Piped up my 4 nearly 5 year old granddaughter last week on first day of school! Since then my son and his wife have been called into school yesterday to discuss the GD's abilities. She's been labelled by Headteacher as ''astonishing" done some, what she thinks are number puzzles, written a sentence, counted up to 110 and recited alphabet forwards and backwards and her 5 times table. Saying Mummy hasn't done the rest yet! Headteacher is very concerned as the school might not be able to meet her needs. So advised to look at specialist schools for extremely clever children. My son is very concerned although both sets grandparents can chip for in fees but she's with her friends. It's not been a huge shock but when the Headteacher told them her ability to understand and solve problems is something very rare and she might well pass an 11 plus tomorrow it became apparent that the school doesn't have the resources to provide the stimulation she needs to thrive. My son has said several times in the past few months she frightens him with her knowledge and it got worse as she beat him at 10 pin bowling on Friday ! LOL
But the minx is going to need to be challenged and the school have said she's a lovely 'kind and helpful child' but she has to move up a year class next week to allow other children to keep on track. Her hand goes up too much! Such is life as I said to them earlier this year she's going to end up in prison or Downing Street. She is a joy to look after provided she's occupied and intends to be an artist and married to Rory when she grows up. ! Anyone else with grandchildren or children that bring joy and are lovely to have but it's so nice when they go to their own homes?
Written by
medway-lady
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
East Sutton Prison to mine. Looks like an angel but can't ride her bike yet. We are all different and it was very disconcerting when we realised she could actually add up faster than both me and my husband without being prompted. Bargained as the glittery necklace cost £5 and the bracelet was £2 in M&S did it mean she could have them instead of the socks and knickers (girls don't wear pants only boys) that mummy said she needed costing £8 pleeeeeaaaasee? Answered by grandad Yes by nanny No. Needless to say she got both. lol x
Private school is jolly expensive, I'd save your pennies for a bit later on, senior school is where state schools really fall down with the clever kids in my experience, or maybe junior school.
In the mean time, the school needs to be a bit more specific about what they can't handle. Obviously Maths, so perhaps your daughter could come up with a separate curriculum for your granddaughter to work on, perhaps ask around among the local parents who home school for help, maybe a Maths tutor could take over Maths teaching from the school. To be blunt (apologies to any primary school teachers here) sometimes primary school teachers aren't that great at Maths, which is okay, we need the ones who are good at Maths to teach senior school. However they get freaked out by the kids who are good at Maths. My younger nephew's reception class teacher described him as a Maths genius. This lead to eye rolls from my sister, who has a physics degree and could put my nephew's ability into context, having had a friend at uni who actually was a genius.
They should already have a plan in place for children who have learnt to read before starting school, that's not uncommon.
As for putting her hand up all the time, I used to do that, she needs telling that it's great she's enthusiastic, but the class is for all the children and that the teacher needs to ask simple questions for the slower children, so perhaps she could leave easy questions to the other children to answer.
No reason why the teacher can't specify when a question is for her to tackle.
My mum was put up a year and it brings other problems like the other children being emotionally more advanced and physically bigger. Her first year report at the grammar school said she was immature, that still riles her to this day and she's 79!
Thank you so much and I've copied this for my son and DIL as I don't think they can see the wood from the trees and its great to pass on experiences like your Mums as this is first time we'd all heard of it and my DIL said she be leaving all her chums !. Both said she doesn't get this from them as they had to work hard at Uni but she just gets "stuff". I wonder if the schools are now so hard pressed that some things are lost as there will always be those more able and those not so. My GD doesn't know if she's right or left handed as writes with both and we've all thought she was a bit gifted but didn't realise the level of her ability. She's been doing 2 x50 piece jigsaws jumbled up for the past year. 100 ones are no problem. The dinosaur ones faster than me and thrashes everyone at matching pick up cards. Last time I played her I had 4 pairs, my husband 5 and she had the rest and we never let her win. Plays UNO with the cards laid out on the table as hands too small to hold them and wins. But she trusts us not to look at her cards. Coming over at the weekend so sending them a copy of your post for thoughts tonightXX
I'm no genius myself, but I do work in software development with some very clever people who have Maths degrees from places like Cambridge, so if it would help, I could ask on our work slack channel for advice. We've got one lad who did his Maths A level exam in 15 minutes! (I got through A level Maths with a lot of extra lessons )
BTW your granddaughter might be eligible for extra help, that SEND funding applies to the super clever too.
I thinks a bit of a get out for the school to have decided they can’t meet her needs after one day. Her teachers need to be looking into working with gifted children and challenging and extending her in different ways. Such as reading a problem and being able to use the knowledge she has to think about and solve it rather than just straight adding up or knowing times tables.
As for always being first hand up I had a boy like that who was very bright and I often said more or less what JenifferW said, “I know you know the answer but I’m going to give someone else a chance” and that was enough for him to realise that I knew he knew but that other children needed to try too.
Her special educational needs are every bit as special as those of less able children and unfortunately it appears (to me) to be the clever children who get overlooked - she sounds to be extremely clever and they need to meet her needs rather than just encourage her to go elsewhere.
Primary school is as much about mixing with all sorts of children and rubbing along together as it is about anything else. There are so many other subjects to learn about.
Although saying that it is rather concerning for the head to say she feels that ‘her school may not be able to meet your grand daughter’s needs.’. That would worry me somewhat.
The little girl next door to us is very, very bright and when she pops regularly in to visit my husband and I we are sure her poor exhausted parents are happy to have a little break from her. She has always had a good vocabulary and been a very clear speaker and we have had hours of entertainment listening to her through the hedge. We have no grandchildren of our own so while she is very entertaining it’s good when she goes home.
Please don’t think of her ending up in prison - think of her as becoming a business tycoon or a super duper scientist - or an explorer or inventor - or a concert pianist that’s much more likely. 😊
I think although it was first week, they go for trial half days, now getting reports from the feeder play school. I’m not sure if they are just covering themselves as the school has a good reputation and the parents were so pleased she got in. It might be that the munchkin might calm down and benefit from going up a year. I think I’ll copy your reply in as well as unless you’re in education it’s hard to understand what happens as so much is for the less able not the more able. You’re right, she might do very well indeed, it’s a joke as we used to say we’d never divorce as neither wanted the sons. But it seems daughters are even more challenging as her language skills are so much more complex that our boys were, that I remember at that age. It is odd too as she copies my son playing the piano. And wants to draw and paint every opportunity she gets. X
Oh I agree about daughters. I think they are much harder work than sons - although I have two sons.
From what I’ve seen boys are pretty straightforward and predictable. You can read them like a book. I remember collecting the little girl next door from nursery and when she was lying on the carpet with me drawing she said sadly ‘Anna says I’m no good at colouring in’.
Anna was her nursery friend’s big sister. Husband and I were shocked that big sister could be so mean to her little visitor when she was only four and sad that she could take it to heart.. That’s something you would definitely never have got from boys.
If her parents are glad they got her into that school that is good. You could ask or look online to see what arrangements the county she is in has for more able and gifted students.
Lovely to hear your grand daughter is interested in the piano and art - she sounds well rounded and I’m sure once she settles down and discovers books and other interests and like minded friends she’ll go on and do well. She sounds a joy - I used to joke that the child next door will probably be running the class in no time. It’s really good to have some brighter than average children in your class though.
I have to say though that young children are exhausting when you get older. We laugh about that in Pilates - one lady was saying she has a ten year old grand daughter who rings up and invites herself round - they have to drive to the next village to collect her and once she is there my friend says she just never shuts up, but it’s lovely that she just wants to come over ‘for a chat.’
my daughter was moved up a year for reading and maths and spent the rest of her time with her original class. Though it wasn’t as quick as a week into first term. Yes she left her friends for those lessons but she made new ones in the other classes and she didn’t mind because she was not getting anything from her age group lessons and she was much more stimulated with the older year group. She did go on to take maths and English GCSE’s early and start her A level Maths with a few others at secondary school. Probably not much help to you but if there’s an option for lessons with children at her level then it may be all she needs at this stage.
It is helpful as I was shocked, not that she’s clever but that it might be a problem. I’ll let them know that it does work and children do get a benefit from a different year group. I’m sure that it’s the man subject of concern but reassuring to know it can really help. X
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
)
Arthritis just doesn't affect us does it
If its not one thing it's another!
Off Topic - Checking In Thank You
Off topic and lovely for me or maybe others
