Higher achiever in state school

[Pandadream]

I wanted to find out what people’s experience and expectations around children who is talented / be able to do more than standard curriculum at primary state school. Would the school do more to challenge those or they would simply be treated as everyone else, if they are bored, then be it. If any school you have been to or heard did do more, what kind of things did they do?

I agree that learning behaviours are really important. Our DD has ADHD, which hadn't been diagnosed at the point that her teachers were happy to let her coast. So her learning behaviours weren't great. But realistically, that wasn't something we could fix from home.

Her teachers didn't seem to like her very much at that point either, which is a barrier to working out that a child is more able.

The maths mastery approach of her school also didn't really suit her - it was generally expecting answers written in sentences to explain mathematical thinking and she was a reluctant writer due to dysgraphia, also subsequently diagnosed.

I think that my main takeaway was that twice exceptional children are likely to be overlooked, both for their high academic potential and their additional needs. I really worry for those without engaged parents. We eventually moved her to the independent sector and they are hot on both her additional needs and her high academic potential, because they have the resources to be.

I also have another capable DD, without the additional needs. Her experience of primary school was boredom. Too much repetition of English and Maths, not enough everything else.

It will vary enormously between schools. And between teachers. Extending, challenging and broadening your child’s mind yourself is both your responsibility and the way forward. Teach them curiosity, resilience, perseverance and discipline (to work hard). Those things are going to take them a long way- it’s about attitude and application more than how a primary school stretches them.

God it’s only primary I would chill out. Their happiness is the priority. Education is a marathon not a sprint. Ours both streets ahead with English. They read voraciously (as do we). Lots of books at home and talk to them about what they are reading.

Never felt the need to hassle teachers they know what they’re doing. We did get private language lessons throughout primary as they don’t really do a language in state schools at primary level. Both ours ended up doing a language for A level and one at university..

@wafflesmgee Where I was a governor, maths challenges were hard, harder, hardest and Herculean. We certainly made an effort to influence learning behaviour. Learning skills are very important.

Unfortunately, although many schools and teachers will do their best to challenge more able children, it is made very difficult for them to do so. Often nowadays classes have several children with learning needs working at several years below their year group, meaning all the limited extra support is used for them, understandably.

Ofsted are only interested in inclusion these days - their main focus seems to be that what works for the most vulnerable will work for all. Even many secondaries are stopping streaming as it 'isn't inclusive', which is ridiculous but it is the way education is going.

Ideally all children would have learning exactly targeted to their needs, but that would be very difficult to make happen, especially as there is no money.

I would mention it to your child's teacher, they may be able to point you in the direction of some resources you could use with your dc at home.

@MissingSockDetective No secondaries are doing that here. Why would they? Dc get more targeted lessons if streamed but they don’t stream for everything.

As maths governor for a junior school, I spent ages evaluating data on dc and the challenges of meeting their needs. I csn honestly say we had very few super bright children who needed a lot of extra help. Mostly middle class dc and grammar schools. The maths co ord said they see one extra bright dc at maths every 5 years. Some village schools might see more as some dc are in academic dynasties!

Of course mn is a different world but most bright dc really do get taught well in a decent primary. Not only that, their progress will be agonized over. I also had confidence in teacher assessments and their ability to stretch dc. I do think skilled maths teachers are extremely important though. It’s their skills that matter.