DS 2 years ahead in maths - what are the implications?

[allrightluv]

DS (Y3) exceeds across the curriculum, particularly in maths and sports. We've been told that he is very bright and that the gap between him and his peers will widen "even more" the older he gets. Noone has mentioned G & T or any other "labels". DSs SAT results in maths were "off the chart" so he's now doing maths with Y5 pupils and he does some Y6 and Y7 maths after school.

Does that mean that he is G & T? When he's older, will he be taken out of other classes, too? How will a comprehensive school deal with children like him, if they are, say, 3, 4 years ahead with some subjects? (Sorry, not famliar with English school system.)

Thanks!

Is he in a small school? DS's school copes with able children by setting and the most able get "extra" maths (which is really G&T provision).

It would be difficult to teach a chlid with another year because of the way the timetable works.

I'd suggest asking your school.

It's not uncommon for children to sit their exams early if they've very capable. I think primary school children who sit gcses usually end up in the local paper though.

The implications are that the school need to work out how to meet his needs, which they have.

Not sure what your question is? It's reasonably common, but schools usually deal with it very badly, so you are lucky to have accidentally found yourself in a school that differentiates as a matter of course.

In the UK, kids are labelled at gifted at x or y (so Ds would be theoretically labelled gifted at maths), in some other countries, kids have to be working over 2 grades head across the board to be labelled gifted.

G&t is a fairly meaningless descriptor really, and means Nowt in the UK context. As long as the school are differentiating and meeting his needs, it's all good.

First of all, wow at your DC!
As to G&T provision, it all depends on what your individual school does.
G&T was a government scheme whereby there was separate funding for the 10% most able in each year. The funding ended in 2008 or 2009. Some schools kept the label, others called it "more able" or similar. Also some kept some of the extra provision arrangements, but it is quite hit or miss.
Teaching the most able children has been an issue recently (for an intro see this story from the weekend www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21218072)., so if your school is working to make sure your DS is going to be challenged, then you are doing very well.

We are in a similar position, and our primary are also happy to differentiate and set work to each child's ability.

DS1 and two of his classmates (year 4) are currently working at year 6 level. I have been told that the top year 6 class are in an extension group and have additional help from a secondary teacher.

From what I can tell (and I'm pretty rubbish at maths), DS and his classmates are covering a lot of topics at a fairly quick speed. Because they "get it", they don't need to repeat the concepts, hence the speed.

I would imagine secondary school will be fine. It will only take a couple of children from each school to be at this level for them to make a whole class!

Our primary school has been great with ds1 as he has mild aspergers but is very strong in maths, but now he faces secondary ahead of most of his peers and I am not convinced they will be able to support his strengths.

Maths in particular it is not uncommon to be get ahead. DD year 4 is in a group of 12 children in her year who from September will be taught by a secondary school maths teacher as they are already working at level 5.
It sounds like the school have identified his abilities and are providing appropriate work. Though not all primary schools use the term gifted and talented.

Hi AllRightLuv:

First off - FABULOUS - really pleased to hear how well your DS is doing.

With the proviso that our school fails to do this - it is my understanding that best practice requires that schools differentiate work to a pupils' abilities.

Therefore, in theory, your DS should have an individual teaching plan which is structured to meet his needs in progressing his mathematical abilities.

Now this can (in more clued up & better organised districts) mean that your DS is allowed to join local senior school pupils for maths lessons or it may be that a local senior school teacher comes to school and offers tailored lessons to more advanced Y5/6 pupils.

Sadly, at our school bright Y5/Y6 maths pupils are left to review 'stuff they know' and rarely receive challenging maths to tackle.

Our homespun solution as parents with children desperate to do more and dying of boredom at our school has been organic but includes:

Joining on-line tutorials/ maths web-sites (but have to pay to join I'm afraid) - so that DCs can do more in their own time.

Checking out NRICH Maths nrich.maths.org/frontpage (a resource for primary & secondary pupils) which is designed to improve problem solving skills and explore mathematical concepts. It's free

Joining Khan Academy (again free) and following lessons/ homeworks there: www.khanacademy.org/ - click LEARN & then MATHS and follow through menus until you work out where you're at. This is somewhat free form so you don't have to rigidly follow order & can jump about (although order does reflect prerequisite skills).

Buying in workbooks for KS3 - to carry on maths progress at home.

Free worksheets from on-line sites: e.g. math drills www.math-drills.com/index2.shtml or worksheets.com www.worksheetworks.com/ - although worksheets.com is still [BETA] so can have glitches.

This has tided them over until they could start Senior School & be streamed by ability.

HTH