"Is it wise for very talented children to be able to study well-ahead with much older students..?

Of course, what is not wise is to hold them back to the level of those less talented.

And why is it that is some subjects, sports for example, it is OK to push them to do their best but in most other subjects it seems to be accepted to discourage them and bore them to tears."

It's an interesting one, this. There aren't any easy solutions to the dilemma of what to do with gifted and talented kids, who are not really being done a particular service in the current secondary school system (primary was great, by the way). They get put on a Gifted and Talented list, and...yes, well, that's about it.

My daughter spent her first year at secondary school at a comp where she was bringing home less challenging homework than she'd had in year 6 of primary school. This despite the fact that she'd tested within the top 2% of the national average in English. But there was no streaming in English until GCSE level. It was very frustrating.

Where I live now, there is the old-fashioned grammar system, and while the system as a whole may be imperfect, I have to say my daughter is doing really well. She's in her first year of GCSEs at a single-sex grammar, and is doing 13 of them in total. I have to say, despite the school being very academically ambitious, she doesn't feel particularly pressured and enjoys a very healthy social life both in school and out. She has a really nice group of friends and all are happy, well-adjusted girls who are getting great results, but also go to gigs, shopping on a Saturday, have sleepovers at each others' houses, etc; so I'm afraid I don't ascribe to the notion that exams and an academically rigourous environment are damaging to children. In fact, one good thing about the grammar is that being a "swot" isn't something to be ashamed of - they are all clever girls, but are encouraged to achieve well and take pride in their achievements.

Exams may have an adverse affect on some kids, but not all. In fact, it seems to me that the majority of kids are perfectly fine in the schools environment as it stands, and while there is a minority for whom school is a place of anxiety and undue stress, changes ought to be made for those particular kids, but not to the system as a whole.


I'd also like to voice my support for teachers. They are heroes.