Teacher Training Days - and 13 weeks holiday

[Berties]

It's not just schools that are affected by this. Public libraries have undergone this the last 5 years. Libraries now regularly have a few days a year where they will shut up shop for training on computers.

A maths and computing specialising school, an interesting concept, tell me more about how well you think this works?

my eldest was on the gifted and talented list for maths,we fell into the catchment for the 11+ for which he never took any interest in so the school we send him to is in the next county,they specialise in computing/IT and maths,he is in a elite break away group for maths ,so this is a ideal school for him,the computing /IT department are spot on,plenty of interesting uses and applications for IT,
(saying it is swatty in some ways they still have a small area for gardening a goat and chickens)
another school in the area specialises,in languages,its great for kids that excel in certain areas and suits my lads

 

[marinyork]

my eldest was on the gifted and talented list for maths,we fell into the catchment for the 11+ for which he never took any interest in so the school we send him to is in the next county,they specialise in computing/IT and maths,he is in a elite break away group for maths ,so this is a ideal school for him,the computing /IT department are spot on,plenty of interesting uses and applications for IT,
(saying it is swatty in some ways they still have a small area for gardening a goat and chickens)
another school in the area specialises,in languages,its great for kids that excel in certain areas and suits my lads

I just wondered what they taught them (in Maths). I wondered how it worked out in reality. Whether they were teaching an 'elite breakaway' group pre-calculus topics at 11, 12 and 13, calculus by 14, introducing them to abstract algebra, linear algebra and some more advanced statistics courses with a huge breadth and depth. Or whether by specialising in Maths it was getting a couple of years ahead and doing GCSE Maths early, teaching them AS level topics a year or two early and offering further maths etc (which is relatively rarer than people think in the state comprehensive sector). i.e. like in private schools. Or whether specialise was just a label and that it didn't make that much difference (but more people interested in that attracted to the school). Genuine question.

 

[Berties]

it is a comprehensive school,he is 13, and three quarters the way through the gcse syllabus and would pass with flying colours at present,as I have never had to help him with his work,am not aware of what he is doing at present on his syllabus,there are a few others that excel round him that go to a chinese Saturday school,which again push maths,as for what next year brings with exams the school will advise us in October,choosing schools that meet the needs of kids is hard,but i feel he is well suited to his abilities

 

[marinyork]

it is a comprehensive school,he is 13, and three quarters the way through the gcse syllabus and would pass with flying colours at present,as I have never had to help him with his work,am not aware of what he is doing at present on his syllabus,there are a few others that excel round him that go to a chinese Saturday school,which again push maths,as for what next year brings with exams the school will advise us in October,choosing schools that meet the needs of kids is hard,but i feel he is well suited to his abilities

Ah, sounds like option 2 then. Fair enough. That's still vastly better than most people will get. Although there is a trend to enter people for GCSEs 1-2 years early even for more average ability kids is starting to become a lot more common in many schools.That's good for your son (well in a narrower sense). A large minority of students could probably enter GCSE Maths a couple of years early if we lived in a perfect universe though - so I'd keep your sights much higher than this. The world is a much more open place now if you want to teach yourselves maths. Endless possibilities. Very many more than schools think.

Not getting at you. I went to a comp and was on the gifted and talented list for physics for a time later on. It made no difference whatsoever to my education. Similarly a lot of specialist schools are more literally just that, they have a slight preference for a particular subject, it doesn't necessarily confer excellence. It usually means a bias and acceleration of education - which is a good thing.

My neighbour's child is also in a similar situation and once asked me my opinion (and didn't like the answer).