Does anyone flexi school because school isn't enough?

[RoboJesus]

How did it work for you? Was it hard to get the teachers onboard? Could you have your child sit out of yer exams in the school? I'm trying to look into whether doing it would be a realistic possibility or not

[JustRichmal]

With the abilities the OP is describing their dc would stand a good chance of getting A* at GCSE maths, three years younger than the current record. I am not saying this is impossible, just very improbable.

[amazingpoddlehairdo]

I might of missed the age of your DC.Is your DC just starting reception this September then? Are they are pre- school already ? How do they cope there?

Reception is play based so wouldn't be covering stuff they already know. Would be creative time and to be physical ( which is behind in PE WILL help)

[MaisyPops]

you just claimed gifted children don't exist
Here we go everyone.

If you are just joining the thread and haven't read the whole thing then this is roughly what happens:
OP says their child is gifted, in fact so gifted that aged 4 they are already working at 10 years ahead of age (so GCSE)

The OP claims their child will not possibly gain anything from school at all other than to make friends (because presumably their child knows more and has more skills in every area of the curriculum than any adult they will encounter in school)

People ask about assessments, if it's gifted in a specific area etc. OP says they have already answered it and sends people back through the thread but most of us can't recall a specific answer. (And that answer would help with advice)

In the absence of info from the OP, people give advice and also check that the OP's outlandish claim that their 4 year old has nothing to gain from staff by giving examples.

The OP will claim you deny the existence of children like hers, claim you deny the existence of gifted children and if in doubt become really argumentative and insulting (e.g. I said that I could think of some great ways to stretch gifted children in English, but I have my doubts that OP's 4 year old has nothing to gain from the English curriculum as it involves complex texts and essay writing to a high level on themes not approproate for a 4 year old. The OP was insulting and accused me of wearing a foil hat)

If you haven't read the whole thread, It's probably worth doing.

[LIZS]

Is this the same child who has physical and medicalissues (hearing and speech?) and has felt socially isolated during his preschool experience? Op until you try school you cannot know whether ft, pt, flexi or any formal setting will work or what level of support he may need or can be provided.

[NewElthamMum13]

If you haven't read the whole thread, It's probably worth doing.

Ah, thank you. Sorry, I just jumped in.

I certainly agree very strongly with you about English, @MaisyPops. I was so carried away when DS was a good early reader, I gave him lots of books without really checking whether the emotional content was suitable. I regret having done that, and was careful not to with subsequent children. Being able to understand the wider emotional content is nothing to do with IQ - we all know brilliant people who struggle to understand other people. From many years of involvement in the home education exams community, there is a strong consensus that English literature in particular requires a certain amount of maturity and life experience, and no matter how precocious a child is, some subjects are just not suitable for taking early. They won't get a good grade anyway, and they might be upset whilst attempting. They'd get much more out of doing these things at an age-appropriate time.

When you find there is a consensus between mainstream and alternative educational approaches on a topic, you have to wonder if they can all be that wrong!

[Plimmy]

So very true. In fact I think relatively few subjects lend themselves to early examination. Maths and the pure sciences of course. They’re generally about black and white, correct and incorrect.

But all the arts require a knowledge of people, an understanding of nuance and the skill of interpretation. No amount of precociousness offers those.

Music is an interesting one. Very young children can be exquisitely dexterous but are never great musicians - at that age - because they lack any emotional depth. And infant musical prodigies usually fade away.

As a simple, single test, I’ve never heard of an infant academic lawyer.

[ragged]

My kids don't rate Young Sheldon. They say Sheldon is way too boring not his arsehole self you always see on BBT.

[Hopeandeggs]

I haven't read the whole thread but there at least two schools near us which accept flexi schooling. Both were village schools trying to stay open due to low numbers as they are rural and one has an amazing home ed policy and hub.

[RoboJesus]

NewElthamMum13 Thank you!

[RoboJesus]

Plimmy I don't think you understand why gifted is...

[RoboJesus]

*what

[RoboJesus]

JustRichmal I thought the youngest was 5?

[RoboJesus]

LIZS no...

[JustRichmal]

I think 5 to get a C grade but the youngest A was 7. However, you are saying your child has already worked out the proof for the sine and cosine rule, as well as that for the formula for the interior angles of polygons for themselves. This is above what is required at GCSE, so I would say, well within A material.

[Plimmy]

Plimmy I don't think you understand [what] gifted is...

Oh, I think I do.

But I would be very interested in your explanation of the difference between ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’.

[Plimmy]

JustRichmal Where on this thread did OP describe her child’s achievements in maths? Apologies if I’ve missed it but I can’t find any such post.

[JustRichmal]

It was on the thread What are some fun/interesting Maths/Science concepts for a ks4 ready 4yo.
I suggested basically getting the child to work out proof for several things taught at GCSE level for themselves, but OP replied dc had already done this. So at 4 they have worked out why
a2 = b2 + c^2 - 2bc cos A.
Either the OP and I are talking at cross purposes or the child is the brightest child ever by some years or some other reason.

[ILoveDolly]

When I was doing my degree there was a kid studying Art History at 14 years of age. His understanding, analysis and writing was amazing at that age, I guess he could of done it earlier but there's a lot of overview and emotional maturity needed for those sorts of subjects. It was sad though, he couldn't mix with the students and went everywhere with a chaperone who was an old lady. It really made me question the point of accelerating access to higher education. I guess his parents got a lot of kudos saying their son went to Cambridge. He was a lonely old soul though.
My daughter was quite bright at 4, not astounding, just smart and perceptive. I've spent a lot of my life amongst totally dysfunctional genius people so I purposefully reigned back on any teaching of her and just let her go to school and saw what happened. She's very happy actually, but at y6 asked to go to the local selective academic school because she thought she'd like it better. She's got a lot of friends.
I think that your childs happiness and functionality as an adult should be your main goal as a parent. I know its not so simple when they are sooooper gifted but there's a lot of socialization and manners that people seem to forget to teach their highly intelligent children in their excitement to raise a genius.

[user789653241]

So OP. do you have a gifted child with sen, and gifted child without sen, both going into reception this September?

[MaisyPops]

Or irvine will the OP turn up to tell us that her child's unbelievable gifted nature in every element of the entire curriculum up to GCSE is their SEND?

[RightyHoChaps]

"I enrol for A level courses, we discount totally Maths As taken below the age of 15"

This may be true of Maths. However, just because you know about Maths and possible other academic subjects, does not mean this child's GCSEs will be discounted!

I sat my GCSE Music when I was 14. I got an A. 2 years later I got the rest of my GCSE's. It was used for A Level applications and my uni applications. It was clearly taken into consideration because it was my specialist subject!

Whilst your institution may discount GCSE's not sat within a 12 month period, not all of them will.

[NewElthamMum13]

Whilst your institution may discount GCSE's not sat within a 12 month period, not all of them will.

Yes, most are perfectly happy with GCSEs spread out /taken early. It's very rare to hear of it being an issue, in fact. I've been involved with home education exams support for 9 years now and have heard from literally hundreds of people whose children have taken exams early, have had meetings with exam boards and LA officials at the all-party parliamentary group on home education, have compiled a set of case studies of different routes to university from home education, and have had been keeping close tabs on this question for years as it's an important issue for home educators. Very occasionally you will find one college which has a policy to that effect, but these are rare. Most places are happy with a good grade gained early - but won't accept a lower grade just because it was taken early.

It still doesn't mean that taking qualifications early is always or often a good idea, but that's for different reasons!

[RoboJesus]

JustRichmal in one of the many strands. Doesn't mean they are ready to take the exam yet. I wouldn't put my kid in for and exam if I didn't know they could walk it

[Plimmy]

JustRichmal thanks. I understand now, I think: OP didn’t provide details of any particular achievement of her child, just a vague ‘done that’. Fits with others’ comments about her unwillingness to specify anything.

Seems to confirm a wish to indulge in an exciting idea, not a reality.

[RoboJesus]

Plimmy gifted is academic like Maths, English, Science, Geography, ect. Talented is practical like Sports, Music, Art, Carpentry, ect. Though there is some cross over. Neither of which has anything to do with religion