ABSTRACT

In this chapter I examine the practical value of the English definition of giftedness, and propose an alternative developmental conception that I argue is more suitable for future practice. The chapter is illustrated with quotes from some of the 800 primary and secondary school Gifted and Talented education (G&T) coordinators responsible for about 400,000 of the nation’s students between the ages of four and 18, who responded to an enquiry sent to 23,000 schools around England in November 2005 concerning the problems they face on a daily basis (Balchin 2007a). The sample represents about 12.5 per cent of English schools that had produced a G&T register in 2005.