Instead of starting threads taking the piss out of G&T children why don't you all just...

[PhantomOfTheChocolateCakeAvena]

stop it. It's pathetic.

Thanks.

Can someone clarify hte definition of G&T?

Is gifted an exceptional ability in one area? And is talented a high ability in several areas?

The Department for Education and Skills define gifted and talented children as: "Those who have one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group (or with the potential to develop these abilities)."

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority defines gifted and talented as: "Gifted and talented pupils are those that well exceed the expectations for their age group, either in all subjects or just one. The gifted and talented are a diverse group and their range of attainment will be varied, some do well in statutory national curriculum tests or national qualifications. However, being gifted and talented covers much more than the ability to succeed in tests and examinations. Therefore, it is impossible to set one way of identifying gifted and talented pupils."

'Gifted' generally refers to the top 5% of the school population in academic subjects and 'talented' to the top 5% in other subjects. Experience in secondary schools has shown that the terms apply to 40% of pupils in at least one area. Nor do the terms relate entirely to mainstream academic subjects. They can refer to ability in such things as expressive arts, sport and music.

I don't understand G&T either. Surely you know if your child is clever or not? People say they are 'chuffed' or 'proud' that their dc is on the register - I don't get it. And I've seen some people say their dc is g&t for things like geography or history. Eh? Eh? Surely that's an interest, not an innate ability.

And don't get chess. Ds plays chess, goes to national tournaments, sometimes wins prizes. So do hundreds of other kids. Some are ordinary, some wear blazers, thick glasses and are called Algernon. Some turn up in private school minibuses emblazoned with "Poncey Academy Chess Team" (yes, one school I noticed really did have a minibus specifically for the chess team) and others come with wild-eyed desperate mothers grasping Kendalls Mint Cake for energy. Actually, if you want to see G&T gone mad, go to a chess tournament and look at the parents. That and the Riverford Organic Vegetables open day.

I just copied and pasted the last message.

So along with GCSEs and A-levels the govenment have also managed to dumb down being gifted and talented.

Where is the Riverford thing? I really want to go and see the these parents.

Yes, I suddenly had a vivid mental picture of of people with hair standing on end, wearing handwoven hemp clothes saying 'Merlin! Algernon! Tell the man twenty uses for organic turnip and the lifecycle of the beetroot!"

I have also copied and pasted as I feel the views of secondary school teacher is valid and have just hunted for a post from martianbishop. It was a MN thread from last year.

A MN thread from last year.

See comment martianbishop on Sun 16-Sep-07 13:24:27.

Hope you don't mind martianbishop. I rarely do this to MNers, but I think your comments are rather good on this topic.

Well that might explain why Riverford were so snooty with ds1 (who has LD's) and on a different occasion my friend's dd (who has LD's). They were so unpleasant I've never gone back. I might go to an open day then to horrify the G&T parents

I would presume so Libra-a school has to have 10% (I think) on the register. Perhaps they don't have any! Or perhaps the school down the road has masses so that the DC who is G & T at school A may be commonplace at school B. Any quotas are a nonsense IMO. For example DCs get on it for things they do outside school like ballet so if the school doesn't know about it they don't get on!

I have been to home ed groups where they are mostly terribly sweet slightly disconnected hippyish types, want to see these others. Where else can you see them?

Thanks Abbey

The boy who plays chess has very 'normal' parents. Parents od G&T don't have a monopoly on being odd or controlling or plain overbearing. I think everyone has come across some poor parental behaviour when any competition is involved! The father of one of the boys in my DS's football team was banned for several matches after an argument with the ref!

Er, fircone, who mentioned the nutty chess parents, says her own child plays chess, in tournaments and everything!

fircone sounds v sensible, not a nut at all.

Fircone sounds sensible and funny, actually. Esp the bit about Kendall Mint Cake.

Is tw me kerrymum? Where in the hell did I say that? Jesus H. Christ woman.

Some of my best friends play chess.