Why was I taken out of class in primary school with another child to do tests?
Posted by shes-thunderstorms@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 76 comments
So in primary school I remember at least one instance where myself and another child in my class were taken out by someone (not a teacher) and I believe we did maths and English tests but I’m really struggling to remember exactly what the were.
I do know is that we were both the ‘smartest’ in the class and quite gifted. The other child would have meltdowns and would rage sometimes in class, he was a lovely child and not misbehaved, but would struggle. Looking back I think he definitely had autism.
I was quite shy and quiet but always had friends. At the time, I remember making the connection between our apparent intelligence and thinking it was a way to nurture our learning by giving us extra work or something a bit more stimulating than the rest of the class.
As an adult I find that hard to believe as while we were quite ahead of our peers, we were definitely not child-prodigy level, just the usual bright kids.
Now I’m wondering if this was some kind of autism assessment?
My parents don’t remember.
This is going back at least 13 years - would my primary school possibly still have the files? Is this something that would’ve been passed onto my secondary school? I know it definitely happened once but it might’ve been twice, possibly three times.
NubianNarrator@reddit
I was also taken out of class with a handful of other children because we were"gifted".
anxioushorror365@reddit
i literally remember something like this happening to me but it would just be me and not another kid. i've seen people say things like safeguarding concerns about trauma and stuff but nothing happened to me. i don't remember the exact lessons, just that it would be maths. i mean i've always struggled with maths so maybe they thought i was a fucking idiot and dragged me out of class to sit in a cramped room and do like 30 minutes of maths lessons😭😭
OpenCantaloupe4790@reddit
I remember they reckoned a few of us could be put in for the higher SATS paper, year 6 usually did the level 3-5 paper but you could also be entered for the level 4-6 paper meaning you could get a level 6, zero advantage to us the pupils, just would look good for the school. And a group of us were taken out of class and did some practice questions, I guess to help them decide whether to do that.
Sometimes we were also taken out for random reading age tests but I guess everybody did those.
Timely_Resist_2744@reddit
I'm probably a few years older than you but I remember when I was taking my year 6 SATs the booklet was strictly for level 6 only. It's the reason my school refused to put people forward for it, as you would do all this extra work only to fail, and they felt it was cruel to put a child through that. I remember I had a friend in another school who took the tests the year after me and did the level 6 paper and got a level 5. She was really upset and felt like a failure, even though level 5 was above average (equivalent to exceeds expectations in the current SATs levels), whereas everyone who got level 5 in my class was thrilled (4 was seen as the mark children should be getting). It's probably why they changed it to a 4-6 paper, that they did instead of the 3-5 one, rather than an additional paper on top of the 3-5 one that you either passed or failed.
PlasticNo1274@reddit
I did my SATs in the mid 2010s and took extra papers to do Level 6, we had to do the normal 3-5 ones everyone took and then there was a 'level 6' group for maths and english who had to do extra exams for it! I didn't mind though because we got extra cookies and played games in between exams 😂
OpenCantaloupe4790@reddit
That sounds more familiar actually so maybe I’m wrong. I know there was some sort of jeopardy involved and that was why there was a decision as to who to enter. I didn’t get the 6 in either case and you’re right I did feel a bit like I’d failed, even though the SATS were meaningless anyway!
lilletia@reddit
It could also be that OP did the L3-5 paper with the rest of the class, then an extra L6 paper as the smartest too.
This is sometimes how schools delivered the SATs papers for the most able students
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
See I’m in Scotland but we did a test before secondary school in primary 7, I think to determine what sets we’d be in, but I remember that vividly and it was class-wide. This was different
flapsmagee@reddit
I was a primary teacher in Scotland 13 years ago. It wouldn't have been an autism assessment. You'll have done well on your 'setting' tests, or were expected to, so they gave you an extra to see how far ahead you could go.
I also remember that there were standard tests at P1/3or4/7 to see how the school was matching up to national standards, and pupils' rate of improvement over their school careers - it might have had something to do with that.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much! What would’ve been the outcome though? If we’d scored highly what would’ve happened? There’s no private schools within the council area - the only thing I could think of is possibly some sort of test for a scholarship if that’s the case? I’m not surprised my parents have forgotten as it’s so long ago but I have a feeling they might never have been informed
flapsmagee@reddit
Nothing would have happened. It would have been about statistics. The outcome would have been that your school scored well or not on improving the baseline.
You're viewing this all as a personal test (or assessment) - it wasn't - and this is why your parents weren't informed. It probably would have been just all about metrics.
If you're considering whether you have autism or not this is not something that says anything either way. It's just a normal school thing.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
ok thank you for explaining!!!
flapsmagee@reddit
You're welcome.
I now work in adult autism diagnosis support. If you're considering whether you have autism, and questioning who you 'are', and how you're navigating life, you should check out autismscotland.org
I wish you well, friend.
ColaPopz@reddit
The poster is suggesting that you were taken out to decide if you should be entered for the equivalent of the “higher tier” of the exams everyone did before secondary school - which yes determine which set you go into.
For what it’s worth I agree this is what it sounds like. The gifted kids in my class also had the same experience.
Tzunamitom@reddit
I think this is the answer. I took the higher SATS papers (at least for Maths and English IIRC) and was out on my own for a bunch of practice and later real tests. The other option could be 11 plus practice tests around the same age. The actual tests were verbal reasoning, but I seem to remember a range of prep or practice tests in the run up, so still a possibility.
Jenpot@reddit
This also happened to me in Scotland in the early 2000s. I have no idea what they were for. Definitely not an autism or neurodivergent test and again it was only me and one other person who also performed very well academically, in a shit school. Nothing seemed to ever come of it.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
Exactly the same as me!! But now as an adult I’m kinda suspicious because again we were not child geniuses loool, I dont think being slightly gifted/ ahead of peers would warrant extra classes, especially in a poor comprehensive, especially when it was maybe max three times and nothing came of it.
Jenpot@reddit
Do you think maybe they tested us, found us not quite as smart as they'd hoped, then put us back in?
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
that’s my other theory!
corysphotos19@reddit
I swear I’ve seen this posted before on here
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
maybe quite common
Fellowes321@reddit
Student teachers sometimes have a little project to do.
Wonderful-Medium7777@reddit
Possibly an IQ test, they were often done randomly.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
If so, I wonder why they would collect this data on just two students instead of the whole class - say the results are that we were slightly above our peers, i’m kinda like, so what? That’s always gonna happen in large classes so I’m very intrigued!
Wonderful-Medium7777@reddit
I do not fully have the answer, only that schools did this as early as the 70s, choosing 2-5 children from each class. I was told by a family head teacher that it was to “evaluate” IQ whereby adjustments were then made in classes. Whether it is done for the same purposes, I am unsure, but would probably ask if it were my child.
zephyrmox@reddit
Yeah almost certainly some sort of autism type assesment.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
Do you think it would be on file somewhere? I’m so curious because I think I’m definitely neurodivergent but it’s never been mentioned to me by any teacher
zephyrmox@reddit
Probably not after 13 years, to be honest. I doubt it would give you a great deal of worthwhile information even if it was.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
As nothing came of it I bet you’re right! I’d love to know if it was some kind of autism assessment though and if any of my behaviour other than intelligence was a factor in these tests
LizzyFCB@reddit
They definitely weren’t. Intellect doesn’t measure autism.
Any sort of investigation into possible needs or divergence would have to be done with your parent’s permission and would be done 1:1 and over several sessions with an educational psychologist. There would be have been IEPs and paperwork that your parents would have to sign and keep copies of. They would have carried on at secondary school.. so in a word, no.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
Thank you. We were never told they were intelligence tests, that’s just the correlation I made when I was doing them so it could be the case they were not. Although I imagine you’re entirely correct, it would be odd to assess two children at once and especially with no parental consent (which I think was the case). Just can’t imagine why they’d care enough, especially because we were not insanely gifted
No-Quit3994@reddit
Contact the school. I believe that they keep records for longer than 13 years.
When I had something I wanted to look into they stated 20 years.
zephyrmox@reddit
I would be surprised if there wasn't at least some other factor.
NipplesAndNeedlework@reddit
I work in autism assessment services - this is not how an autism ax would ever be done, although I totally understand why people would think it could be. In reality it was most likely to see about bumping people up to the next level for SAT exams or seeing if they would benefit from going up a year something.
Boring_Catlover@reddit
I don't think maths and English tests are part of the autism assessment.
Autism assessment would be playing with toys and puzzles and picture books while they ask questions. It also wouldn't be done with 2 children at the same time.
Joinourclub@reddit
I feel like you have asked this before OP. I am assuming that you think you may have undiagnosed autism? It’s never too late to seek a diagnosis. I know of various people who have been diagnosed in their 40s.
shes-thunderstorms@reddit (OP)
I haven’t asked this before but I am curious! I think I definitely have something but whenever I read symptoms of autism in adult women I only end up relating to a few, not enough to warrant a diagnosis. I just did the AQ-10 myself today and scored 4/10, the threshold is 6 or more, so I’m always on the verge but never relate to the majority of behaviours
PmMeLowCarbRecipes@reddit
Possibly part of the Gifted and Talented programme? We had this in my secondary school and a few of us would be taken out of classes to do riddles together, fuck knows what the point was.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Gifted_and_Talented_Programme
CommunicationEasy142@reddit
Could it have been for the 11+, to try and get into grammar school?
Over-Language2599@reddit
I took random kids out of class so the ones I really needed to help didn't feel singled out.
StevenXSG@reddit
That's what I would think. OP, they probably weren't doing the same test as you, but it looked it.
idontlikemondays321@reddit
Could be for various reasons. I was taken out similarly and it was because they thought I had hearing issues. Turns out I just don’t listen
beeurd@reddit
They thought I had hearing issues too as a kid, but decided I just wasn't listening. Turns out I actually have ADHD.
gameofgroans_@reddit
Yeah same I was always taken out to help with teachers errands - not like shopping etc but like helping with paperwork, remember once being taken out to file up those computer coupons.
Now I’m diagnosed as AuDHD I wonder if they knew I was struggling in big classes so took me out into smaller groups. But they didn’t care enough to ever flag I might have adhd or autism (as far as I’m aware) so maybe not haha
idontlikemondays321@reddit
I think they just regarded anyone like this as a daydreamer or shy, especially if you’re a girl
idontlikemondays321@reddit
That’s interesting as I strongly suspect that’s the case for me too
quenishi@reddit
I had my mum do a hearing test for similar reasons. Turns out if you say my name first I'll actually pay attention instead of just yapping in my general direction and hoping for the best.
Wormella@reddit
I had similar at a secondary school in Wales in the mid 90's - I remember missing drama and doing spelling in a different room. My spelling is terrible but I excelled at many other things.
I remember being told that I had a low grade memory.
Years later when I had my son and saw his struggles with spelling and writing did I realise I was dyslexic, but clearly didn't fit the narrow profile of the understanding of neurodivergence at the time.
My mother says she had no recollection of any of this.
sophie_shadow@reddit
I did this too and was ‘gifted’ and apparently in top 2% of the country for maths and English and got top marks in my SATs across the school. I did some ‘gifted and talented’ classes in year 7 in which nothing happened… then it was all just forgotten about!
Fun side note… was diagnosed AuDHD as an adult after a breakdown. This knowledge would have been more helpful than ‘well done you’re academically smart’. Yep, thanks, aware of that but it’s every other part of life I can’t cope with haha
frecklyginge@reddit
I had similar but we also did volunteering for Barnardo’s. Me and some other kids at primary school actually interviewed staff for a role at the charity. I think it was something called NAGTY
kackers643259@reddit
I had this a few times, i remember one instance was myself a couple other kids were taken to do the higher level maths tests while the rest of the class did the normal ones - i was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as a child so they might have also been part of observation for that, but I'm not sure
claireycontrary@reddit
I’m in Scotland. I got taken out of class in primary school to do this and also some logic-puzzle type questions. The woman who did the testing was an educational psychologist and she was assessing my IQ, and whether I not I have ADHD - which I do.
In my case, the trigger for this was that I was highly disruptive in class and the thinking was that I was not doing my work because I found the work either too difficult to comprehend or too easy to be interesting.
Right_Way_9035@reddit
It sounds like you may have had a WISC-V assessment, which involves reasoning tests to determine intelligence across different domains.
Right_Way_9035@reddit
Have a look at the tests involved in the WISC-V,.which is an intelligence test for kids. It involves testing verbal reasoning, etc so wondering if it was an intelligence test you had.
Remote_Development13@reddit
I wouldnt rush to assume autism assessment tbh. Similar happened regularly to me and a few other kids in primary school - it could just as likely have been your teachers practicing differentiation (i.e. planning teaching and testing to meet different learning needs within the class). Its just as likely that they thought youd be bored/unstimulated by the work the rest of the class were doing, or seeing if it might be worth putting you in for higher level SATs or supporting you with an 11+ exam
Im not saying it definitely wasnt to do with suspected autism, but as someone who works in education it wouldnt be my first assumption based on the information youve given here
mellonians@reddit
Don't discount that everyone had the same test you just didn't notice or dont remember the others being taken out.
Similar-Weather-8940@reddit
Worth asking any of your teachers from that school as it wasn’t too long ago and they’re likely still around.
PityPartySommelier@reddit
I'm not sure but I got dragged out of class a few times for tests but that was about 43 years ago so I'm not sure if testing for neurodivergence was even a thing back then.
I do remember one of the tests involved speed-reading a bunch of information then having to answer questions about it. That was too easy as my mum would frequently accuse me of lying about finishing books fast and would pick pages at random to quiz me sbout things.
The only book I failed my mums tests on (and received a beating for lying) was The Silmarillion. Too many names and I was in infants school ffs, it was a bit too much for me.
gameofgroans_@reddit
Hahaha I’m sorry but this has just reminded me that my mum used to do the same about accusing me of not finishing books cause I was so fast 😂
Responsible-Range-66@reddit
Similar age to you and was one of the bright ones and remember constantly being taken out for tests around the 11+ level. I know that there were IQ tests plus scholarships to local private schools.
PityPartySommelier@reddit
Ah, that would probably explain it.
You've unlocked a memory of being taken to the straw boater hats and blazer school and having to shake hands with the headmaster. Told my dad I didn't want to go there so I didn't.
There was no way my parents would have been able to afford sending me there, maybe I had been offered a place
hunsnet457@reddit
My school did this too, iirc there was some higher version of the end of school tests that they were vetting people for.
Apsalar28@reddit
I got taken out to redo some standard assessment thing with an external examiner as a quality check thing. This was in the 80's and they got the kids with the two highest scores and two lowest score to be reassessed to see if we got the same results without the normal teacher around.
cheesyla@reddit
I have the same memory! Must have been 6 or 7?
I do remember one of the questions though - they asked which of a set of shapes was symmetrical and I remember being annoyed that I'd never heard that word before and if they hadn't taught it why would I know it? Don't think I'm autistic but I was a bit of a little shit.
Seems like it would be an odd question for an autism assessment tbf
CrazyLadyBlues@reddit
I remember something similar in the 80s when I was at primary school. Me and a few of the other kids would be taken out of class to talk to this nice lady. No idea why. I don't even remember much about the sessions themselves. I don't think my parents were even informed, let alone were asked for permission. I'm assuming it might have been some sort of student research or something.
No_Blueberry_1350@reddit
If it helps, I did these tests right up to secondary school - I was born very premature (for 1980) and Liverpool University students were doing their PhD under the professor who saved my life. Basically they picked me and 2 other lads who were similar academic ability, height, weight etc. and ran us through English, maths and some cognitive tests - I guess they were testing mainly to see if I suffered any long-term developmental issues due to being born premature.
victoriaj@reddit
I don't know what tests you had - but I do want to say that they don't just test IQs because they suspect a child is a genius.
IQ tests were originally designed as a test for special education needs. America in particularly picked them up for mass testing and ranking (and racism, sexism, classism, control of immigration, control of disabled people etc etc etc). And then you get IQ scores as a measure of intelligence, and Mensa etc.
(It's really odd that Binet who originally invented them actually isn't a bad guy. His biggest problem seems to have been that he didn't speak English. He was French, if I'm remembering correctly, and didn't engage with any of the things that were later written in English that went on to make it into such a terrifying way of ranking people. I'm basing this on what I recall from a fascinating Stephen J Gould book called The Mismeasure of Man which I read many many years ago. Information may have changed. A lot of it is about "scientific" racism, sexism, etc. As someone with a huge level of discomfort around being a former gifted child I found it absolutely fascinating).
IQ tests are still used in the more old fashioned (and correct, and useful) way in the UK. Tests should be administered one on one by a specialist, and children should not be told scores (though parents would be). It would generally be alongside other assessments.
They may identify a need for extra help, or for a child needing to be challenged more. They can be used to identify some strengths and weaknesses. People can be great at some types of thinking and not at others.
I'm older than you so I don't know how relevant my specific experience is.
I was IQ tested at some point because they couldn't tell if I was ahead or behind. In my case there was an additional issue with my speech - I didn't know until I went to school that no one but my family could understand me (and I was sent to a speech therapist). But it's weirdly common to know children are not engaging with lessons without knowing if they can't follow them, or they're bored out of their mind. (I was incomprehensible, bored and weird).
At the same time I was observed by some kind of specialist, in class and playing during a break. My mother found the report n the observation (not the test results) a few years back and it was unsettling for me to see.
Did it involve jigsaws ? That's my main memory of the test though there were lots of parts to it.
(I was also once pulled out of class where they took the two highest achieving children and the two lowest achieving children and just let some trainee somethings observe us like we were fascinating insects. I don't think anyone asked my parents. They could have pulled you out of class for any ridiculousness).
I'm currently trying to get assessed for autism (I'm female so there are a whole lot of additional issues with girls being under diagnosed in the past). There can be a bit of a cross over with gifted children not because autism makes you gifted or vice versa (it can make you more focused on specific subjects or ways to deal with the world) but because the isolating effect of being a gifted child can overlap with the experiences of being an isolated autistic child.
(My mother is extremely resistant to the idea that I may be autistic, and liked to get into fights with psychologists, I do wonder if anyone tried to suggest it when I was tested as a child and got chased away by her. She is now too confused to be able to ask her, and would not have been honest anyway. So I will never know).
I hope you get your answers. It's so difficult trying to work out who you are and how you fit into the world. I'm finding it makes me very emotional about the past and the future. I've been struggling with it.
Good luck.
MovieMore4352@reddit
Better than when I was at school and taken out of lessons. Just because I was a twin.
There were identical twin boys in my class, identical twin girls in the class or so below and my twin sister and I. Dragged out of class and put on display as part of sex education classes for what felt like years.
Cheap-Rate-8996@reddit
This happened to me, too. Difference was they had me do it during break instead of being pulled out of a class. Come to think of it, that probably affected the outcome of the test because I was likely sulking a bit at missing a break time.
miklovesrum@reddit
I had this, and as an adult I've realised I'm autistic. They are probably related!
kipha01@reddit
I have epilepsy so was allowed extra time due to the medication I was on. But I believe it is common for certain allowances to be made for various reasons.
cherry-arse@reddit
One of us. One of us
(autism lmao)
NikkiJane72@reddit
I had that, but this is closer to 45 years ago. We didn't really know what autism and neurodivergence were then. I was just recognised as 'exceptionally bright'. I should have had extra lessons and gone to the local grammar school, but other things got in the way.
Final_Board9315@reddit
When I was teaching I’d sometimes have some kids taken out with a TA if I suspected copying/wanted to know if they could do something/see if they could cope at a higher level/missed a test when they were ill/needed extra help on a concept. Nowadays if it was autism assessment your parents would deffo be told, but back then I have no idea. I think data is kept for 10 years after leaving so I doubt school would know now
spynie55@reddit
I remember something like that, although it was just me that was pulled out of class.
What prompted me to comment though was, I'm now a parent and take a keen interest in every part of my children's development. I would bet my house that my parents had no idea about stuff like that. I don't even remember them asking me about what subjects I was choosing to study in later years!
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