Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Downside to cluster

Exactly. Students may benefit if schools provide instruction/challenge at various levels to support/develop individual student strengths.

It sounds as though he may be learning to "tread water" and underachieve.

Are there other students in a similar situation as yours? Might his growth be better facilitated by the school setting aside chronological age and cluster grouping by readiness and ability in each subject (considering math as a separate skill or strength area than ELA/writing)?

Probably but they have just dropped streaming for year 3/4 maths and replaced it with this model on the grounds that it is more beneficial for students not to be ability grouped. They will not change until next time there is a change in educational practice (maybe in 10 years) and even the teachers who disagree will toe the line until then. I could change schools but there is not likely to be much difference and if there is it will be shortlived because the schools all work off the same ministry/ero advice although some change sooner.

I will just have to come up with a new plan. And yes he is starting to develop worrying perfectionist/avoidance techniques. He did when he was four too so I sent him to ballet which helped until he was 6. Now I send him to a one day a week extesnsion class. Unfortunately the schools don't fund this and the cost is causing problems.

The motto of mainstream education these days ( with a few exceptions, of course ) seems to be :-

Cluster is only half a word