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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Gifted and Talented

29 replies

bonkers20 · 12/09/2011 13:49

Can anyone tell me roughly how many pupils in a year of 160 pupils would be on the Gifted and Talented register?

Thank you

OP posts:

Themumsnot · 12/09/2011 13:53

Lots. It is utterly meaningless IME. We get a letter home every year saying what DD1 has been deemed as being G&T in - it varies considerably. Last year among other things we were told she was gifted and talented for social skills.

mnistooaddictive · 12/09/2011 14:02

10% so 16 for each subject. Some will overlap, done won't.
It is meaningless. I think I read the latest research shows there us no such thing as giftedness.

Theas18 · 12/09/2011 14:23

Meaningless statistic I'm afraid. For a while it was al the rage and got extra money and support with fun courses/days out etc doing forensic science and stuff for the kids but it's stopped now I believe- cuts and all- grr!

Eldest was on the register but never did any of the events! At her school (highly selective grammar) they were all on G+T for something or other!

IndigoBell · 12/09/2011 14:33

I think the law has changed and the G&T register is no longer compulsory.

So it's totally up to the schools discretion what they do.

But they used to do top 5%-10%.

PrincessTamTam · 12/09/2011 14:36

Shocking load of old nonsense the whole G&T fad. My DS1 was put on it in primary school when it was first introduced and never taken off. All it did was encourage insane competitive parents in the playground. A couple of said loons came up to me virtually spitting and hissing when they found out my DS was on it and not their little darlings and then went to complain to the teachers... they then got their DCs put on! What a load of nonsense... not sure he ever got anything for it except the odd bit of extra work, so he wasn't happy.

Waste of time/money. None of the kids who were on it were actually 'gifted' in the true sense of the word, just a bit ahead at that time (children all develop at different rates ffs!).
Sorry for rant.

Cartoonjane · 12/09/2011 14:39

IMHO it just shows how insecure the state system is about how it deals with very able children. Rightly so in my experience too. Although the ridiculous, meaningless G and T register is not the answer.

Pang · 13/09/2011 13:36

At the moment Gifted and Talented in the UK state sector is a fairly meaningless label. DS was put on the G&T register. We thought that maybe he would get additional and extra support&guidance. But the school just sent us a booklet about what we should do at home like: 'take him to museums and shows. Give him lots of additional outside experiences.'Doh!!. Nothing about what the school would or could do to help him reach his potential. What's the point of have this (all be it nice) label?

adamschic · 13/09/2011 13:51

Mine was on it when it was deemed to be the top 5% nationally, then they changed it to 10% in year then 10% in each subject. Some that were on it for a certain subject managed a C at GCSE. DD's school didn't gd anything extra with her except a day out to a science event. Don't know what the point of it all was now.

Originally it was to track bright kids at aged 11 to ensure that they met their potential to achieve 3 A's at A level and that the schools didn't fail the brightest. It was a good idea I suppose and a shame it went a bit haywire with G&T readers at nursery etc. Then they scrapped the scheme.

Some who were on the list have done well and some haven't.

complexnumber · 13/09/2011 16:48

I hang my head in shame, I've been teaching 25+ years, but whenever I see G&T I cannot stop thinking about a Bombay Saphire with a splash of tonic.

Don't suppose that's much help to the OP, but I find it fantastic!

Sorry

yellowsubmarine41 · 13/09/2011 22:57

@ complexnumber

psammyad · 14/09/2011 07:16

yes complexnumber, I too was delighted and inspired to find that Primary school had a G&T co-ordinator .

Themumsnot · 14/09/2011 09:41

I can't wait to find out what DD1 is allegedly G&T at this year. In Y7 the big surprise was art (especially her friend who is genuinely very artistically talented did not make the cut) - some years she is G&T as an "academic all-rounder" some years she is just G&T for a random selection of subjects. Social skills was my favourite, not sure how they are going to top that this year.

adamschic · 14/09/2011 11:37

Complex, that was really funny the 1st time

newtermnewname · 15/09/2011 11:30

PrincessTamTam OMG! As you say the whole G&T thing is a bit of a farce, it's basically bragging rights in the playground mostly. We are not at secondary stage yet, but will be fun trying to guess what DD1 might be "G&T" in next year - sulking? Her encyclopaedic knowledge of every Horrible History episode EVER? Can't wait!

complexnumber · 15/09/2011 13:23

adamschic ;"Complex, that was really funny the 1st time"

You are, of course, quite right; the 1st G&T is the most fun. But I just can't resist having a few more.

Nelleh · 09/10/2011 22:41

Agree, G & T a waste of time! It's purely a measure of exposure/practice of various disciplines.

Any extra cash should be channelled to giving these experiences to the less fortunate.

Totally agree with newternewname!

seeker · 09/10/2011 22:45

The whole idea ws just to mollify competitive middle class parents.

ibizagirl · 10/10/2011 06:13

I agree that it its a waste of time. My daughter has been on g and t since primary and she is now 12. All she gets is extra school work to do and maybe go on different trips. She is in top set for all subjects and the teachers call them all gifted and talented although the others are not on the register. The register didn't do anything and we were not even given a booklet like some of you as her primary didn't have anything on it! About the middle class parents thing. I am not like that at all. I am a single parent who has been on benefits but the parents who i used call the poshies didn't like the fact that my daughter was a lot brighter than theirs. When i say brighter than theirs, some of their children couldn't even read properly in year 6! Most of the time they would not even smile at us and they definitely would not say hello. When my daughter had her leaving performance in year 6 she had the biggest part with a lot to say. Those other parents children only had bit parts. Afterwards my friends came to congratulate daughter as she was brilliant. Not the poshies. They were shouting about how good their children looked in their outfits. I wasn't expecting them to say anything to us but sometimes they really annoyed me. Don't see them now really as they all went to one school and mine to another. Although one parent is trying to say how fantastic the school is and everyone knows it is very poor (it is now an academy and the results are dire). Daughter is doing well anyway at high school and in year 8 and her levels are now 7 or 8. Good luck everyone with your children.

choccyp1g · 10/10/2011 09:58

It's just something to be smug about. Not aimed at any particualr poster.

ASteepLearningCurve · 18/11/2011 00:21

Why are schools telling pupils that they are on the G&T register?
We constantly analyse and change our list, but it is never in the public domain. We just ensure that we have measures in place to develop particular skills. How stupid to inform children/parents... IMHO...

Moominmammacat · 18/11/2011 10:48

It's demented ... we had a letter saying our son was G+T ... but we never found out which son. Top 5% in grammar is going to be v. different to top 5% in dump. Some good courses around for G+T children though.

ASteepLearningCurve · 18/11/2011 12:17

:-)
We have ALWAYS been told that the G&T register is for OUR use (as teachers), not to tell everyone.

Tell you what... you know how they label foods with red, orange, green for calories, sat fats, salt etc...?

Why don't we just stick a label on each child ...... hmph!

Makes you want a G&T, doesn't it? ;-)

gazzalw · 18/11/2011 17:16

I was seduced by the whole thing when DS was in Reception class -now I know it to be a meaningless moniker - don't even think about it....

Bproud · 29/11/2011 13:06

I'm sorry to hear that is is so discredited and it's a shame that the scheme wasn't properly followed through for whatever reason. My son was is the early scheme and had some really good opportunities including a residential maths camp and a weekend course at a University when he was in year 9. It was great for him and us, since neither DH or I had been to university, it gave us aspirations, and he secured a place at Oxbridge. Without the encouragement he got from G & T we would never have thought of him getting there!

uggmum · 29/11/2011 13:25

I don't feel that g&t is purely for bragging rights. Sometimes I don't really understand it myself.
However, my dd is on the register, she is not necessarily gifted. But she is a talented gymnast. She competes and can do gymnastic moves that none of the other girls in her year can do. It is nice that school recognises the commitment that she has. As a result, they do take her out for special trips, ie to the Olympic training ground to meet and train with the athletes.

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