A Policy
for Gifted, Talented and Able Pupils
This is an
example policy put together by our group of schools.
Vision
We recognise
the need to provide equality of opportunity for pupils of all abilities in
order to maximise their potential. We are committed to helping all our
pupils to develop their personalities, skills and abilities, both
intellectually and socially and to providing teaching which makes learning
challenging and enjoyable.
We feel it
necessary to formulate an explicit policy for more able and gifted and
talented pupils that encourages the identification of the variety of
specific needs of this diverse group and attempts to make greater
provision for these needs.
We
acknowledge HMI research that indicates that where successful provision is
made for gifted and talented pupils, there is an increase in the standard
of work and level of achievement of all pupils. We also acknowledge NFER
research (Dec 2003) that concludes that most (and perhaps all) of the
strategies of curriculum management suggested for use with able children
may work effectively for all pupils.
Aims
-
To ensure
that more able pupils are provided with an appropriate, challenging,
stimulating and enjoyable education, based upon high teacher
expectations (see Teaching + Learning Policy)
-
To offer
children opportunities to develop their specific skills and talents
through provision of opportunities and guidance that is sensitive to
their ways of learning and allows potential to be turned into
performance
-
To
provide equality of opportunity for children, enabling them to reach
their intellectual, personal, social, creative, physical and emotional
potential (See Equal Opportunities Policy)
Definition
We
acknowledge that there is no fixed nationally or internationally accepted
definition of ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ and ‘more able’ children. Part of
the difficulty with creating a definition is that able pupils…
‘…are a diverse and disparate
group’
- Research Centre for Able
Pupils, Oxford Brookes University 2002
We have
agreed a definition of gifted and talented pupils in line with DfES EiC
guidance that incorporates the following…
-
‘Gifted’
pupils are defined as those who exhibit superior academic performance in
one or more curriculum subjects
-
‘Talented’ pupils are defined as those who exhibit enhanced creative
talents in sport or through musical or artistic abilities
We are also
agreed that there are gifted and talented pupils who have the potential to
achieve – yet, for whatever reason, are currently underachieving.
We will
utilise this definition in identifying a cohort of the 10% of the most
able pupils in our school (see EiC guidance).
We have
agreed to define the ‘more able’ child as the child who works in the top
third of each class; this will enable us to target both classroom and
extracurricular subject specific provision most effectively.
High ability
has often been categorised in six areas:
·
Physical talent
(sport)
·
High intellectual
ability
·
Mechanical
ingenuity
·
Acquisition and
command of language
·
Outstanding
leadership and social awareness
·
Creativity
·
Visual and
performing abilities
·
Vocational ability
(KS4)
What does
‘very able’ mean? (the DfES uses the term ‘gifted & talented’). There is
no nationally agreed definition, these are a few of the many definitions
used:
-
The top
10% of the ability range (DfES)
-
Illuminates your life but ruins your lesson? (NACE)
-
40% of
your pupils may have “marked aptitudes” (Denton & Postlethwaite)
-
Pupils
with a range of gifts & talents or the top 5-10% of all rounders (EiC)
Able
children often display some of the following characteristics:
-
Often
learns new ideas and concepts quickly, or may already know most of what
they are being asked to learn
-
May show
a dislike of repetition of concepts and of closed tasks
-
Inclined
to choose unusual methods of working
-
Often
reluctant to record things if they see no purpose in doing so
-
May be
creative on offering ideas and solving problems
-
Often
shows an unusual and well developed sense of humour
-
May
resent the imposed restrictions of the timetable if interested in a task
-
Displays
curiosity and asks more questions
-
May tend
to perfectionism
-
Often
capable of higher levels of thinking
-
Shows
more analytical thinking and reasoning
-
May have
particularly wide vocabulary and be verbally fluent
-
May show
an interest in ideas and concepts which are expected from an older group
of pupils
-
May show
high levels of sensitivity and empathy
-
May show
unusually extroverted or introverted behaviour
-
Persistant, resourceful and highly motivated
-
Highly
artistic or musical
-
Original,
imaginative, creative
Some of
these characteristics and behaviours enable children to fit in well with
standard classroom methods of delivering the curriculum and some may often
be at odds with it. When identifying able children, we need to consider
whether the measured performance through standard tests and assessments of
a child may have failed to reflect their true potential due to their
difficulties fitting into the classroom situation.
Some of the
characteristics of possible under-achievers are:
-
Anti-school, apparently bored, restless and inattentive
-
Absorbed
in private world
-
Outwardly
self sufficient
-
Poor
social relations with peers and teachers, emotionally unstable
-
Tactless
and impatient with slower minds
-
Friendly
with older pupils
-
Self
critical
-
Orally
good though written work is poor
Identification
In accordance with DfES EiC
guidance, we will identify a gifted and talented pupil cohort comprising
5-10% of pupils in each relevant year group. We intend that our G+T
populations will be broadly representative of the school’s population in
terms of gender, ethnicity, disability and social circumstance.
Identification will take into particular account such factors as
motivation, personality and home background when identifying potential
underachievers (see Equal Opportunities policy).
We
will utilise a range of identification tools and will use both
quantitative hard data evidence and a wide range of qualitative
information;
-
quantitative data including the results of national curriculum
assessments (tests and teacher assessments), public examinations and
other available test data, such as standardised ability tests; and
music, art and sporting assessments;
-
qualitative information including teacher assessment and nomination,
pupil observation and the examination of pupils work, subject specific
checklists and referral from those closely involved with the child.
Our
identification processes will be reviewed regularly and pupil performance
will be monitored appropriately (see Assessment Policy).
We will need
to consider carefully what weighting to give to the different elements
involved in identifying able children. The Excellence in Cities guidelines
suggest:
…in general,
children who score highly across a range of data and information will be
strong candidates for inclusion in the cohort. However, other children
with different profiles should also be considered including:
-
Pupils
who achieve highly on tests of potential, but are failing to achieve in
school-based assessments. These are classic underachievers. They may be
affected by any combination of peer pressure, dislike of writing, lack
of interest in curriculum, opportunities at home, parental
encouragement, immaturity and/or a summer birth-date.
-
Pupils
who obtain high scores on non-verbal tests. These pupils frequently have
only average linguistic ability but high non-verbal ability. Since the
school curriculum favours linguistic ability, these pupils will need
particular care if they are to maximise their potential.
-
Very
creative pupils whose creativity is apparent to all but is not measured
in the range of assessments used.
-
The
outstanding individual who refuses to perform to order, or is too young
for a useful formal range of assessments.
-
Pupils
who perform well, but only outside the school environment (e.g. some
children may have musical talent the school does not know about, or work
successfully on self initiated projects at home)
-
Pupils
with very poor or underdeveloped presentation and recording skills.
In
determining a cohort of 5-10% decisions will also need to be made on
-
The mix
of those with proven achievement and those with potential
-
The mix
of those with all round ability and those with strengths in one or two
areas
-
The mix
of those with academic ability and “all rounders” (two thirds minimum)
and those with talents
-
The mix
of qualitative and quantitative information to be used
Provision
In school
In accordance with Excellence in
Cities guidance, we are committed to creating, implementing and monitoring
a distinct teaching and learning programme for our gifted and talented and
more able pupils. This programme is specifically designed to cater for the
identified, specific individual learning needs of our cohort of children.
The programme will be distinct and discernibly different from that
followed by pupils who are not part of the cohort, recognising that
distinctiveness and difference can be achieved through effective use of
differentiation in all settings and exploiting opportunities for
curricular flexibility.
We are ready to adopt a range of
organisational approaches in response to the pupils’ needs and aspirations
in order to provide the optimum teaching and learning conditions for our
G+T pupils.
We intend to offer our G+T
children appropriate support, challenge and equality of opportunity in all
aspects of their school life. Opportunities for curriculum enrichment
(breadth) and extension (depth) are written into schemes of work and
specific provision is made explicit in differentiated curriculum planning.
In creating
a more challenging classroom environment, possible strategies include:-
-
High
expectations of possible achievement
-
Organisation – grouping, setting, support staff, use of ICT, etc, to
enable working with pupils of like abilities
-
Differentiation – to ensure that tasks for able pupils are sufficiently
demanding and access work at an appropriate starting point
-
Enrichment – building enrichment and extension activities into existing
lessons and, possibly, in different or additional lessons
-
Acceleration or fast-tracking to enable pupils to make much more rapid
progress than their peers
-
Open-ended questioning and activities
-
Developing higher-order thinking and learning skills
-
Self
evaluation, reflection and target-setting
-
Individual work or withdrawal, if appropriate
-
Providing
pastoral support, including strategies for time management and study
skills and where appropriate, involving learning mentors or classroom
assistants
-
Using ICT
to extend and/or personalise activities – offering a wider range of
resources or activities
-
Allow the
display of childrens’ knowledge in a variety of forms – presentations,
pictures, music, dance, videos, web pages, etc
-
Opportunities to display learning to others
-
Out of
class extension and enrichment activities that could include
opportunities for problem solving activities and collaborative learning
-
Additional resources to allow opportunities for self-supported learning
-
Creative
opportunities with time and space to experiment
-
Opportunities for children to use their abilities for the benefit of
other pupils/staff/whole school/community
Out of
school Provision
G+T children are able to access a
range of after-school clubs (some of which are specifically catering for
them) ‘Out of School Hours Learning’ initiatives, Summer schools, Master
classes and Cluster Club initiatives.
Where a G+T child has a
particular ability or exceptional talent in a subject not catered for in
either the National Curriculum or through after school activities, the
school will endeavour to facilitate and encourage the child’s ability
through outside school contacts.
Staff roles
and responsibilities
Gifted
and Talented Coordinator
-
To lead
the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the
school’s provision for G+T pupils
-
To lead
the preparation/updating and implementation of an effective whole school
policy on support for able pupils
-
Compile
and update register of gifted and talented children within the school
-
Inform
staff of new initiatives and research via INSET and other training
-
Monitor
and evaluate teaching and learning of gifted and talented pupils in
conjunction with Headteacher and SMT
-
Liaise
with class teachers and curriculum coordinators re G+T children
-
Provide
appropriate resources to extend and enrich the curriculum
-
Monitor
the provision of appropriate extracurricular activities
-
Liaise
with other G+T coordinators
-
Liaise
with learning mentors to address the needs of disadvantaged able pupils
-
Raise
awareness of the potential of gifted and talented children within the
school and to act as the ‘champion’ of the gifted and talented pupils
-
Provide a
first point of contact for parents, pupils and others with an interest
in the initiative (including governors)
-
Report on
progress and provide specific information to the Headteacher, governors
and G+T Strand Coordinator
Class
teacher
-
Provide
challenging tasks and a curriculum differentiated through extension
(e.g. access in own class to schemes of work for the year above) and
enrichment (e.g. open ended investigations, games)
-
Support
the identification of gifted and talented pupils, including
underachievers
-
Liaise
with the G+T coordinator in relation to the academic, social and
emotional needs of G+T pupils
-
Liaise
with parents
Headteacher and Senior Management Team
-
The
allocation of appropriate funding from the school budget
-
Facilitate communication and agreement amongst staff concerning G+T
children
-
The
provision of appropriate INSET
-
Ensure
integration of G+T provision with School Action Plan
-
Support
alignment of G+T Policy with other school policies
Governors
-
The
allocation of appropriate funding from the school budget
-
Provision
of named G+T Link governor
Action Plan
Possible
priorities…
-
In
conjunction with the G+T strand coordinator, carry out a yearly audit of
G+T provision in order to inform the school G+T action plan.
-
Carry out
a regular review of the G+T register, in consultation with all those
involved with G+T children.
-
Audit
existing provision of resources in classroom and clubs and address such
issues accordingly.
-
Assess
staff training needs and plan opportunities for disseminated information
and address staff through staff meetings and INSET.
-
Develop
links within the Excellence in Cities cluster, helping to coordinate
cross school activities
-
Liaise
with G+T Strand Coordinator
-
Identify
all areas for development for the school in relation to G+T
provision, and plan effective strategies to impact provision
successfully.
|