No, it's not a case of that at all
In brief, he is three years old and at nursery. He is well ahead of the activities done there, and consequently gets bored and doesn't play an active role in them. For example, they play games counting to five. He knows and understands numbers into the thousands. Similarly, they play games to identify squares and other basic shapes. He is way ahead of this.

Last May his head of nursery said they felt he wasn't being challenged and could well be classified as being gifted, and asked if we would allow them to observe him for a week with a view to accelerating his learning. We agreed to this, but what ha actually happened is that on the basis of two 90 minute observations, the local SENCO (not fully qualified to degree level as is now required) suggested he had special needs.

There's a whole load going on around this as a result, but he clearly has no special needs at all. The termly reports back us, the nursery back this, but it seems that as they're independent and were struggling, they're trying to meet various minority criteria for funding etc.

My Mum is a fully qualified regional SENCO, and they've breached a huge number of regulations. They have suggested that we're negligent parents (were there the slightest chance he had a problem, we would be first to get it checked and remedied) and have broken further regulations since. They've even refused to discuss our concerns with us in person. Also, my wife is trying to volunteer as a TA to support her post-grad teaching application. The school has an overlap and since our complaint her records and application, and CRB have been "lost"

Basically, through a lack of competence, and through an inability to communicate, and through breaking regulations there is a possibility that my son will be unfairly and inaccurately stigmatised before he's at school.

There have also been other issues where he's gone to the toilet to get changed after playing in the mud, and while he has no trousers or pants on, the woman helping him has wandered off leaving him naked from the waist down, in front of all the parents then picking up their children.

There are further issues since our complaint where the nursery haven't put his waterproofs on him when they go out to play and the ground is wet, and then leave him in his wet stuff. Same with not putting his wellies on instead of his shoes (we send a change of clothes, and waterproofs every day).

So, no, nothing to do with Tommy, just the idiots responsible for him at school. We're pulling him out and sending him to a different school as a result, but I want this dealt with so it doesn't happen to other parents. We're fortunate as we know the system, and we have an experienced head and SENCO in the family.
( disasterprone "Pyjamas caused the Holocaust", Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:00, 5 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

Bugger
On the upside, I know what to bring up in order to break any uncomfortable silences next Monday
(Darth Foxtrot A one-man army dedicated to making fetch happen, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:08, Reply)

They sound incompetent.
If your kid's contemporaries are still identifying shapes and counting to five at three, the whole lot of them are fucking 'special needs'. My daughter's two and is way beyond that shit already, for Christ's sake.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:11, Reply)

different kids learn at different speeds
my little sister is six and not great with her taking away. Yet she is pretty much one of the cleverest children I've met
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:14, Reply)

Different kids do indeed learn at different speeds
but some are also THICK (not your sister, obv.). This is practically heretical to say in this day and age but fuck it: some people are just fucking dim. Not everyone has ADHD, dyslexia, fucking HSBC or whatever.

Little bastards.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:20, Reply)

Now that is true
and it's not just a case about me being partial- one of my sisters is very nonacademic and the family realise that and let her do her own thing.

The ADHD thing pisses me off. If your child has a genuine problem then mainstream education isn't going to help them. If they don't, then stop shovelling coke and sweets down their neck, set some rules and stop letting them make teachers lives a misery
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:22, Reply)

Quite right
a lot of these syndromes are made up crap to excuse a poor home upbringing and justify naughtiness.

People don't want to take responsibility for their kids' actions.
( disasterprone "Pyjamas caused the Holocaust", Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:26, Reply)

I have HSBC
how dare you be so insensitive
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:38, Reply)

This^
My daughter can write her name and she is 3 and called Elizabeth. I can remember being able to read, write and count long before starting school.

Thicket kids these days, eh?
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:15, Reply)

that's my sister's name and she can't spell it

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:43, Reply)

Jebus, that is terrible!
Sue the fuckers
( sporters I’m sincerely gratitude to you, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:12, Reply)

So basicly, your son is eaither very very clever, or is completely and utterly retarded.
Yeh', sounds like me in a lot of respects.

Except, you know, he's 3, and you're trying to label him for life.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:12, Reply)

I got up to the retard vs clever point and couldn't be arsed with the rest, to tell you the truth

( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:13, Reply)

I make no claims that he's some sort of genius, and that really isn't the issue
My issue is simply with their trying to label him as something that's inappropriate, in the face of conflicting evidence and then breaching a lot of procedures. Also refusing to discuss things face to face like adults. I'm not willing to have him given an inaccurate label at the age of 3 that'll follow him throughout his school life.

Clearly I'm all for trying to push him, and keep his interest.
( disasterprone "Pyjamas caused the Holocaust", Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:25, Reply)

Kids start school at such different levels, that's why initially they are subjected to base line tests
so you can track added value throughout the year. The problem is if your sprog is advanced beyond the majority of the class the teacher may not be good enough to cater to his needs and be holding him back. eg - not giving him appropriate books or words. The new foundation system should address this issue.
( SteveFrench Cardio is for homo's. do you even lift bro?, Tue 19 Oct 2010, 15:23, Reply)