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A policy document:  Provision for talented and gifted students

Broad Objectives

Budehaven Community School aims to provide an appropriate and fulfilling education for children of all abilities.  We aim to encourage and stimulate all students in order that they are able to achieve success.

The curriculum and organization of the school must allow each student to learn at a pace and in ways that is appropriate for them.  Opportunities must be offered to enable the more able pupils to develop fully their abilities within the context of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural framework of the school.

Talented and Gifted students:  A school definition

  • GIFTED academic ability (defined as ability in one or more subjects in the statutory school curriculum other than art, music and PE).
  • TALENTED – defined as those with ability in art, music, PE or in any sport or creative art.
  • ALL ROUNDERS – have ability in both brackets or in four or more academic subjects.

Specifically, in Budehaven Community School this policy relates to:

  • Students who demonstrate a level of ability in one or more areas sufficient to place them into the highest achieving 5% of the Budehaven school population.
  • Students who have a broad spectrum of high ability when benchmarked against national norms.
  • Students who have a particular skill and ability in discrete areas e.g. Art, Mathematics, Music, P.E.

A register will be kept of all students who are identified as Talented and Gifted.

Aims

We aim to promote and encourage:

  • all members of the school community to contribute to the identification of Talented and Gifted children.
  • recognition that these students require appropriate challenge in their curriculum.  Exceptionally able pupils (top 2%) may have very distinctive needs that may require a significant modification of the curriculum.
  • effective and planned personalised programmes incorporating learning tasks that are relevant, enjoyable and extend conceptual structures.
  • appropriate methods of assessment matched to the abilities and needs of the individual student.
  • development of the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences at a level appropriate to their abilities.
  • celebrate the achievements of all students.

 

Implementation of the policy

 

Talented and Gifted students have particular learning needs and many may additionally require individual or group support programmes.  The leadership, management and coordination of our Talented and Gifted policy falls, therefore, within the work of our Learning Support Centre.  We have appointed an Assistant Learning Support Coordinator who has specific responsibility for all aspects of this policy and its implementation. Although working particularly closely with the Learning Support Coordinator, the postholder liaises and works with all members of staff.  Details of how the policy is implemented can be found in the guidelines accompanying this policy.

 

Resources

The school will endeavour to make full use of:

  • The special skills of individual members of staff
  • The use of visiting experts.
  • The support of parents
  • The schools library service.
  • Specialist clubs and societies e.g. World Class Tests
  • Links with other agencies and National Associations e.g. YGT (formerly NAGTY), NAGC, NACE, SW Gateway, Eden Project, DfES, EiC
  • The Internet (see Guidelines for Implementation for listed websites and resources.)

 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation of this policy will be ongoing.  In particular, the school will evaluate how representative the cohort is of the school population in terms of gender, ethnicity and home background.  If the cohort is markedly unrepresentative in relation to any of the factors above, we shall endeavour to establish how that has arisen (it will almost certainly because some underachievers have not been successfully identified) and consider what further action is necessary.  Gifted and talented underachievers are particularly difficult to identify: the school will take care to ensure that we are not simply identifying those who are already high achievers.


Contact Person: Coordinator of Talented and Gifted Provision;

Mr Colin Ryan   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Policy ratified by governors:  May 2006

 

Guidelines for implementation of the policy

Approach to Identification and Assessment

It is expected that a child will be registered as ‘able’ by the co-ordinator in liaison with class teachers and pastoral staff. In the case of extracurricular activities, the student, a parent or other member of the community will make initial identification.  Evidence of particular skills may need to be confirmed by a subject specialist or adviser outside the school. Pupils to be included are those who achieve, or have the ability to achieve at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group in their school as defined in the policy.

Budehaven’s school identification strategy will be rigorous and will be rooted in hard data, including the results of national curriculum tests and evidence derived from them. It must, however, also draw on a wider range of qualitative evidence and take into account factors such as motivation, personality and home background, which are significant in developing potential into performance.

Evidence considered will include:

  • Referenced testing e.g. MidYIS, YELLIS, ALIS, Autumn Package.
  • The T and G Co-ordinator identifies the academically gifted students each year following analysis of the MidYIS and YELLIS Tests.  These pupils are listed on the T and G Register with a “?” under “Subject” and this is posted on the “Staffpool.” It is the role of the subject Heads to match any of the students to a specific subject. How they select is explained in their subject policy under “Identification.” In addition, all students attainment is ranked “live” throughout the year using SIMS to collate and process data based on formal assessment.  As such the T+G co-ordinator can access the top 5% at any given point in the academic year across the board or for any individual subject (September 2008).
  • SAT (obsolete post 2009) and teacher assessment.
  • Additional standardized testing as appropriate e.g. verbal and non verbal reasoning
  • Outstanding success outside of school. Students that are “Talented” are identified by relevant experts. At Budehaven we have decided to use “County standard” for pupils that have a talent in a sport.

We have found that the objective use of baseline data, notably MidYIS and Yellis is the most concrete tool for identifying the “academically gifted.” Scores of over 125 in any of the sections of MidYIS places that student in the top 5% nationally. This quantitative approach has been useful; the school has been able to identify pupils that have particular strengths in specific areas. If they score over 125 in the MidYIS total then they can be classed as “All Rounders.” (DfES). It is also effective when talking with parents who are keen to have their child, gifted or not onto the Register.  Furthermore, if this strict criteria were not maintained then the register could potentially become never ending and would lose its teeth.

The NAGTY used this same approach last year, but in (2005-6) they determined that only those students with a MidYIS total of 126 and above are eligible for entry into the Academy. We consider this to harsh as it potentially fails to identify students that have particular strengths. As a school, therefore, we continue to include all pupils that score 125+ in any section of MidYIS onto the Register.  The NAGTY do use other criteria but baseline data is the most successful to gain membership; the T & G Coordinator has had numerous battles attempting to gain entrance for pupils who offer other skills and grades!

As of September 2006, NAGTY eligibility will be  granted from a single score of 129+ in one or more of the 3 batteries Non Verbal, Vocabulary or Maths (NOT SKILLS).  NAGTY has been replaced by YgT which has no formal assessment requirement for membership.  At Budehaven, the coordinator will continue to use the data available for identification purposes and give the highest attaining students first refusal on the opportunities that arise through YgT. (sept 2008)

We offer individual students the opportunity to join YGT which then allows them to attend any relevant YGT Outreach Course.  We believe these will be challenging, motivational and stimulating.  All those that have attended these trips to the Universities have gained a great deal from them, both academically and socially.  Many have written reports of their experiences that have featured in the local press and in the school’s publication the ‘Budehaven Bugle’(now replaced by the school newspaper “Newshaven”).

The criteria for the Talented students has been discussed with our Director of Sport following her appointment in January 2005.  As indicated above, it is agreed that to be included onto the register the student must be recognised at County standard. The Director of Sport has set up a Key Stage 3 Multi Skills Elite policy to identify potential sportspeople.

Art and Languages are difficult to quantify and so the school relies heavily on teachers’ opinions and recommendations (being bilingual, having a particular outstanding flair, etc).


The Co-ordinator will be responsible for arranging:

  • Monitoring and early identification – pupils from other schools, new intake etc.
  • That all staff involved with identified children know of their particular needs and are encouraged to make provision for them. This will be by means of ‘on the record for able label.’
  • Updating colleagues on best practice or new initiatives as they arise.
  • The encouragement of development of extension, acceleration and enrichment material.
  • The monitoring of progress made and reviews of individual children.
  • For pupils identified as being in the top 2% of the school population the Coordinator will also be responsible for:
  • An Annual Review with the pupil and parent which will take place in addition to whole school parent’s evenings. The recruitment of help or expertise will be arranged as required.
  • Arranging mentoring either by:
  • The Coordinator
  • Y9 students mentoring Y7
  • Y12/13 students to KS3.
  • Other members of staff and adults
  • Individual target setting, including consideration of fast tracking
  • Consideration of post 16 courses and higher education ambitions that provide pupils with goals and ambitions that compliment their ability.

An approach to provision at classroom level

Each subject area will develop subject specific guidelines based on this document and resources provided by the coordinator. These guidelines will identify ways of enhancing the academically gifted student’s learning which can then be highlighted in the Schemes of Work.  This work will build on the work being done at whole school level with regard to Assessment for Learning.

In particular:

  • The classroom should offer a carefully structured positive atmosphere in which the contribution made by all pupils is recognized, differences acknowledged and where enthusiasm for learning is fostered.
  • Teachers should seek to provide tasks that promote problem-solving skills associated with clear thinking, and a spirit of investigation should be encouraged.
  • Teachers should demonstrate good questioning techniques.
  • Mistakes are accepted as a route to learning.

Careful consideration must be given to:

  • Grouping – by social groups, ability groups or mixed aptitude groups?
  • Additional teaching / learning support – to create an atmosphere conducive to enquiry, to use specific resources or materials.
  • Enrichment – Visiting experts, range of materials and resources, study skills taught directly, investigation work, increased technical/ specialist language etc.
  • Extension – open-ended tasks and questions, deepening understanding of concepts, additional activities around the basic themes.
  • Personalisation – matching tasks to ability.
  • Challenge – introducing elements of competition with older pupils or wider arena than peer group. Also competition against self is important – clear targeting.
  • Problem solving and investigation – to develop reasoning and thinking skills.

Supporting Talented and Gifted students and their parents outside of school

The most effective support the school can provide to parents of able children is via open communication of information about progress and strategies adopted.

  • e.g. Nrich online maths club, Virtual school for the Gifted, Xcalibre.
  • www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education/rescon/cpdgifted/cpdresweblinks.html is a good site for T and G resources for all subjects.
  • Students need Enrichment, Extension and Acceleration, see website: www.nc.uk.net/gt/general/04_acceleration.html
  • G&TWise -www.teachernet.gov.uk/gtwise or www.londongt.org

G&Twise is a new part of the TeacherNet website, designed to support all those involved In the education of the gifted and talented. it offers a searchable catalogue of G&T resources, produced by widely respected organisations in the field of education, such as London Gifted and Talented 0.44-0 and the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE).

NAGTY (YGT) - www.nagty.ac.uk (ygt.dcsf.gov.uk/)

For pupils and parents with a new section addressing the primary sector so it's worth keeping an eye on this site.

Reading Is Fundamental - www.rif.org.uk

Information on and interviews with authors, illustrators and poets plus book reviews, competitions and links to lots of other sites for keen readers.

National Literacy Trust -

www.literacytrust.org.uk/whatson/writingcomps.html

A regularly updated list of writing competitions. If you search more widely on this site, you will also find an enormous database of Literacy information and resources.

World Class Tests - www.worldclassarena.org Maths tests for very able mathematicians

Wognum - www.wognum.se

Click on brainwave for logic puzzles

Circa Maths- www.circamaths.co.uk/

Website for the fantastic circa maths comics, which more able pupils really enjoy.

Science Museum - www.nmsi.ac.uk

An extremely comprehensive and informative website. Lots of interesting information for both students and teachers. Children can listen in on haddock calls, take part in quizzes and read up to date news on science and technology. There is information about events for teachers and INSET information. Very user friendly.

How stuff works - www.howstuffworks.com

An enormous database of explanations to satisfy even the most curious of pupils.