The NAGC is a membership organisation, comprising parents, teachers and other interested adults. We believe that gifted children have special needs which often become apparent at a very early age. What is more, we are the ONLY charity which assists and supports high ability children throughout their formative years.

Exceptionally able or talented children have particular needs. If these needs are not met, they may become frustrated and dissatisfied, but with understanding and the right sort of help they may grow up capable of making a positive contribution to society. You can learn much more about our approaches to Talented, Able and Gifted children by visiting the Is a child Gifted? area.

Key Areas
Individual and Establishment Membership
What members receive,
Joining NAGC,
Information and Access to Professional Advice
Local Brances
Explorers Clubs
Access to Counselling and Special Advice
Assessment and Advisory Service

Individual and Establishment Membership
Individual membership is for anyone who is interested in supporting our work. Establishment membership is for schools, colleges, educational psychologists and other professional bodies, and entitles any member of that establishment to seek the advice of our officers.
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Member's mailings and entitlements.

Members receive all copies of journals published - usually two issues of the informal newsletter and two issues of the more serious journal 'Looking To Their Future'. Articles and letters are also welcomed from members and will be considered for inclusion in the appropriate publication.

Members also receive during each membership year a copy of the Annual Report and an invitation to the Annual General Meeting. Establishment members are entitled in addition to free consultations by phone or letter with members of the Educational Consultancy Team concerning any individual child or student. Help is also offered with studies or research and with curriculum development. Prepared sheets relating to identification and strategies for provision are available. INSET courses can also be arranged for educational establishments, for which economic fees and expenses are charged. A considerable reduction is offered to Establishment Members. The use of the counselling service is available to all members of NAGC.
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Joining NAGC
You may wish to join NAGC either as an individual or as an establishment member.

By joining the Association, you will not only receive the support described above but will also be helping the wider work of NAGC of providing information and advice to the general public, raising awareness through the media and communicating with the government departments concerned with children's rights and children's education.

Application forms are can be obtained by e-mailing Head office. Please return your completed form and subscription to Head Office at Milton Keynes.

NAGC, like many other children's charities, depends on the generosity of companies, charitable trusts and individuals for over 50% of our annual income. Any donation you feel able to make to support our work will be put to good use.
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Information and Access to Professional Advice
Members can contact NAGC staff by phone, letter or e-mail to make general enquiries or to ask for advice regarding particular children. Practical advice, information and suggestions for further reading on raising and educating a gifted child are contained in our publication "Help with Bright Children, which is available to members for £3 (£5 to nonmembers).

The NAGC can also provide members with the names of professional contacts, including advisory teachers, in many Local Education Authorities.
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NAGC Local Branches
On joining NAGC, members and their families are encouraged to attend any of the Saturday Clubs within travelling distance of their home. These Explorers' Clubs provide stimulating and enriching activities in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. With the help of expert and enthusiastic adults, children pursue subjects which interest them and, at the same time, they are free to interact with other children of similar abilities and outlook. These and other meetings provide parents with a mutual support group where they can discuss their problems with others who are, or have been, in a similar situation. The majority of these activities and meetings are organised on a self-help basis and all members are encouraged to contribute in a practical way.

Members in an area without a local branch are given help and support by NAGC staff or Regional Representatives and Area Contacts who are members working on a spare time voluntary basis.

Members wishing to start their own local groups are given practical advice on how to do so.

Members and their families can also attend any national or regional meetings and activities.
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Access to Counselling and Special Advice
Confidential support is available from trained Counsellors. Counsellors work on an individual basis with people and families experiencing a problem that seems to be too great to cope with alone, and help them to see their problem more clearly and to cope with it more effectively.

A Music Counsellor is available to help children with a talent for music and an Art Consultant to guide those who show signs of particular artistic ability.

In addition, most branches produce their own termly newsletters giving information on Explorers' Club activities and other local events.
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Assessment and Advisory Service
There is no requirement for the children of NAGC members to be assessed in order to take part in activities. Occasionally it is advantageous to both parents and their child to seek detailed information concerning their child's strengths and weaknesses from an independent professional source.

NAGC staff and counsellors are always willing to give members information and advice about child assessments, and are able to provide the names of chartered educational psychologists nearby.
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Further advice
Members will receive on joining further advice on the parenting of a gifted child together with suggestions for further reading.

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Email: nagc@rmplc.co.uk