Primary teachers - what are your views on G&T enrichment days?

[IcenSlice]

Does your school take part in and/or host them?
Do you think they are time and money well spent?
What do the children and parents of those chosen think about them, also the children and parents of those never chosen?

I am just a mum but would be interested to hear any views. Thanx.

I'm not a teacher, nor do I have a 'G & T' child. The only similar thing I have heard of around here is private schools touting for business by 'selecting' kids for a special day out that costs the parents £35 at their school.

The parents are flattered into paying it and thinking they will get a scholarship or something similar at the end of the visit.

DS's old school did a few of these. And days for under-achievers. And days for the super-sporty. And days for the super-musical. And days for the great dancers.

Never any days for "not any of the above" middle of the road kids though. Like mine.

It did annoy me after a while, but if the middle kids had their own chances to do nice things every so often then it would have been fine.

Fair doesn't always mean identical or the same provision, but it should mean equitable - what kid wouldn't be stimulated by a day off curriculum doing amazing exploratory stuff?

Oh - sorry - not a teacher!

My DD's school takes part and I agree with AllotmentLottie's views. I'm not a teacher either. It's the middle of the road, Joe average kids who don't seem to be offered anything, and I know a lot of the parents roll their eyes when it comes to light who is going AGAIN this time. I just don't see the bloody point in them, "Well done for being clever, X! Have a day out acquiring skills to make you even cleverer!".

'G and T enrichment days' is a vomit inducing title... yuk.

I'm not a teacher, but my ds went on a couple of these when he was at primary school. He loved them, and I loved that he had a good time and hopefully learnt stuff.

But ds2 will not get to go, and it makes me sad for him that he will see all the clever children go off for a great day and then come back to school with stories or something they have made. Ds1 made slime/silly putty stuff when he went, and I do think it's a bit unfair on the other children who would probably have got as much, if not more benefit from the day. Especially for ds2 who is bright but not exceptional and always makes much more effort than ds1 ever had to make.

Another middle-of-the-roader here who doesn't like them

DD clearly remembers the Chosen Two being sent on a G&T drama day. One of the chosen ones HATED it as he hated drama ... which didn't exactly go down well with drama-loving just-missed-out kids.

Similar thing at secondary - it seems that those in top maths-whizz set were handed out information about all sorts of maths/science G&T events that would have been just as appealing to many in next set down. However, system seems to have changed now and the school now sends out mass emails entitled "Gifted and Talented Bulletin" and loads of £££££ activities and courses. It seems that this is emailed to everyone and that 'G&T' is now a self-selecting definition

GBPp So what criteria did they use to select the Chosen Two if one of them hated drama? I'm guessing best at literacy? In which case what a load of crap.

Well, this was in Year 6, v obviously the Cleverest Boy and Cleverest Girl in all subjects. Cleverest girl loved drama but the boy would far rather have had day spent on his games console I think But yes, just shows how crap the system is really.

I think they're great for the children chosen but they do lead to resentment from the rest of the class. Not sure they are useful or in any way needed apart from perhaps in a very deprived area as IME (ex teacher now TA) they do the kind of things interested parents do with their kids at weekends anyway. Stuff like museum trips or days at a science exhibition or a theatre trip.

Schools do them
a)To show ofsted they have identified G&T pupils and are 'enriching' them.
b)To appease and appeal to pushy parents.

Spot on lovingthecoast

I was asked to run an art G&T day once for a group of schools in my town. I'd say only one of the children sent was actually G&T. Most of the children were OK at art. About half of them had reasonable imaginations. Some of them thought art was copying cartoons out of magazines. It was a good day though - doing art all day would be my dream job! I think the issue is that gifted children are very rare. Being top of the class does not make you gifted.

I completely agree, Riversidemum. The idea of schools having a quota for G&T is ridiculous. You cannot just say the most able pupil in each class is gifted because had they been born in a different year they may 'only' have been the 3rd brightest in the class.

Also, my DD1 is actually bordering on gifted and I can tell you it's not a nice place to be for us or her. Her elder brother is very bright but she's on a different scale really. Her younger sister is probably middling or average academically and is so much happier in herself. Having a child enter Reception able to manipulate numbers to 1000 and read Charlie & the Choc Factory aloud to her classmates actually only serves to highlight how different she is which can be pretty damaging socially. The last thing she needs is for school to draw attention to it even more by taking her on a special excursion for 'clever' girls.

clearly im not thinking on the correct track here (it is Friday afterall) but on reading the title of the thread I thought I had missed something to do with a decent Gin and Tonic evening out for the adults!! Note to self, must focus properly. (it is probably obvious therefore that I'm not the parent of a G&T child...DD is just a regular, happy kid doing well) :)

limetimemummy my first thought is Gin and Tonic too! My DCs are bright but not on lovingthecoast's scale.

I have 4 and only 1 is that bright. It's not a gift at all IMO as she is the least happiest of my kids. She thinks way too much about everything, cannot be allowed to watch the news etc. Having a bright kid is wonderful, having a gifted one is not.