Gifted but Misunderstood? An Interpretive Systematic Review of Gifted Education Policy, Practice, and Socio-Emotional Experience in England

This systematic review analyses the evolution of gifted education in England between 2010 and 2025. The year 2010 serves as a critical turning point, characterized by the withdrawal of the national Gifted and Talented (G&T) policy and the subsequent delegation of identification and provision responsibilities to schools. This change created a gap in the literature due to a lack of focused research examining the challenges and deficiencies that emerged following this policy shift. This study is original in that it is the first to bridge existing implementation gaps and provide a robust evidence base for future educational policies. The review focuses on policy frameworks, identification models, and socio-emotional outcomes. Following the PRISMA guidelines, fifteen peer-reviewed studies retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were examined through thematic synthesis. Findings indicate a persistent gap between policy rhetoric and classroom practice. Identification processes remain heavily reliant on standardized testing and teacher judgment, often neglecting creativity, diversity, and contextual factors. Fragmented teacher training limits the ability to effectively support gifted learners, particularly those from disadvantaged or twice exceptional (2e) backgrounds. Socio-emotional outcomes reveal that academic success does not guarantee emotional well-being, highlighting the prevalence of perfectionism and stigmatization. These findings underscore the need for teachers and teacher educators to strengthen pre- and in-service training, so they can better recognize diverse forms of giftedness and support students' socio-emotional needs through more equitable and research-informed practices.