FAO secondary school teachers.

Pedantic post - be warned!

<span class="cald-hword">be</span> <span class="cald-guideword">(DESCRIPTION)</span> Show phonetics
<span class="def-classification">verb</span> <span class="def-irreg">being</span>, <span class="def-irreg">was</span> <span class="def-irreg">were</span>, <span class="def-irreg">been</span>
<span class="def-sensenum">1</span> <span class="def-grammar">[L]</span> <span class="cald-definition">used to say something about a person, thing or state, to show a permanent or temporary quality, state, job, etc:</span>
</p>

'being the geeky kid' is what you said, not perceived but being.</p>

Anyway, you seem to be under the impression that being intelligent equates to being bully material. Bit of a stereotype that isn't it? </p>

 

Not been involved in the programme

as I didn't know about it when Chris was there and didn't want to put any pressure on Laura as she's enough to cope with.


Laura had to choose her options last year.
The options are a little bit deceiving as you look and think there's lots to choose from but then you find you have to take
English, Maths, Science, PE and RE as standard then could choose 5 from the other boxes which include subjects like Dance, Drama & Music seperately.,
As you say they have to pick up a DT subject so Laura has taken Food Technology/Hospitality and Catering as resistant materials and arts and crafty subjects are a bit too fiddly for her.

If she had wanted to take History and Geography then she wouldn't have been able to take French., so she's taken History and French as Geography includes a few field trips in the course.


Most kids don't know what they want to do once they leave school so try and take a variety of subjects and hope they'll find something they enjoy.
Laura has always wanted to be a Vet so has opted for triple science.

 

RE: Not been involved in the programme

My Laura is choosing her options this year. She wants to do triple science and keep both her languages. Been told she can't and has to do a DT subject instead. Ridiculous.

 

YHPM nt

 

YHPM nt

 

Nope. Does not work.
Great idea on paper, but having been a tutor of a vertical group at a previous school, and now a tutor for a year 9 tutor group at my present school, I'd say that the traditional year group class is much better.
With the vertical group there is very little mixing of the different year pupils no matter how much the teacher tries.
You end up with a few year 7 and 8's sat quietly together whilst the year 10 and 11's stand out.
Building bonds with students their own age is much more important I think.

 

Having read more posts I see you may all be talking about actual year groups and not vertical tutor groups (pastoral). I have only experienced the pastoral group version.
As for the academic groups; what's wrong with the current setting system? If a student is deemed 'Gifted and Talented' any decent school should push them accordingly.
All sounds like a logistical nightmare and some 'desk-jocky-not been in a classroom for years', dream.
Complete nonsense. Why do people keep trying to re-invent the wheel???????????????

 

Taken on board. Thanks. nt

 

Gifted & Talented kids - abhored by teacher in my experience

loved by schools if able enough to be statemented as special needs due to the extra income for the school.

The child reaps no benefit. Only my experience with one of my RR's

 

I got moved up a year at school and took my GCSEs/A Levels a year early and went to uni early. I had no real problems with it, and met someone at uni who was in the same situation. I think that it can work, but to apply it widely could lead to problems. On average kids will do worse on exams if they take them early than if they took them at the right age. Thus exam results will start to decline. While this in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, as the pass/high grade rates seem to be climbing to a fairly ludicrous rate these days, a fall could nevertheless have undesirable effects. E.g. the relevant bodies may not want there to be a percieved 'failing' in education, and could alter curriculums/exams to boost the pass rates back up, which would elad to kids getting a worse education, and a general dumbing down.

As for the plus sides, I guess I gained a year of post school life, but the older I get the less it appears to be an advantage...