Is G & T in primary really the top 5-10%???

[suecy]

Sorry, new here and getting a bit confused. In primary, is G&T literally the top5-10% of the class or is it what the govt websites say and just those far ahead of their peers in a certain area?

DS is on the g&t register for literacy and numeracy - in reception. DD is not on the register - Year 1. I don't think she is gifted, but she is definitely furthest ahead in her year for both literacy and numeracy.

I see G&T as being more to do with an individual child's mindset and intellect rather than where they fit in academicaly with what is obviously a randaom sample of children.

What is the actual policy in primary (i realise it may be different by high school)?

It's supposto be the top 5/10% for that school. You may find that in a different school a G&T child may not be classed as G&T as there are others above the.

I have recently read the government's new guidance for schools on G and T policy. It does not stipulate a particular percentage but instead gives advice on how to identify children appropriately. On the whole, I thought it actually seemed quite sensible and included identification of underperforming children who are not in the top 5-10%.

suecy, each LA guides the schools in identification, but individual schools decide their own criteria. Sometimes it's a per cent, sometimes it's children working at "x" years above their peers, sometimes it's just teacher recommendation. You need to ask the school for their policy on dealing with able and gifted children. They should have one and they should supply it to you on request (in fact, they should have already done so).

Do also read your LA's guidance on G&T. Very few schools actually give G&T children the extra resources/ attention they are supposed to. Many teachers pay it just lip service and largely ignore adequate provision for gifted children to focus their attention on the lower ability ones. Unless you know what they should be doing you won't be in a position to follow it up with the school.

The list can include gifted (academically) and talented (in, say sport/music/art)

I got a letter home from DS's secondary school last year saying he was on their register, but have no idea what for as the letter didn't say. Meant to ring and ask, but never got round to it as, frankly, I don't see what difference it makes.

Sorry to be dumb again, but when you say they are writing at level 2 (a/b) what does that mean? Have you measured that or has the school told you? Does it mean year 2?

I haven't seen the policy but spoke to the SENCO and he is getting one to one time each week with a ta and is getting work appropriate for his ability sent home.

I'm happy the teacher in his class is stretching him. But there's only 15 in the class this year, but being a small school after reception they double up classes, meaning a class of 30 next year. I'm a little worried about how his teacher will cope with that

Our secondary school's G&T policy is bizarre to say the least. We have been told DD1 is G&T in music, art and 'general intellectual ability' - which I think just means she is quite good at a lot of subjects. Now she is NOT talented at music, but she does play an instrument. Her friend, who plays the same instrument, but better, because she is genuinely talented, is not considered G&T for music, probably because they have different music teachers. Again with art, DD's friend who is WAY better than her, is not on the G&T list and was therefore very upset to miss out on a really good art trip that was only for G&T art pupils.
The entire policy doesn't make sense as it can be applied in so many different ways and using such different criteria.

in a class of 30 it may be easier for the teacher to differentiate by group, as there are likely to be some more children who share his ability.
additionally, with more of the children reading/ writing etc by year 1 the teacher will find it far easier to tailor the 'same' task appropriately for individual children e.g each given a writing task, with the lower ability childrn given completley different targets than the higher ability children, who will be expected to write more, with use of punctuation, use of 'wow' words etc etc. it can actually be easier in some ways - in yr r ther is a much wider spread of ability, with some children not recognising their own name in written form and others reading c s lewis.
i wouldn't worry until something happens tbh - largely at infants g&t isn't terribly important as long as work is differentiated accordingly.

apols for appalling typos. i have a first in english, doncha know...

The top 5-10% of a class is G&T?! I always thought that perhaps there would be one G&T pupil in a whole school.

It's the top per cent in the class.

Journey, there are very few exceptionally gifted children but for the purpose of the G&T Register everyone who is put on is referred to as gifted.

seucy, I would treat it as important even in reception. The fact that they haven't put DD on the Register despite being at the top of her class but have put DS on suggests that they do have a high cut off point and DS is above it. That suggests he could be exceptionally bright (not just top 10% but maybe top 1% or better). Pay careful attention to it and follow up how the school is catering for him (they have some specific responsibilities re catering for gifted children). If you don't you may end up regretting it.

Our DS was in the same position. The school didn't put him on the Register and therefore got away with just giving him "differentiated work" rather than catering for his real needs. By the end of year 2 he was so bored he started getting into trouble, became very cocky (I'm the smartest boy in the world!) and was losing interest in school work.

Follow it up. The worst that can happen is that you decide later on he's not that clever and that he doesn't need the extra attention (in which case schools are usually quite happy to withdraw it )

ime it means very little as far as getting anything extra from school is concerned.

both my boys were/are on it - for ds1 it meant being taken out of class every now and then with 1 other kid from his class and 2 from the other class and doing extension projects/putting together a school newspaper/going to the House of Commons things like that

ds2 gets time to do an ICT project on space with his friend from y3 (he's y4) and represents the school every time they have a maths quiz thingy

and er, that's it

neither of them knows they're on it, although they obviously know they're in the top groups in the class, it only came out in passing during a chat with the head, but we weren't ever officially notified

all fairly meaningless as far as I can see

ds1 now goes to an academically selective independent secondary where he's in the top 10% ish, but isn't way out ahead as he was in primary - he's also on the G&T register for sport, but again doesn't mean very much ...