You have until June 1st to register, (I will keep reposting until date) I personally have six gifted & talented children, with many tales of turbulant education.
With numbers I feel it could be taken further politically{wink}....Any comments/+anyone who would like to help with my 'vendeta' please get in touch... Thanks Bafreem xxx

Message withdrawn

Hmmmm, most schools should have G&T provision, and the government have just announced more stuff to do with it haven't they?

My ds is G&T, but think school is doing OK with it tbh.

I am a teacher you are aware of who they are, and how clever they are, but in a comprehensive system you get all sorts lumped together. My school runs masterclasses in Maths and lots of other stuff for G&T

I have one G&T - the other not. Perfectly happy with provision for them.

Why Oh God Cod??!!

mine are classedas g abd t but i think it means noting
just that they should get into university when thy are big

My 3 are all classed as gifted & talented, and I have no issues or gripes at all about provision for them, either at primary or secondary level.

Same here, state primary and comprehensive catering for their needs academically plus they are also learning that the world is made up of a wide mix of abilities.

G&T is the top 7% based on academic ability.
If my experience is anything to go by they will be offered extra activities to challenge them.
That's fine... what I wouldn't want is for them to be hot housed and turned into geeky little nerds

My boys are 7 and 9, both highly able children, and classified as G&T by their primary school. The provision they have at school is excellent and always has been, both within the classroom and through extra-curric activities. The HT and the G&T co-ordinator have both completed post-graduate qualifications in G&T provision, all staff in the school have been thoroughly trained in addressing higher level thinking skills through P4C approach, critical skills, etc. I cannot praise them enough!

... just in case you wanted a bit balance to your story Bafreem

Even in my bog standard comp that has sink school atributes we cater for our gifted and talented very well, they would not be gifteds and talented if they went elsewhere though - but thatis a different story and not necessarily a bad thing.

roisin - if Bafreem wants balance on her thread she's going to have to find some pushy parents who believe their kids are soooo special!
We're all far too grounded by the sound of it!

fortyplus

Dd1 is classed as G&T primarily for literacy although she is ahead in most academic subjects .She has an IEP and targets for her literacy and is given extension work, her bf is on the same programme (just about ) and they get given extra project work to do together.
They have a teacher comes 2 x a week to do extra maths work with small groups.
She is yr 2 and changes schools in Sept.Don't know much about the junior school though.

This isn?t very scientific.
What definition of Gifted are we using - 10%, 5%, 1%? Are all these schools wonderful or do the posters have easily-met expectations? Also, Bafreem, you have asked your question of a population which is not statistically valid: Mumsnet is biased towards Infant/Primary-aged children. Nobody is being very objective or factual here.

Despite Fortyplus? cheap jibe about geeks and nerds that is designed to scare off anybody who dares to have a different view to hers, I?ll post about my experience. My DD was assessed on entry to secondary school as G&T, especially Gifted in Geog and destined to score A in every subject at GCSE. I used to ask about G&T provision for her but was told ?there are others who are cleverer? (so the school defines Gifted as the one, cleverest child in school!?) Five years later, she will probably only get 3 A Grades, the others will probably be B (but that?s more than a pass-grade, so what do the school care?) and she doesn?t like Geog any more. Serves me right for being pushy, eh?
Ironically, the school is starting to think about G&T (only because the Govt is forcing them) and has recently asked DD to give a presentation to the younger pupils because she knows more about it than any of the teachers.

But I?m so glad that you other smug parents are satisfied and think that, because you are lucky with your school and your kid is OK, all is well with the world and if anyone thinks otherwise it's probably because they are a pushy basket-case.

Well, I'm sorry you've had poor experiences Fembear, but I think Bafreem seemed to post with the expectation that everyone would see things negatively.

For what it's worth, my positive take relates not only to my own children and not only to their schools.

From what I can see, our town's schools seem really equipped to deal with those who have been labelled gifted and talented - quite who should come into that group is another whole debate!

All the primary schools seem to take seriously the need to cater for and challenge all pupils, there doesn't seem to be any attitude of just getting everyone to reach 'expected levels'. There are a lot of day and residential courses offered at the county education service, but to be honest most of the extension work and more challenging stuff seemed to happen at school. Friends with children at the other primary schools seem to say the same.

At secondary school the situation is similar. I don't know much about one school but the other two are keen for gifted & talented children to achieve their potential.

It's still too early to say what the new government policy will mean, but in the 3 years I've had children at secondary school I've seen much evidence of how they seek to challenge and enrich gifted children.