End of Reception and still on the list....what to expect in Year 1? Anyone else with a 'listed G&T reception child out htere???

[virgo]

dd has been on the school's list since the beginning of Novemeber. She's had an absolute ball at shcool and loved every minute. THe school do a lot of play and she particularly loves imaginatve play (of course you would at 5!). She did go into year 1 a bit for reading and numeracy but becasue of shcool problems it didn't happen regularly although I do think they tried to stretch her in reception a bit BUT there were probelms with her helping others with their worksheets etc becuase they ask her to.. Anyway She's just had an end of year report and it included the foundation stage profile in which lots of handwritten notes were given by the teacher dated at various stages of the year - a really great way of tracking how she has done in the year - fab teachers in reception I think...

In most of the foudnation levels it says she was an 8 on entry and by the end of the year she's achieved 5 or 6 9s - woudl you expect across the board 9's for a G&T child??? - I'm just trying to get a feel for what to expect in year 1 - and how to manage the fact that she's had a great reception year but needs to be challenged in year 1..

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Not quite sure what 9s means here -- it can't be a National Curriculum level, as Level 8 is the highest level an exceptionally able child can achieve at 14.

As long as she's happy I'd be inclined to assume the school are doing their best to keep her occupied -- if she was bored you'd know about it, as she'd either come home and moan about it or act up in school.

G&T is a pretty loose term anyway, covering everything from an above-average child in the top 10% (and that's of the school, not the national average) to the serious freaky genius type in the top 0.01% of the population. It doesn't really mean much in its own right. As long as the child seems to be having a good time at school, there's nothing really to worry about at that age.

DD3 started reception in Jan and seemed to have mostly eights and nines (not all nines) on her foundation goals when we had her parent teacher meeting last week. I have not been told by the school that she is on the G&T register, but I have been told by another parent that she is - which leaves me a little flummoxed about how to bring it up with her new teacher.
The foundation goals are kind of odd anyway - you get a nine in numeracy for knowing numbers up to 20 which DD3 was competent with in nursery. Also, a lot of it is teacher observation and even if they 'know' your child can do something there needs to be evidence that they have been seen doing it in order to tick the box.
Personally, I think most children in Year One, G&T or not, find the work sufficiently challenging, as long as it is being appropriately diffrentiated for them - my DD1 certainly did and she is a very able child - who has always had a reading age four or five years above her chronological age. I would not worry unless you feel she is not being challenged - if they have already identified her as G&T that should be happening anyway. Year One is quite a change from Reception and there will be plenty for her to get her teeth into.

Frogs - the OP is referring to the Foundation Stage Early Learning Levels which are scaled from 1 to 9. National Curriculum Levels start in Year One.

Do you have to be almost G&T to get 9's do you think - any reception teachers out there?

I'm sure you don't Virgo. The goals address a wide range of skills and abilities. Not convinced that G&T is an appropriate label for four-year-olds anyway.

I agree and have a slight nervousness over a 'G&T' label for such a young child

I think you may find that the difference between play lead reception and the more structured year 1 will help you notice whether she actually is being stretched

she sounds like she's doing very well, and really enjoying it .. what a fabulous start to school

Virgo, the G&T labels means nothing in itself. It simply means she is in the top 10% of her age group in that school. In a different school she might be much closer to the median of the class range it all depends on the intake of that particular school. It doesn't mean your child will go on to get a Cambridge First it obviously doesn't mean she won't, either. As long as she's not complaining of being bored, or producing schoolwork to a much lower standard than she's capable of, or making a nuisance of herself by being disruptive, the odds are that the school are providing appropriately for her needs.

G&T is simply a rather naff edu-speak label to encourage schools to consider the provision they make for that ability group to ensure that they are fully stretched.

frogs - the school said that they don't always have G&T children in each year - she's been the first one picked up for 3 years as I said exactly what you are saying to the school - the school seemed to be more concerned that we weren't taking it seriously - they've called me in for meetings about her etc - but I guess I might still be posting on here when she's 16 pregnant and with an ASBO!! - ie there's a long way to go yet - but I'm just enjoying having lovely things said about her at the moment - after all its good to enjoy the good bits as they counter the bad

the important thing about being on the g and t list is what the teacher actually does with the child to build on it,

NC does go above 8 as the teacher assessments can lead to an EP at the end of year 9

Year 1 start at level 1 but there is a max of level 3 in year 2 even for the most g and t child

G and t just means they will have lots of fun at school and get to do some extra things if the school deals with it properly.
Worst case scenario is your child will switch off and become badly behaved through boredom but it sounds like the school is switched on to clever kids so it should not happen.

Unless you want to hot house your child with tutoring she will reacher her potential eventually.

Do lots of stimulating things outside school and just check with her that she is not bored.

nothing
nowt happesn ehre till eyar 2

"In most of the foudnation levels it says she was an 8 on entry and by the end of the year she's achieved 5 or 6 9s - woudl you expect across the board 9's for a G&T child??? - I'm just trying to get a feel for what to expect in year 1 - and how to manage the fact that she's had a great reception year but needs to be challenged in year 1.. "

I hate to tell you, but my son is on the special needs register and got mostly 9s for his foundation stage profile. He has done really well at very thing except writing. He is is partially deaf and poor writing.

I suspect that the foundation stage profile is a bit of joke.

My ds was put on the G&T list in Reception, for Reading and Maths. He is still on it and about to go into Year 2. My experience of his schooling is that he will get special lessons with the Head in Year 2.

This year has been a bit of a wash-out because his teacher was a complete drip. Plus, ds is going through a 'wilful' stage which has meant that other children were fast catching up with him. There are a lot of bright pupils in his class and his teacher made it clear that they might outstrip him if he did not change his attitude.

However, he is still reaching above average results. I think he is criticized more for work that is not to the expected standard, because the teacher knows that he can do better.

What I am trying to say is to enjoy the praise your dd is getting. Work with her to get her good subjects even better, but in a fun way - not making it like homework. Relax about Year One until you experience it. It all depends on the teacher anyway. However, ds' teacher did say that, once a child has been identified as G&T, it is the teacher's responsibility to keep the impetus going. If the child falls off the register, the teacher would be expected to explain why.

I am new to this site but wish I had access last year. My daughter is going to be in year 2 in september. Foundation stage was a joke - her teacher recognised she was very bright early on therefore she (and several others) were left without stimulation because they didn't need any help to bring them up to the 'average' they were expected to achieve. she started and ended the year at level 9 so it was a total waste while others caught up. Year 1 has been spent, with others, lacking supervised work and attention, mainly just given work sheets while staff concentrate on the less able. Her summer report puts her at level 2. GREAT! But some times I feel she would get far more attention if she were naughty or less able. You can only have so many meetings with your child's teacher were she will say "she's doing fine". I believed it was every childs right to have an education in relation to their ability - not on the basis that average is best!

sarahgg

thanks for the posting - my dd has just entered yr 1 and its been a week now - still no reading book in the book bag at all - nothing - she's chomping at the bit to learn and she reads at home but need encouragement at school - hate to be feeling like this only a week into the term...

sarahgg I share your sentiments exactly my ds just started reception and just before half term he told me they were doing number 8. I just flipped out...well I controlled myself a bit and when I asked the teacher what they were doing for children who already knew the number 8 (he knows his numbers over 100 & odds & evens etc..) she replied that the first term was for assessment really and that they had to address the needs of the whole class first but that this autumn term they will be pulling out the children and doing additional work...I only hope so. I do get angry that all the support goes to the children who misbehave or have special needs this is all well and good but make the provision for brighter children just as equal!

I have always thought that having compulsory g&t pupils in school ie the top 10% started at senior school level. And that having a g&t pupil identified in primary school meant that they were showing abilities that needed more attention and stimulation.

I was told by DD's HT that ALL children are expected to make progress and have a 'value added' score at the end of each year. This is regardless of the level they arrived in the year at. So if a child is way above the others it needs to be identified as G&T so it can still have the opportunities to make progress during that year.

But I do agree that being at school isn't just about academic acheivements and the best thing a child can do in primary school is become more rounded so special attention on weaker areas would be good for a g&t child.

I read on here that a bright child will thrive in any situation - whereas a child who's struggling will not. This is why I think children who need more help in acheiving average levels deserve it.

But in answer to your question, DD has just gone up to y1 and her work is more differentiated in year one than there was the opportunity to do so in reception.

I felt a bit disappointed with the work she was bringing home but homework is apparently geared more towards the bottom of the class as they need the extra work at home. Also the reading books are far too easy for her but again it's not just about making the reading challenging. IMO as long as she's happy to read the books, thereby reinforcing the love of reading, I don't have a problem with it. It helps her with spelling, sentence structure, punctuation and not just being able to read and understand some text.

But she also has a half-termly project on a curriculum subject which allows her to be self-driven if she wants to do extra work or explore a subject to a deeper level.

There is a long way to go yet and G & T kids in reception are not neccesarily so further down the line. Kids that may struggle now leave these kids behind in later years. The hare and the tortoise. I have seen this sooo many times! Kids should just enjoy there school at such a young age. Development is individual to a child. Worst thing you can do is push. I don't think that you can label as G & T at such a young age.

Your school is unusual in telling you that your child is on a G&T register. But you knew she is bright anyway, didn't you? So whatever you have done so far as a parent must be right for her!
As long as she isn't bored in school...
My Yr 1 DD brings home school's plan for the term in a child-friendly format; so interested parents can go off and find out more with their child - not hothousing, just fun and happy together, and showing support for the school at the same time.