ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the more general factors which can affect school performance, for example, extremes of intellectual capacity, language, home influence, type of school and teacher behaviour. School achievement is, fundamentally, a sign of adequate conceptual and, possibly, social development. It is often argued that conceptual development relies on perceptual development and therefore a person who has any perceptual inadequacies will show learning problems. The pupil's peer group can also have an important role since Grinder found that adolescents who are particularly interested in 'dating' and youth culture activities were likely to do less well in school. The teachers also found the gifted children well integrated in school and were more likely to describe them as 'extraverts'. If school organization can have an effect on attainment parents will naturally be concerned about the effects on their child of going to a non-selective or a less well thought of selective school.
