Willow Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Just wondering what different primary schools do for the children identified as 'Gifted and Talented' My YS was identified but the process seems to have been bizarre to say the least. Some parents got a letter to ask them to nominate which of their children should be on it, others got a letter saying their child was selected . We heard nothing until the official letter (guess thats another letter that may turn up when he clears his drawer end of the year). All kids identified as G&T had been told which of the teachers is their mentor. One of my sons friends gets pulled out of class to be asked if everything is ok every so often by his mentor and he is bewildered as to why. Another childs mentor has had no contact and my son's mentor asked him to produce a *book* before Xmas on 'Causes of disease' (he's 9 ) anyway he did his best over Xmas hols gave it in and it has yet to be looked at The only thing I did ask the school was for him to be allowed to read books he's interested in for guided reading. That was brushed aside and ignored - so he continues to read books at a level he read 4 years ago. It all seems to be a bit pointless, the school hasn't got any extra money to do anything anyway. Any one else doing something better ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 sounds very inconsistent and not much help to the kids. Probably another traget driven government incentivised load of codswallop, that teachers don't have time to implement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 All I got was a letter and a folder guiding us to the y, g+t website. Nothing else at all! The school runs a 'Eureka' Club for the more able pupils, but DS has been told he's no longer invited. I've been told he is at the very top of his year and he gets plenty of brain useage at home, so I'm not too bothered. We only have another term to go now anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 My DD is in Year 6 and has been G&T for years, to start with they just extended the work for her. She has been chosen to go to G&T workshops that are run locally, she gets pulled out to work in small groups with different work than the rest of the class. I think it depends on the school and what they are gifted and talented in. My son is G&T in maths and he does extra work in a small group which he loves. It's the only thing about school he loves He hates literacy although his teacher knows he would be G&T if he could be bothered. My DD doesn't have a mentor and that seems a bit odd if they're not doing anything with them She is expected to get top marks in all her SATS in May, no pressure there then! It will be interesting to see what happens when she goes to senior school this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Dss school don't go for the 10% thing believing its farcical . They occasionally pick a child out as being G&T and put them through to the area organiser to sort out funding etc. They keep saying if ds1 carries on the way he is he will be labelled G&t but the refuse to do it while hes so young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Dss school don't go for the 10% thing believing its farcical . They occasionally pick a child out as being G&T and put them through to the area organiser to sort out funding etc.They keep saying if ds1 carries on the way he is he will be labelled G&t but the refuse to do it while hes so young. How old is he Bronze? My DD was identified in reception after taking the PIPs test, they said she'd scored exceptionally high and was going into a Year 1 class for literacy and numeracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Rosie has been working a year above her age since year 2, apart from that I can't see what else they do for G&T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 NO I couldnt work it out either Claret. Ds1 has been working with year 2 a lot (hes yr1) so I couldn't see what difference it would make. I know the school gets funding though so I wonder if claiming that would mean they could afford some one one work if needs be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Nothing really. In year 6 they send the 'gifted and talented' kids on a course apropriate for their talent. Josh went on a science one and Katie is going on an English one next weekend. Amy went on a trip to cambridge uni with high school. I think thats about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Gifted and Talented identifies children who are either academically bright in one or many areas (gifted) or have some other skill like Art or Football (talented). Some schools keep an actual register of G & T pupils, and others do not identify them at all. From 2010 it will be compulsory for all schools to identify their G&T pupils in School Census - I guess some of them will take it all more seriously then. Some schools send details of their G & T pupils to NAGTY and then you will get a newsletter and a certificate (I seem to remember). There is also sometimes the chance to go on Summer Schools and the like at places like Warwick University, but I remember when I looked at this (some time ago) the child was expected to be working at least a couple of levels above the average for their Key Stage in order to get on them. I have to add that my son's primary told me that they only put children on G & T if they were shy or needed their confidence boosting (this is a while ago - he is in Y12 now). He DIDN'T need his confidence boosting, I have to say, but he did get to go on some extra Science and Maths courses at Primary, nevertheless! He has done some good stuff at High school tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 DS was asked by the school to speak to the OFSTED inspector on the recent inspection because he is G and T (that looks too much like gin and tonic doesn't it!) As the only thing that the school has done is to tell him that he is G and T and to tell him how to log onto the web site, he was bemused as to exactly what he was going to tell the inspectors. He told them the truth so it will be interesting to see what the report says when we get it. Lip service seems to be paid to it but little of substance is done - so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Poet said sounds very inconsistent and not much help to the kids. Probably another traget driven government incentivised load of codswallop, that teachers don't have time to implement I couldn't have put it better myself. I get the impression it was only implemented my the school this year because they knew it would become compulsory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 James school offers some great opportunities for the g&T kids. They have done some outside work on science stuff and some workshops with secondary schools. I was actually thinking of writing a complaint about this type of discrimination - there are many children who would benefit from this type of opportunity and are not given the chance as they have not been identified as G&T - the last science on would have suited James and been a fantastic boost for him but he isn't G&T he's special needs. I was asked to run some clubs specifically for G&T and I refused. If I run a club I want it to be available to INTERESTED kids not those who have been singled out as special by some numpty who hasn't a clue what they are talking about (sorry but when some of them are gifted at SPORT and get extra lesson for science and maths thats just bonkers). Another example of how the government and Ofsted like to stuff up education. I think it's about as much use as PSHE or Citizenship or PSE or whatever you want to call it this week. Knife crime anyone?? (HOW am I supposed to teach about that when I havn't a flippin clue what the problem is??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Our school has a G&T register identifying kids and their individual skills. Departments have their own registers of students gifted in their areas, and run events for those kids throughout the year. I do wonder at times what those students NOT G&T are missing out on, though... My own sons' school has not identified any kids as G&T that I know of, but they hav an extremely full programme of 'extra' activities inside and outside school - the lads are forever off on visits, sports days at the stadium, and visiting artists and musicians (DS1 was doing world drumming last week which he loved as he plays the drums out of school). They don't seem to pick and choose which pupils get these opportunities - neither lad ever seems to have missed out on anything, which I am more than happy with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 James school offers some great opportunities for the g&T kids. They have done some outside work on science stuff and some workshops with secondary schools. I was actually thinking of writing a complaint about this type of discrimination - there are many children who would benefit from this type of opportunity and are not given the chance as they have not been identified as G&T - the last science on would have suited James and been a fantastic boost for him but he isn't G&T he's special needs. I was asked to run some clubs specifically for G&T and I refused. If I run a club I want it to be available to INTERESTED kids not those who have been singled out as special by some numpty who hasn't a clue what they are talking about (sorry but when some of them are gifted at SPORT and get extra lesson for science and maths thats just bonkers). Another example of how the government and Ofsted like to stuff up education. I think it's about as much use as PSHE or Citizenship or PSE or whatever you want to call it this week. Knife crime anyone?? (HOW am I supposed to teach about that when I havn't a flippin clue what the problem is??) Pengy - I really wish that you were a teacher in my kids' school. You have so much more common sense than a lot of our lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chookiehen Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 It amazes me that the English and Scottish education systems are so different! Duncan is due to start High School after the summer holidays. There is no great choice, no pouring over league tables, he goes to our catchment school. There is no fussing over gifted or talented children for the sake of reports or inspectors, they all work at their own pace - pushed a bit when they fall behind. If a child is identified as being gifted at a particular subject then they are actively encouraged, but there are no lablels. Duncan will start high school in the top stream - he is already at a second year standard for reading and maths, and at a first year standard for his writing, so will be placed in classes suited to his ability. I just don't understand the english system at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Perhaps we all need to move to Scotland - makes much more sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 sorry but when some of them are gifted at SPORT and get extra lesson for science and maths thats just bonkers). Tell me that isn't so I can just imagine my son if they did it the other way around. Hey you're good at science so we thought we'd give you an extra lesson in football. Yes we know you hate football but you're G&T so you have to do it it would stop him working in lessons quicker than anything Knife crime anyone?? (HOW am I supposed to teach about that when I havn't a flippin clue what the problem is??) Isn't it about the state of their table manners, it's criminal how many can't use a knife and fork properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I think you can be G&T at anything because apparently in Gifted and Talented in "Technical Theatre" . I think the selection criteria was that my form tutor organised G&T and knew I do lots of theatre work outside school. I thought it was quite funny when they said it, all it meant was we were off timetable for a day and an external company came in with a model theatre built to scale (scaled down to about 15 foot wide) and we built it and learned how to work everything inside of it. It as interesting and really good fun, but it didn't teach us much we didn't know already . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 DD3 is at secondary school now. She gets sent on special workshops and things. This year's lucky reward for being bright is a Maths course every Saturday morning for a whole term. At 14, she's not impressed, but fortunately she does seem to enjoy the sessions. (The classes are a 45 minute drive away for us and we are missing our Saturday morning lie-ins ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffyknickers Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 My son is 4 and in reception at school (daughter is 2) so this is the first I have heard about G&T. Isnt it discrimination? What about the children who ARENT identified as G&T? Not sure how I will feel if/when the identifying has been done and they say "oh no your son wasnt one of the G&T so wont be getting extra trips/lessons etc". I know it must be very pleasing and a proud moment for parents whose children are identified - of course I would be proud if my son was but if he wasnt then I would feel a bit of a failure and upset that he wasnt selected. Surely it doesnt have to have a label - it didnt in my day! Would it not be better to just identify the children's string points and give them appropriate work and books without labeling them? When I was at school and i showed a higher age reading ability I was simply given different books. Sorry if I have it all totally wrong and being over sensitive. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 My daughters primary school didn't have a G&T programme because it was seen as being unfair to those who were not on it Of course those who really struggled got lots of extra help, & quite right too, but those like my eldest found the normal lessons dull & boring & really needed to be stretched more. She was often called lazy - no, she was just bored The G&T thing would have worked well for her, both educationally & for her self esteem. She is now in year 11 of secondary school & has done her English GCSE a year early & is already studying for her AS level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Sorry if I have it all totally wrong and being over sensitive.x You're not at all. This year is the first that I have heard of it, before now they just gave her work from the year ahead. There are no extra trips or classes, in fact nothing has really changed except for this label. There are 3 other children with the same 'label' and they are all being encouraged to go on to secondary schools which specialise in their strong subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Special Needs is always viewed as being support for those children who are, for whatever reason, less able or who need extra help to achieve their potential. I have always argued that the brightest children also have special needs and they need support to achieve their potential too. Cinnamon is right about what happens to the brightest children who are not adequately stimulated. In our school system, they need more than the class teacher can usually offer. Classes are too big in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I have always argued that the brightest children also have special needs and they need support to achieve their potential too. Cinnamon is right about what happens to the brightest children who are not adequately stimulated. In our school system, they need more than the class teacher can usually offer. Classes are too big in my opinion. My daughter works as a private tutor while she tries to get into Drama School and she tells me that whereas most of her pupils are cramming for GCSE and A levels there is an increasing number of gifted younger children whose parents pay for just this stimulation outside class. Their parents have been told by the school what sort of things would be of benefit, though that same school cannot or will not provide them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
