Gifted and Talented (GAT)

[dayday]

My son is in yr6 and he has been put on the (GAT)register for maths. Is thata positive or negative thing. Or is just for the school to look good on league tables?

It depends on how good he is at maths. If he is a level 5a it is good. If he is a level 4 it might also be good for you though DC may not be particularly gifted or talented in the terms that perhaps you or I would understand it. Either way, at this point in the year near the end of his primary school career it all seems rather late to make a huge amount of difference don't you think.

Potentially positive but also potentially pointless unless the G&T mathematicians are going to receive some extra input/opportunities related to transition to Y7.

It's not about the league tables, as all schools have to have a G&T register. It's the top 10% of kids in each school, but as I understand it the criteria in terms of how they select is up to the school. So in some schools the top 10% academically might be on the register - in our school it's a bit more mixed, so someone might be included because they have great leadership skills, or a huge imagination. Where we are it's very low key and the kids don't know thy are G&T, but they are taught separately one session a week - the idea being to stretch and challenge them and help them develop. Your son's obviously good at maths if they've cited that, so you should ask the school what they'll be doing to help him develop his ability.

In year 5 and 6 DD used to have some sideways stretching for maths ie logic problems etc and she went on summer courses and the occassional day at a local secondary school.

Both my children are on the G&T register at school and it means that we can book them onto extra workshops out of school but in school time which have been fabulous and really stretched them. Check out if anything like this is available in your area?

DDs experience of primary G&t was extra general classes and opportunities designed to extend learning, she loved them, at secondary now she does extra language work stuff, but it seems more low key.

It seems a shame he wasn't identified earlier, so they had more time to do stuff with him.

Ours are taken out of the class for most of an afternoon a week and spend time in a smaller group so mixed Y1+2 kids, with a teacher who's designated as the 'G&T Co-ordinator'. They seem to do mostly art based project work. This week all I could get out of DS was we 'made a head' - am guessing it's art not genetics though.

Every school does something different for gifted and talented children.
It is seen as a very positive thing, but when parents are told their child is on the G&T register they should ask what the school will be doing to meet their child's needs. Some schools are exceptionally good at meeting the needs of G&T children, whilst some schools merely put the child's name on the register.
At my last school, where I was Deputy Head, we not only ensured that those children were being extended appropriately within the classroom, but also put on G&T clubs for maths and English.
So my advice is to go in to school and ask what they'll be doing for your son dayday.

In my children's independent school the g and t may as stand for gin and tonic. The children receive a certificate to say they are ifted and talented..aren't they all? But then do nothing more except perhaps encourage them to join the chess club. If a school is doing it's job properly, i.e. educating children (which my children's school does admirably) they don't need to make out that the 'top 10%' are special. The g and t policy was introduced by the late government to delude gullible parents to believe their children were getting extra help in a large class. Why it's been take up by the independent sector is beyond me. Hopefully, the new government, given the fact it is broke, will soon start saving cash and stop the g and t nonsense and perhaps give the money it saves in PR to teachers.

Thought it HAD been scrapped, commum?

The academy is being scrapped so assume the register will follow suit.

Amused at your school's certificates and then doing bugger all, commum! Speaking as the mum of a child who is on the hallowed register (apparently)(whom I do not consider to be gifted OR particularly talented, although very fluffy and lovely, just very able and working at a high level for her age) I know that she is being well-catered for in her state primary on a day-to basis and this is far, far more relevant and important than her school not differentiating but chucking in the odd "enrichment" day every so often. What I am trying to say is that for the vast majority a list means bugger-all - a good school should stretch a bright child every day.

We use the term MAT - More Able and Talented - at our school. Doesn't sound quite as good as 'Gifted' though does it?