After 4 years we are finally seeing an EP to have the little'un assessed as gifted. The headteacher asked us over summer to compile a dossier of our reasons why we thought Cian was gifted. that was easy - we took a Gifted checklist and highlighted all the relevant teacher comments showing how different (we say special ) he was. What could the school say when we presented them with the evidence'in their own words'.
We await to see what the local authority can do. In the meantime we took him to an open day at a locacl public school (private - we are in the UK). The teachers who spoke to him were amazed at his knowledge about Tudor and Greek history - abnd he is not the least precocious honest.
One problem his latest teacher has again pointed out is his lack of motivation to get on with a task. Now one of the class teahers we saw at the public school commented that after 4 years of not being 'stretched' he had become lazy and unmotivated. We also mentioned that he doesn't sleep - and she said this was symptomatic of the same thing, and insisted that we have to address this NOW!
We recently read a book calld 'Dumbing Us Down' which has had quite an effect on us, since the public school would entail more schooling, and the book has very pertinent and persuasive arguments as to why schooling isn't the answer. So, despite the progress we are still in a bind. That and the fact that a public school will cost �6000+ per year, which is going to be nigh impossible to find,
Any thoughts anyone.
