{"id":24243,"date":"2025-09-10T15:25:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.potentialplusuk.org\/?p=24243"},"modified":"2025-09-10T15:25:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:25:30","slug":"ask-away-how-to-effectively-advocate-speak-up-for-your-child-with-high-learning-potential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/potentialplusuk.org\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/ask-away-how-to-effectively-advocate-speak-up-for-your-child-with-high-learning-potential\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask Away: How To Effectively Advocate & Speak Up For Your Child with High Learning Potential"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

Advocating for your child with high learning potential can sometimes feel daunting, whether it\u2019s speaking up at school, navigating support, or making sure their needs are understood. This blog from our archive shares practical strategies to help you feel more confident and effective in those conversations.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like personalised guidance, our Consultancy Service<\/a> is open to all and offers a structured 45-minute session via Microsoft Teams with a qualified Specialist in Gifted Education and Care, designed to help you explore your child\u2019s needs and the best ways to advocate for them.<\/p>\n

(Links and information have been checked and updated in September 2025.)<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator css=””][vc_column_text]Supporting your child with high learning potential as they develop may require you asking for extra support. Many parents can find it difficult, uncomfortable or embarrassing to be the \u201cpushy parent\u201d; however, if your child is struggling through lack of challenge and learning appropriate to their needs, \u00a0it is essential that you advocate for them to receive the right level of learning experience.<\/p>\n

The minds of children with high learning potential are often bursting with curiosity and in constant need of new information and experiences. They are also in need of suitably difficult challenge to develop self-regulation skills, resilience, motivation and mindset and to avoid falling into the expectation that everything should be easy, including adult life. Your advocacy will help your child to grow. Dismiss any notions that asking for something different for your child is\u00a0 favouritism or elitism.<\/p>\n

Who to Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n

This can be a minefield. You\u2019ve identified that your child is struggling. Should you raise your concern with the class teacher, the head of subject, the G&T co-ordinator (if the school has one), the headteacher, the governors or the local authority? All of these have some stake in what occurs at school, and there may be others too. You may be drawn to the one with the most power to make changes, but going directly there carries the risk of offending those lower down the chain. It\u2019s generally a good idea to start with the class teacher. Only once that approach has been tried for a reasonable period of time should you progress to the next highest level. When you do so, summarise the request you made to the class teacher, acknowledge any progress that has been made, and state what still isn\u2019t working.<\/p>\n

How to Advocate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Be factual, respectful and fair<\/em>. \u201cJack was able to competently multiply fractions three years ago, so he finds it frustrating to repeat this work this year\u201d is far better than \u201cJack hates your class\u201d or even worse, directly questioning their competence. Most teachers want to inspire all their students and help them to progress well; however, this is tricky with a room full of a wide range of abilities. Don\u2019t be confrontational, ask your class teacher for their ideas of how to solve the problem of your child\u2019s particular needs in partnership with<\/em> you.<\/p>\n

Has Your Child Just Recently Been Identified as Having High Learning Potential?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider what you should be asking for. Emotional and social needs may sometimes require the highest priority if your child doesn\u2019t feel happy in their class. If your child is the only one with an IQ in the top centile, they may feel some unease or overconfidence in their abilities or be isolated due to perceived differences from their peers. Is there a child with whom they share a similar interest in e.g. art, computer games or particular toys? Could you encourage a friendship at home through playdates while school simultaneously offers friendship circles, a buddy system etc. to help them develop their social skills?<\/p>\n

If your child has been identified as having dual or multiple exceptionality (DME) i.e. a disability like ASD, dyspraxia, or a sensory processing disorder combined with high learning potential, then it\u2019s highly important that they be considered by their school for support for both their special education needs (SEN) and their abilities. Children, with or without a formal diagnosis of special need, may require an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Challenge Plan, which outlines clear targets and provision.<\/p>\n

An Assessment Report Has Confirmed High Ability in Your Child But You\u2019re Anticipating an Unwelcome Response from the School<\/strong><\/p>\n

If speaking to staff fills you with dread, find practical ways to prepare which will back up your statements. Take in evidence of extra study or projects done at home and make sure that you\u2019ve read the relevant school policies about learning. These often provide statements that you can use, such as \u201censure all students are appropriately challenged\u201d.<\/p>\n

Your Child Has High Learning Potential But You Wonder How School Will Support Their Emotions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider the starter question: \u201cWhat is school currently doing to provide support for children in low ability groups?\u201d This will help you work out if the school is aware of the need to nurture children emotionally as well as in their learning.<\/p>\n

Sometimes children can be reluctant to share their emotional experiences each day, preferring to talk about how they achieved high marks or had another type of learning success. This may make it harder for you to advocate for wellbeing. Don\u2019t give up – a sense of belonging and a friendly teacher can matter more than gaining 100 per cent in a test. Good teachers will recognise that high marks don\u2019t necessarily mean that a pupil is enjoying school.<\/p>\n

The Teacher Hasn\u2019t Replied to My Email Yet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nowadays, social media has created an expectation of instantaneous communication. \u00a0However, teachers have an immense workload \u2013 and may have more than one role – so try to let go of your initial reaction of indignation when you don\u2019t get an immediate response. If you haven\u2019t received a response after five to ten days, chase it up politely. If there still isn\u2019t a response, you could simply be a victim of a spam filter. Try an alternative method of communication.<\/p>\n

Secondary School Doesn\u2019t Believe That Your Child Is Unusual<\/strong><\/p>\n

When a child moves from primary to secondary school, the increase in school size may also mean that there are other children with higher ability scores. In some cases,\u00a0 your child could fall below the school\u2019s top ability threshold. If this results in demotivation because your child isn\u2019t getting tailored work to their ability, enquire what school could do to recognise your child\u2019s efforts, to help them regain their motivational spark. Be prepared to prove how your child is achieving in personal projects outside of school.<\/p>\n

Schoolwork is Simple<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your child finds a certain topic boring because they already know it.\u00a0 It\u2019s reasonable for some repetition to be done occasionally but if there is refusal to complete easy work or it\u2019s rushed and contains errors, they may not be seen as having high learning potential.<\/p>\n

Ask their teacher whether they can move onto extension work without having to answer so many core questions or what kind of learning incentive the teacher may be able to offer. This could be promising and fulfilling extension work, a special project for them to research by themselves or the chance to study with another class\/club for a lesson.<\/p>\n

The School Can Only Offer Mastery and Won\u2019t Go Beyond the Curriculum <\/strong><\/p>\n

Mastery is the concept of moving onto the next level when the current level is completely understood by the pupil, not just when the calendar says it\u2019s time to do so. However, if it is implemented in a way that means that the whole class advance at the same time, what is a child with high learning potential to do while waiting for their peers?<\/p>\n

If your child cannot be offered some form of acceleration, what about differentiation? While peers write the story of the Battle of Hastings, your child could be asked to analyse the background to it or the motivations and interest of the participants. Same topic, very different levels.\u00a0 For help in identifying ways to include different levels of challenge into your child’s work, see our advice sheets Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy<\/a>\u00a0 S320 SOLO Taxonomy<\/a>\u00a0 (Free to members when they login, or available for paid download to non-members)<\/p>\n

To find out more about advocating for your child and resources that will help you, visit Potential Plus UK’s Gifted Advocacy Page<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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