At what age are children in the UK identified as G&T?

[Strix]

And what/where/why/how is this register I hear of?

And how would one decide if a child is gifted/talented?

Thank you!

I thought of this thread when I analysed our yearly parental survey today. It made me smile. The final question is 'Is there anything else that you would like the school to provide you with more information on?', just over FORTY percent of responding parents mentioned the G&T register, mainly asking to discuss it in relation to their child or if it was regularly re-done.

Cory - when the school wouldn't listen to me about meeting my dd's needs (in primary 1 - physical disability) I just phoned them in the morning at 8.30, said I'd had enough and was bringing dd2 in at 9am (having sent the others on the bus as normal) to talk to someone and would sit for as long as needed - but dd2 wasn't going to her class until I had seen someone and we had prepared a IEP.

They did it that morning and have been great ever since.

Would that kind of thing work for you?

(I am sure my kids school kind of ducks for cover when they see me coming now .... but I don't actually care!)

Sorry, haven't read whole thread, but I am with those saying g and t meaningless. Have only taught one absolutely gifted child in my career, freakishly able in some areas of Maths. Lots of very able children, who can be catered for very well with normal differentiation of work, or by normal extra curricular activities.

I know, weegiemum, I've got to psyche myself up and do it. Or no...better idea...I'll tell dh he gets to do it

Hi Starlight - I work for Booktrust the charity that is responsible for the Bookstart programme and I'd just like to confirm that Bookstart packs are a universal gift for all children and are not dependent upon the joining the library or any other restrictions. I'd be interested to know if you had to wait to receive your pack or if it was given within your baby's first year? I know that all babies are also entitled to join ANY library service from birth - in fact many run competitions to find the youngest baby to join the library (current winner was only a few hours old!). I'm sorry you had to wait but I'd encourage all carers and parents to join the library as soon as possible and have fun at library events and with books!

Having now met with DD's teacher, I thought I'm come back and let you know I forgot to ask her about G&T. We spent our time talking specifically about DD's progress and what she did well and not so well. I should also add that this thread and some real life conversations have persuaded me that the G&T list is either a waste of time and money or it is damaging both to children on the list as well as those not on the list. Those on the list will stop working so hard because they are the clever ones and everyone knows it so they need not study much. And those not on the list... well they need not bother studying becuaswe obviously they aren't clever or they'd be on the list. A lose-lose situation all round.

My daughter was G&T at the age of 5-6 ( Year 1)
I was told that 2 pupils per class get it every year.
i really fail to see the point and see is as a formality, I don't think it will ever contribute to anything, and nothing special was ever done with her.
I would love to hear other experiences !

I'm really at people not being able to join the library until they are a certain age!

I can't remember how old DS1 was when he joined, but it was well before I went back to work, which was when he was 5 months old. DS2 and DD joined at a similar age, whilst tagging alomg to the library with their older brother(s).

Our local library is the most child friendly place in town, nice squishy beanbags to BF on, soft rugs to change nappies on... we practically lived there!

And how can a HV tell at 9 months whether a baby is G&T? Is it a particular way that they chew their ABC blocks? Or based on the distance that they can spit blobs of orange gloop?

Definitely like the idea of a "Quite Clever and a Bit Sporty" register

i worked in a children's library for years, and was actually a bookstart worker for 3 years, attending bookstart seminars, training etc.

bookstart is a national scheme and to my knowledge it has nationally been the policy for at least seven years now that all children should receive their first bookstart pack on or around their 7 month check up, although libraries were encouraged to give these out much earlier. whoever told you otherwise was definitely mistaken - it's not up to local areas to make up their own rules on this.

also, i have never heard of a library not allowing babies to join. we used to hold a monthly competition to find the youngest new member!! we used to get people coming in with days-old babies trying to win the prize

i understand your reluctance to name this library if you do not want to make waves, but for the sake of other children in your local area maybe you could clarify these points with the library some time? it sounds like your child is well stimulated anyway, but for some families, the childrens library really can play a big role, well before the baby gets to one. i remember a HV telling me about visiting a family where the only thing the baby had to look at was an argos catalogue! so for their sake, please do feed back even anonymously, that the library in question needs to clarify its joining policies...

dd1 has an IEP confirming her targets and what was being done for her to achieve them, exactly like dd2 on the SEN register. I tthink the top 10% thing is daft. Dh is supposed to have that running in his Special School. If a child is working outside of the 'norm' for their year group then it needs to be clear what is happening for them whether it be G&T or SEN or both.

G&T and SEN also have to be done by subject as a child may be totally gifted in maths but can't catch a ball or vice versa and I have heard of schools using an 'overall' G&T which meant you had to be a good all rounder