Schools failing to stretch the brightest pupils

This article featured in the Daily Telegraph on 3rd November 2012. The issues facing bright pupils are discussed  further at Parent Resources.

Many children are being left “bored and disaffected” after being set low-level tasks in core subjects, it was claimed.

Janey Walker of Warwick University, said large numbers of teachers found it difficult to “fulfil the needs” of the brightest young people.

She cited a lack of time, large class sizes and a shortage of resources in some schools.

Although many secondary schools have a good track-record with high-flying pupils, she warned that large numbers of children were still reluctant to display their true talents for fear of being labelled a “teachers’ pet”.

The comments were made just weeks after the head of Ofsted warned that schools in England would be marked down in official inspections this year for failing to show that the needs of the very brightest children were being met.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector, raised particular concerns over the “curse” of mixed-ability lessons.

According to figures, around one-in-five pupils who gain top scores in English and maths exams sat at the age of 11 currently fail to go on to gain A* or A grades in GCSEs at the end of secondary education.

Mrs Walker, former head of education at Channel 4, said standards were variable across the education sector,  “Even if a school recognises it has gifted students… it is often quite hard for a teacher to fulfil those needs,” she said. “They don’t necessarily have the time and resources to get additional materials for them.

“Teachers talk about there being a gap that they can’t always fill because they don’t have the time and they have so many other children in the classroom.”

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mrs Walker said: “There is a danger that if you are gifted, and you don’t have enough stimulating material available for you, then you can get bored and disaffected.

“There are a number students who say, ‘well I always finish the work that’s been set and then I’ve got 20 minutes with nothing to do’. So there is definitely an issue for these students who work too quickly.

“They aren’t being stretched; they are curious and they want to find other students who are particularly interested.”

It was claimed that many bright children were also being held back by peer pressure, with some members of the network complaining that it was “not cool to be clever”.

“Students say that it is difficult in some schools to put your head about the parapet about being gifted,” Mrs Walker said.

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