ABSTRACT
In 1985, when the first edition of this book was published, provision for able pupils in UK schools was patchy, to say the least. Despite many individual examples of good practice and some interesting initiatives in a number of Local Authorities, there was no national drive to help schools extend the curriculum. The education of able pupils was not a major priority for most schools. Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) reported on several occasions that many able pupils were not receiving the attention they deserved and were not achieving as well as they might (HMI 1979, 1985, 1992). The challenges that can face very able children were not fully appreciated. The emphasis of the first edition was therefore to identify the issues and to press the case for better understanding and provision.
