Government to close Gifted and Talented Academy

[mateykatie]

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7062061/Ministers-pull-the-plug-on-gifted-and-talented-a cademy.html

The national academy for gifted and talented pupils, a central element in Tony Blair's drive to make state schools attractive to middle class parents, is to be scrapped next month.

Since it was created in 2002, the academy has provided support, master classes and summer schools for more than 200,000 children and training for thousands of teachers in how to identify and support able pupils.

The U-turn will see much of the academy's £20 million funding targeted instead on deprived teenagers as part of the Government's bid to improve social mobility and get more poor students into top universities.

Critics accused the Government of failing pupils and parents of bright children and said the move was "anti-intellectual".

I haven't read the article as it's Saturday night . AFAIK Nagty was abolished a couple of years ago.

They have brought something else out which seems to be useless. I wonder if there will be a total U turn on the experiment that was the Gifted and Talented register.

It could be because the register was flawed, a G&T child was supposto be in the top 10% of the school, when moved to another school they may no longer be classes as G&T as they may not be in that percentage anymore.

The criteria for being registered with NAGTY wasn't the top 10% in each school it was top 5% nationally. I believe that the summer schools and outreach events did benefit some students.

Had a read through the article. G&T is going to be scrapped. The G&T register is no more. That should save a few arguments on this topic.

This was an 'experiment' that went awfully wrong IME. The original strategy was promising but then they made it more inclusive and just extended the register and did nothing.

The summer school run by Warwick University looked worthwhile but by the time we were thinking about applying they didn't renew their contract.

The only beneficial aspect for us was that it raised expectations and where DD might have thought about going to Uni she is now determined to go. So not such a bad thing.

Bumping. Cannot believe no-one is interested in this after all the harsh opinions expressed since the schools mentioned G&T.

Regarding the 5% or 10% figures, you are both right. Initially NAGTY was open to only the top 5% based (I think) on CAT scores. Then it was extended to the top 10% in each school - regardless of what that actually meant re ability.

The extention to 10% happened when NAGTY finished and it was transferred to YGTY and included primary and infant years. That's when everyone started arguing that it wasn't a good thing and schools stopped doing anything extra.

It could have worked well in it's original form. i.e out of school courses funded for poorer pupils at secondary level.

It was through checking out G&T on the web that directed me to mumsnet.

I would like to see any money available going to poorer students to help fund uni.

"It could have worked well in its original form."

Not "could have". It did!
NAGTY was run by academics (closely allied to Warwick Uni) for academically able kids and did a good job. The Govt then tried to turn it into a social engineering programme and Warwick Uni rightly walked away from it. The replacement-NAGTY, called YGT, was a disaster from the start and the Govt are now pulling the plug on the whole thing.
Warwick are still running a G&T project, called IGGY, on their own terms and unshackled by politics. It isn't as good as NAGTY because it hasn't got the funding.

Yes, I should have said it could have continued to work well. Also it was much more low key, most people hadn't heard of it unless school had put their children forward. So none of the arguments about 10% in our school isn't 10% in yours etc. Shame they had to spoil what was a good thing for some.

Agree!

Long time, no post. Sorry, been busy.

NAGTY closing is news?

But, yes, there are several changes to G&T, possibly more funding for G&T children. How the govt are going about it and the experimental nature and chopping and changing may not be to everyone's taste though.

For one, National Strategies is going to be wasting less money talking about G&T and giving that money to schools to spend instead. That looks like a Good Thing

There is a lot of new stuff happening for G&T children. There's a pilot programme (2009-2011) to develop those with "rich potential" and those with hidden potential. It's renamed National Challenge G&T. Maybe the name change is an intermediary to removing the controversial reference to "gifted" that seems to rile so many people.

There used to be tons of stuff on the erstwhile G&T program that people didn't bother reading before coming on here to slag it off. The new project details are available for those who are interested:

Yes, iamdisappointedinyou, NAGTY worked!

The initial reason it was started is still a concern to state education: the drain of the more able pupils to the private sector - some on full fees, others on scholarships.

I would like to see any money available going to poorer students to help fund uni.
And the gifted children in state education whose talents and abilities are for various reasons not being "discovered".

Hello DAL, I wondered if you would post on this. Will have a look at your link when I get chance.

Sounds like the changes might be for the better. When I read this I initially thought that they had just abandoned the whole G&T programme. I think it would be a good idea to drop the 'gifted' label, it didn't half get peoples backs up. Most mistook it for meaning genuius IMHO.