Gifted and talented DD - moving to a new area, any advice?

[EyeOfNewtToeOfFrog]

Hello all,

We're moving to North Herts (from Berks) and I have only recently realised that my DD could be classed as G&T. I do realise that this depends largely on the school, but I read the NAGC website and burst into tears when I recognised DD from the description - so many aspects of her normal but awkward behaviour seem to be linked to high intelligence! What a relief!

She's 5 yrs old, in YR 1, and has a reading age of 8.5 (rapidly rising), and she is very curious about science, history, nature, etc (she might ask us about the properties of liquids, gases and solids for example). (Her father also had an IQ of 155 at uni - not that I think this would automatically be inherited). On the other hand she constantly challenges authority, finds routine tasks (such as eating dinner) tediously boring, and can sometimes be attention seeking in class. She often seems to prefer the company of older children and adults to her peers, as her games tend to involve complex rules that others are not always keen to follow!

Now my dilemma is this: We have a new baby on the way and are moving to a new area, where the schools are full to bursting point. The only space is in a large, mediocre infant school that didn't give us very warm and fuzzy feelings when we visited. The library's not great, and the staff didn't seem easy to get on with (and that's on the first meeting with them!) In any case - as the school only caters up to the age of 7, the library won't have many books for a reading age of nearly 9 and my concern is that with a new baby I won't be able to provide DD with enough trips to the library. Also, I fear she will become disruptive if she is bored in class and not challenged enough, and if the staff at the school are not easy to work with..... it could be a disaster for DD's education.

We're also looking at a very good CoE primary, who are full in YR1 so would need to stay on a waiting list for goodness knows how long.... and what would we do in the meantime? Home ed? Move her schools twice??? There doesn't appear to be an appeals system for church schools - or does anyone know different??

To add to the issue, our current school's SENCO does not seem to understand very much about G&T (as I understand them from reading government websites & info from NAGC), and is not willing to put DD onto the G&T register or give us any info about being statemented. (Which I'm assuming we'd not get anyway?? Any ideas?)

All I want for her is a school that's supportive and allows her to move at her own pace, which in academic areas is faster and perhaps social and emotional maturity is slower than her peers.... and I do not want her labelled as a problem child!

Any suggestions, ideas, links, experiences gratefully received!

I have no advice whatsoever, except that we are in exactly the same position. I was told my DD (also year 1) is on the G&T register. Her current school is very good in providing enrichment opportunities - she has extra support for reading, writing and maths work. However, the school we are moving to had an okay OFSTED, but was criticised for not giving adequate provision for the more able students! So we have a dilemma - to send our G&T daughter to a school that is known to be inadequate for higher ability students (this is the only infant school in the town) or to not send her to the school in the town in which she lives. I'm reluctant to do this, as like your DD her emotional maturity can be lacking at times, and she can struggle with friends, so the prospect of living in a town where she hasn't got any friends at all isn't great... or do I send her to a school which OFSTED claims is likely to fail her?

No answers, but you do have our sympathies... it is not an easy choice!

eon - that's tricky - home edding when you're adjusting to a new baby could be really diffivult - and i don't know how it would affect your place on the cofe school waiting list

to clarify - gat children are put on the gat register - they aren't statemented unless they have a separate issue eg autism, adhd

does your existing school actually have a gat register - have you asked what the criteria for being on it are? have you talked to her class teacher - whilst the senco may co-ordinate the register, it is often class teachers who put the children on

can you ask the new school the same? you may have caught them on a bad day? dare you ask them about provision in classes for brighter children?

your dd is going to have an emotionally awkward time - new baby, new house, new school - if she does play up a bit - you may have to work wiht the school and weather the storm (oh - that will be such fun with a new baby and all i know!!)

my kids' infant school had plenty of books for advanced readers - have you asked about this - if it really is an is an issue, can dp take her to the library on a saturday?

ek - have you looked at the school - ofsted are not god, and the situation 'on the ground' may be more promising than the report indicates

Thanks for that you both!

You make lots of valid points - v helpful! A great idea to ask the new school about provision of advanced books - i hadn't thought they would have some but maybe they do.

We're still waiting to hear if the cofe school have a place for her (and we're moving in 10 days' time!!!) but hey ho - we shall see what happens. In any case we have decided against home ed (unless for a couple of weeks or so before Xmas), even if it might mean moving DD twice, first to the rubbish school and then to the cofe. Hopefully it will pay off in the long run....

Turns out our current school is a bit pathetic with the whole G&T issue - neither the teacher nor the SENCO have ANY idea of the basic definition of G&T child (yes, really!), and neither of them had heard about a G&T register! This despite a good ofsted - so you're right, ofsted is not the be-all. So in a way, we're moving to a more advanced area for G&T provision. Still feels like such a fight to get it right for DD!

And what comes to weathering the storm of many changes.... the skies have definitely darkened in our household with DD's behaviour already..... groan

Thanks for the comments again!

Just one more comment... Have you thought about approaching any of the private schools in your area? Some of them may be prepared to offer a bursary - even for year 1 to a particularly academic child (and even if it doesn't say so in their prospectus/website!). Some schools have spare places at the moment, particularly in the lower years, and may feel that taking an able child who can pay some of the fees is better than leaving the space unfilled.

Hope the move goes well - we moved a few months ago, so you have my sympathy

neither of them had heard about a G&T register!

It is illegal for them not to maintain a G&T register. Find out who deals with this at the Local Authority level and put in a complaint about the school. Most LEAs take it seriously. But have a word with the head before you do so, I managed to influence a lot of changes at DS's school by being fully armed with inside-out info on G&T and speaking nicely with the head.

You have no right to a statement based purely on giftedness. But you do have a right to get the school's policy on catering for able and exceptionally able children. In writing. You do also have a Subject Access Request right under the FOI. Use them!