Bright 9 year old

patchwork_cat

Hi
My daughter is 9 and just finishing year 4 last year she acheived a level 4c in maths and was top of her year and this year she is a 4a. What I want is some advice as the school have never mentioned that she is able, but how do I approach them with jumping up and down saying my child is clever. Is there any provision for children at this age.

My son who is 14 did not quite make the grade in 1 battery of tests for University of Warwick ( I think it is) and then they changed the criteria. i feel that people think you are boasting if you ask them for some support with more able kids and I feel that I probably should have said something about my son as I knew he was bright at primary school, but he wasn't top, probably the exact child who does get bored. He is showing now that yes he is clever.

My daughter does not have a good work ethic and isn't challenged and as a result when she can't do things she has not learnt coping mechanisms and reacts like a toddler.

There seem to be so many organisations not sure where to start.

Hapless_2

National association of giftet youth is a starting area.
Unfortunately "special needs" in the UK does not cover high intelligence, which is why more often than not, many bright children are underachieving.

http://www.nagty.ac.uk/

What you don't want to do however is pressurise them into doing too much.

naughtybits1uk

Hi,

I am also the parent of three able children, my oldest son is 15 and is on the Gifted and Talented Register. He has also been put forward for a University scheme called NAGTY. I was aware that he is extremely bright and made an appointment at the school to discuss the situation. Please do not be afraid to push the school as sometimes a child will get missed. I have since become a Parent Governer at my sons High School for the Gifted and Talented so that hopefully children will not be missed and have as much support as they can. My middle sons school is really letting him down, he is 10 and in year 5, he is at a level 5 in his maths, but he never brings any homework and is getting bored. I have since spoke with the Headteacher and are still not satisfied. I have discussed with my son about his education and he is moving to a school where i know he will get the teaching and encouragement he needs.

You as a parent can tell if your child is able and should make sure the school know and recognise this.

Try https://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/giftedandtalented and see if this helps. Maybe you could print it off and take it in the school with you.

Hope this all helps.

Michelle

saraharrow

Hi Patchwork cat

Schools are funny about 'bright' children. when my daughter was 7 I was told she was 'more able, talented, verging on gifted...' by a teacher, provision was made for her to have 'extension' lessons in English and Maths . She then left the school.
At the next parents evening her new teacher told me she was ordinary, a total chatterbox and was sorry to dissillusion me but unless she worked spectacularly hard, she would just be ordinary.
I applied for a place at a state boarding school that year, and they recieved a report from the school stating my daughter was exceptional, well able and a good worker.
We live in an 11+ area, so when she was 10, after 2 more years of indifferent school reports and SATS that were horrific, I took her to a Kip Mcgraph centre for an independant assessment.
The results were she had an adults reading age, spelling, vocabularly and writing of an 11 year old and maths of a 9 year old. These were from 'Watts' tests.
At her next parents evening, a mere 2 weeks later, her teacher told me that she had the reading of a 9 year old, spelling of a 9 year old and maths of a 10 year old, I asked which tests she used, it was the 'Hertfordshire' tests.
My ex husband and I discussed this and we requested another independant test, cant recall where from. They confirmed the 'Watts' test results.
We put her in for the 11+, the school told her in September last year she wasnt good enough for the 11+ despite us paying for tuition, her tutor said different (and offered to tutor her for free to prove it wasnt a question of money).
She failed the 11+ miserably and was heartbroken.
Her tutor wanted us to complain about the school and their attitude, but we decided to drop the matter.
Our daughter looks up the school that she wants to go to and asks us to appeal so she can re sit the test, we do this 2 days before the deadline in April.
We get the appeal information and the schools defense for not admitting her, and my daughter did 3 days solid of internet research and compiled her rebuttal of their defense, all 4 pages of it.
It was better than what we could have put together and the only part of it that indicates it has been wrote by a child is her handwriting.

So, do I let her prove her intelligence as she puts it by doing her own appeal or do I do one for her?

Dont put yourself or child through our scenario, get several independant assessments and then sit down and decide what you are going to do.

Breggie at Kipmcgraph can be contacted on rautenbach@blueyonder.co.uk and Kipmcgraph can be found on Google, they do free assessments.

The NAGC are helpful too, and someone else told us to get a report from a child psychologist, but we didnt have the funds to do that.

So, what you do, where you go from here is down to you, but dont give up if your school acts like ours did, I wished I had pursued this sooner.

Good luck

Sarah

patchwork_cat

Hi
Thank you yes from reading your answers I do think that the primary school are not doing enough for her nor did they for my son. The primary school is very well thought of and gets the best KS1 and 2 in our area with a lot of bright children. I wonder why it doesn't seem to do anything for the more able.

Mind you when my son was identified as gifted by his high school - he had 3days extra schooling in the summer holidays. Funny I haven't received anything brought home from school by my son about talented and gifted since the summer of Year 7!!!

calmspirit

Hi
The best 130 quid I ever spent was on an independant Educational Psychologist assessment when my son was 9 and I was told he was average and just plodding along....when it was more than obvious to me he was bored senseless at school. The result of these tests gave me the confidence to push the school to recognise that he was not being challenged.
He is now 13 and in yr8 at a grammar school he adores, but prefers to play his guitar and check his hair style out than actually study !

I agree that Special needs should cover both ends of the spectrum .......with the aim of helping each child achieve THEIR full potential ....even if for my son that seems to be growing his hair and playing guitar!


The main thing that came out of the assessment for us was that he has specific learning difficulties which really affect the way he learns....knowing this enabled us and the school to teach him in a way he could actually learn....and so his behaviour improved because he wasnt bored!

It wasnt a case of boasting that he was 'clever' more a case of being able to boast that he is HAPPY now......well as happy as any 13 yr hormone ridden boy can be .....!
So you do what you need to do to make sure your child's needs are met .....and pray !

clairehi

Special needs should include both ends of the spectrum, that is quite right. You could ask the school if they have a policy for identifying gifted and talented children, as our primary school does. The school use the DfES definition of Gifted and Talented which is the top 5-10% of children in the school measured by actual or potential achievement for that particular subject. [It seems a bit arbitrary as in a school of high achievers it will be that much harder to be in the G&T category.]

My DS age 7 and in Year 2 is on the Gifted and Talented register for science - we had a letter home shortly after the SATs to inform us. I spoke to his class teacher who said that they dont have a special programme for them as such, they keep the register so the teachers are aware of which kids need to be stretched. So to be honest, its just a label and may not make that much of a difference.

I think you are right to be cautious about how your broach the subject with the teacher, it is important to give the message that you want to work with the school in a positive way if possible. Perhaps when you get her school report you could make an appointment to discuss it. I would ask the teacher what his/her opinion is of her maths skills and attitude to learning and then tactfully suggest she needs stretching more and enquire about if there is any extra support available or if there is anything you can do outside school to help. If you explain your concerns because of your experience with the older child, I am sure they will understand.

Kimitatsu

Hi

I have two sons 8 and 10 both are listed on the gifted and talented register, but like you with my eldest I had to push the school.

We started off a couple of years ago, being told that he was in the autistic spectrum because he couldnt sit still fidgets wasnt doing well in school. We got a private assessment by an independant psychologist who pointed out to the school he was bright and bored.

My youngest conversely they were telling me in year 2 that they could not stretch him enough in the class he was in.

We then enrolled both of them in Kumon maths and english and it was the best thing we ever did. They havew both been allowed to progress at their own pace, as fast or as as slowly as they have liked and they have flown. It has given them both a passion for learning and a confidence thay did not get from school.

We have since moved school and the difference is huge! DS1 is getting 5's in science and high 4's in maths and english, the school has already offered him workshops for gifted and talented children and appreciate he is a boy. DS2 has been pushed and stretched right out of his sweet spot, so it can be done.

We get the appeal information and the schools defense for not admitting her, and my daughter did 3 days solid of internet research and compiled her rebuttal of their defense, all 4 pages of it.
It was better than what we could have put together and the only part of it that indicates it has been wrote by a child is her handwriting.

So, do I let her prove her intelligence as she puts it by doing her own appeal or do I do one for her?

I would let her do it because it shows them her intelligence, not every child is good at exams. The schools opinion would also have been sought on the exam results and you can ask for a copy of the letter they wrote.

At the end of the day if your children are happy then they will learn, gifted and talented is starting to be recognised as a special need just as much as many learning difficulties. There is a pot of money put aside specifically for this purpose and centres being set up, if you google them you can find which ones are local to you.

HTH :T

clairehi

Kimitatsu wrote: »

Hi
There is a pot of money put aside specifically for this purpose and centres being set up, if you google them you can find which ones are local to you.

HTH :T

Have you got any more details of this pot of money or centres, as our LEA have stated they do not have any funds specifically to support G&T children.

shykins

have a similar problem myself.. the school he is at have no facilities for brighter children.. he is year 5 and has already attained level 5 in SATS... i feel that he will sit still next year and end up getting even more bored

he hardly gets any homework so we set stuff ourselves and now he is being tutored as well for 11plus and is already achieveing 88% in VR

can you tell me where i would go to get a private educational psychologist report as i am very keen to get one of these done not only cos he is bright but becos it has been mentioned that he shows some signs of aspergers... i spoke to the school but they have no ed psych visits until well into next year.. i cant seem to get anywhere looking myself so would apreciate some pointers as to where we go.. i am in essex if that makes any difference

thanks

spoilt_BUT_appreciate_it

patchwork_cat wrote: »

i feel that people think you are boasting if you ask them for some support with more able kids

I totally sympathise with your worries and concerns with regards to coming accross as though you're boasting about your child's capabilities or achievements and then if you're anything like me... you feel guilty for even mentioning it

Just the other day I was talking about how my child has just started to read to her teacher.. even though she has been doing so at home for a while!

Basically another mum laughingly joked "oh you're one of those Alpha mum's!"...., I had no idea what she was talking about until I googled it when I got home.

I actually questioned myself after reading the Daily Mail article on Alpha mum's v the Beta mum... SILLY I know