what age?

[molk]

At what age are children at primary school generally recognised as being gifted? What criteria do they use to identify a gifted child?

Ah, you've found it, good!

Not sure what age they start drawing up lists, but my DD wasn't offered any external G&T activities until year 2.

Criteria are basically top 10% in ability/aptitude (tricky to define this exactly) of their year group for a particular subject, which means they are 'allowed' (or possibly required) to identify two or three 'gifted' children in maths, literacy etc per class, no matter whether the overall standard of the class is high or low by national standards. So a child who is officially gifted at one school may well not be if he/she moves to a different school.

The 10% rule also seems to mean your DC has more chance of being on the G&T list if they are at the same school from the start, because if a really bright kid joins in a later year group when the G&T list is already 'full', they are reluctant to have to say that someone already on the list is suddenly no longer 'gifted'.

Basically it is all very arbitrary, and if you are asking because you think your DC should be identified as gifted, I would say not to put too much faith in whether the school thinks a child is gifted or not - what matters is if they are being given school work at an appropriate level, and whether you are providing lots of interesting books to read and activities to do out of school.

My nephew has been put on the G&T list in Reception, based on his goodlanguage and reading skills.

SIL doesn't think it means much at his age (he is not yet 5), other than harder reading books.

I dont know how others feel but I personally am a bit at children as young as 3 or 4 being labelled; My own DD was reading well compared to her peers in reception and in yr1 has been streamed into a high ability group, but I wouldnt label her as "Gifted", just a bit ahead at the moment and probably in the 10% often mentioned here. I think the term "G&T" causes such debate because, really, truly gifted children are very few and far between; But schools have to show that they are catering for those ahead. Do nurseries have to identify their G&T's as part of the EYFS? Probably only a matter of time.

I agree that labelling young children could be problematic, but how problematic would depend on how seriously the parents took it. When they move up to the next school, they will do their own assessments anyway, and will be used to the fact that some children will have levelled out. It is only if the parents get unrealistic expectations of their child because they were bright early on, or conversely give up on trying to stimulate a child because they were not thought gifted at the first assessment, that the whole thing is likely to have adverse effects. If it just means a few more interesting activities, then it is probably not a bad thing.

My dd was identified in Yr 3, but tbh it made very little difference to our treatment of her: we already knew she liked books so provided lots of them; if another school came along and said "no, she's not gifted at all", we wouldn't suddenly take her books away.

DS1 has been put on the gifted and talented register. He is 4 and in reception. I don't think it means much at this stage, except he is given free writing/spelling rather than key words to learn at the weekend. He also gets year 2 and 3 maths worksheets rather than reception ones, which he finds more interesting (he was starting to scribble on his worksheets or tell the others on his table the answers).

I was a bit about the label, but his teacher said that it is a way of ensuring his progress is tracked and he is challenged as he moves through the school.

Is there an actual list? Spoke to DD's teacher this afternoon and she said DD (3.10) is extremely bright and we should talk about her being G & T. Am really about a label being put on her so early, plus am not sure what the point would be as nursery school fgs is supposed to be about having fun, playing, painting etc...

Her teacher said there isn't a specific test, but based on wide ranging criteria and DD has been identified, which made me laugh; that she had been 'identified' like an alien.

personally, think it's a bit ridiculous, but the idea being that DD will get some 1:1 attention which can't be a bad thing, I suppose?

Our school holds a register because it is legally required to do so. However, it is not made public who is on the river. Consequently, there are no targeted G&T activities. Work within the classroom is differentiated so that all children receive work appropriate to their current level.