Child genius -which bright spark decided to put it on on a Tuesday???

[Emochild]

Anyone watching?

[ElementaryMyDearWatson]

I skipped most of two years when I came back to the UK from abroad: I left my old school in November of what would have been Year 6, and in January joined the equivalent of Year 8 in my new school. To be honest, I've never been entirely sure why that happened - I was ahead in some subjects like English, but behind in things like French and Latin. It's true to say that I caught up quite quickly in academic terms, but I think I suffered in other ways: I was obviously immature compared to my classmates and, being also quite shy, had trouble making friends. I think it caught up with me when we got to A levels when I lacked the necessary self-discipline to do enough work, and I ended up retaking. I know it might well have been difficult for my parents to get me into a primary school for two terms, but with hindsight I think that at the very least I should have been placed in Year 7.

[RedDaisyRed]

I missed a year when I was 10 and that worked in most senses.
Another thing state schools could do is more setting at primary level. if prep schools can have the "scholarship" class and top sets for maths and English etc and some boys doing latin and others not nothing to stop a state primary doing do or we could have selective state primaries like the private sector manages with children who are bright educated in a different type of primary school which works 2 years ahead of normal state schools which are primary level are pretty comprehensive. Lots of ideas.

[JustRichmal]

"why is the child not able to perform at school in the way you have witnessed at home?"

Because they are not taught to that level. They cannot show they can do the work if they are not given it to do.

Bert, she is now at secondary and things have got a lot better. The contrast is amazing.

Yes, I did think she was above level 6 by the end of year 6, mainly because she got A* at GCSE at the end of year6, having taken her from school for just over a year when she realised she was never going to learn anything new in maths at school.

[insanityscatching]

My ds now 26 was similarly able and so his school arranged for a secondary maths teacher from the local secondary school to come and teach him Maths once a week. I've no idea how it was funded,I didn't ask for it to be arranged,they offered much like they arranged for him to be taught at an appropriate level from his first days in school.
It may well be that Thomas' school has a similar arrangement for him as well. I will add that I never coached ds in fact he barely ever picked up a pen not least a book, he still maintains that the last book he read was The Twits in spite of having a Masters, he seems to acquire knowledge through osmosis.

[BertrandRussell]

Oh right, so no actual practical suggestions of how schools should do this.

And I reckon telling me my attitude is "shocking" and "shameful" are pretty accusatory, don't you? I don't think it was you who said I was championing mediocrity for all, but you certainly didn't mention sausage machines for no reason..............

[BertrandRussell]

"But the school do not teach to a higher level, so there is no evidence that dc is at a higher level and they are levelled only on teacher assessment."

Is it a primary school and do you think the child is above a Level 6(old money)?

[JustRichmal]

But the school do not teach to a higher level, so there is no evidence that dc is at a higher level and they are levelled only on teacher assessment.

[RedDaisyRed]

Miaow, so pricate schools are not an option because of your life choice to be a primary school teacher when you were probably clever enough to a UK leading surgeon or banker or something? That's a pity. Are you not bright enough now to qualify into something like law (I know City lawyers who qualify at 40) and then earn a lot and pay school fees? Also could you not move to an area of the country with good grammar schools - like Henrietta Barnet where I think one of the girls on the programme went to?

You are quite right that you need two things - the brains and the inclination. I would say I earn what I do at least as much because of my dogged determination to work very hard for 30 years without a break as much as my love of law and my supposedly mensa level IQ. You need all those factors if you want to enjoy the work I do. My graduate son who is no less bright than his London lawyer sisters is a post man - actually he works very hard but he just has a different ethos and aim which is lovely; I certainly don't get out to breed lawyer clones. Happiness is achieved in finding work you like and other aspects of life not in earnings necessarily. However the earnings do mean I can choose the right education for my children although I suppose if I were on benefits I could teach them at home so you can probably do it at any income level.

[BertrandRussell]

I don't know. I would expect the school to show me evidence of their opinion. I would show my evidence and work from there.

[RedDaisyRed]

Work with it at home, try to get it put up a year, work harder to opay school fees for a very academic primary school, move to an area where education is better.

[JustRichmal]

OK, what do you do when you say your child is a higher level than school says?

[BertrandRussell]

No- not asking for specifics about my child. I only mentioned my child to focus what seems to be quite wooly thinking.

What do you mean "give" every child the education they need? How does that actually work?

And no, I don't think education should be a "sausage machine" . And it really pisses me off when people on threads like this accuse others in that way.

[BertrandRussell]

Right. Even more confused now.

When you said there is enough money to educate all our children appropriately and we just have to walk the walk, what exactly did you mean?

[BertrandRussell]

"We are ALL aware of the constraints of limited resources."

Well, you obviously aren't. Or you wouldn't say that providing a 1:1 A level maths teacher for a year 5 is an appropriate use of a school's SEN budget. Yes, if everything was different and we managed things differently then there might be more money for schools- but here and now there isn't. And here and now that year 5 maths prodigy is much more able to meet her own needs in maths via online resources and so on than a child who is struggling to access the curriculum at all.

[BertrandRussell]

So when you say there is enough money and we just need to walk the walk what do you mean exactly?