Parents may be surprised to discover the following facts about IQ and IQ testing.

1. IQ stands for Intelligence Quotient. But it is debatable whether IQ tests really measure intelligence (or whatever it is we mean by "intelligence" - psychologists have been divided for years).

IQ tests do not take into account aspects such as creativity, artistic or musical talent - a child can most certainly be "gifted" without having a high IQ.

Nor do IQ tests take into account qualities such as leadership which will have a huge impact on the child's life. They cannot be taken as any kind of indicator of success in future life.

It is dubious as to whether IQ scores have any real value of their own outside the educational system.

2. However unimportant IQ is in itself, your child