Separate targets for G&T children in primary schools?

[kaphc]

Had parents evening today for my DD1, who is 5 and G&T in reading and phonics and bright in other areas.

I queried the numeracy targets for this term as they are not challenging for my DD (they are listing 5 activities in the other that they happen during the day, and telling the time to the hour).

The teacher actually said that they can't set separate targets for our daughter, but that got me thinking - why not? If she had Special Educational Needs and couldn't achieve the targets, she would be set other appropriate targets. So why not at the other end of the scale?

What do other schools do about target-setting and the activities that are needed to achieve them? I'm not obsessed with targets in themselves, but don't think DD is going to progress much if she's not got goals that will challenge her this term?

Thanks
Katharine
x

[PrettyCandles]

Ridiculous. If a child needs and responds to stretching then they should be stretched. A schol is required by Ofsted to provide extension activities for their better-abled children, if the standard classroom activities don't stretch them.

This happens in my dc's school, from Reception onwards.

[wrinklytum]

Ther is a similar discussion on the" Telly addicts" "Child genius" thread,Katherine

I'm afraid my dd is at the other end of the scale(SN child who will require statement)but it is an interesting question re statementing and setting targets for particularly gifted children.

[wrinklytum]

There,I mean.

[smartiejake]

The whole point of a G and T register (which I think should actually be called the higher ability register- very few children are truly gifted and talented) is to identify those more able pupils who need stretching and plan accordingly to cater for thier needs. Sorry this teacher is talking out of her A*se. An inspector would have a field day with this!

[avenanap]

I had to move my ds to a private school for this.

[tortoiseSHELL]

Bear in mind that they aren't (or shouldn't be) taught to targets anyway. For example, dd, (age 4, reception, August birthday so youngest in year) who is very bright, and at the top of the class in everything (teacher's words, not mine) had a target of counting backwards from 20 (which she can literally do in her sleep - I heard her sleep talking in which she was doing precisely that ). She has clearly achieved that target. However, she has also learnt to count to 10 thousand, to start using money, elementary time telling, writing sums down (again, the target was to start to add small numbers, and to aurally give the answer, dd is now completing written number sentences). So a good teacher may give a global target, but will still stretch the more able children.

I suppose it depends whether the 'targets' are class targets - you couldn't very well say to the class 'you all need to aim to count to ten, but this child is extra clever so she needs to count to twenty'. Would be a recipe for bullying imo.

[kaphc]

Thanks, everyone ... I thought it wasn't just me being demanding ... but sometimes it's so hard as I don't want to push for things and be a pain, but then again I want my DD to go to school and have some activities during the day that will meet here needs.

Apparently the teacher does differentiate for my daughter in some things, apprarently she doesn't take part in guided reading, but instead does some workbook activities ...however I didn't get to see any of these, so perhaps I should have asked.

Then again, I get concerned that she is going to feel "different" because she's not taking part in group reading with everyone else and that will either make her conceited or isolated. I agree with you tortoiseSHELL that I don't want her to be singled out as it won't really help her in the long run.

Parents evening seems to have thrown up more questions than have been answered!!!

I'll have a look at the Telly Addicts forum for the Child Genius thread, thanks wrinklytum, though I know my daughter doesn't fall into the "genius" category. BTW, don't be "afraid" that your child is in a different category. These labels are all a bit unhelpful at times ... at the end of the day we all just want our kids to have a decent shot at an education that is more or less at their level don't we?