Case Study

Benny is 4 years of age and has been very excited about going to school. He is a very able child and has been assessed by an educational psychologist as falling into the Gifted and Talented range following a private referral made by his mother who works in an early years setting. When Benny attends school he presents as being very quick at picking up ideas and is already reading to quite a high standard. He finds most things very easy and finishes well before his peers. He is observed by his mother as becoming very bored with school and towards the end of his first year his teacher is increasingly complaining about Benny’s poor behaviour suggesting that, ‘he can be very disruptive at times’ and ‘distracts the other children on a regular basis’. Benny is increasingly complaining that he finds school ‘not very nice’ and on some mornings he doesn’t want to go to school. His mother and father have requested that he is formerly assessed by an educational psychologist but the head teacher has stressed that it will not be possible as the school already has a list of children waiting to see the educational psychologist. Benny’s parents are unsure what to do and even considered removing Benny from school.    

Activity

Consider what options Benny’s parents have open to them. Should they take Benny out of the school? What course of action could the school take to alleviate the parents’ anxieties?

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