St Michaels

Ofsted

Pupils are well prepared for their future lives

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2010 Ofsted Report

 

Gifted and Talented Policy

GiftedApproved by Governing Body: June 2008
Review date: Summer 2010



Introduction

This policy outlines the school’s practice and procedures relating to the support of gifted and talented pupils.

The policy outlines the way that the school:

At St. Michael’s we are committed to providing an environment, which encourages all pupils to maximise their potential and this clearly includes pupils who display some from of giftedness.

Strategy for implementation

Identification

The school recognises in line with DfES guidelines that “gifted and talented pupils are those pupils who achieve, or have the ability to achieve, at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group.” The school normally expects to identify between 5 and 10 per cent of each year group as gifted or talented although this will vary from year to year.

The following areas have been identified as being the main areas of ability. Following

DfES guidance, category A includes gifted pupils and B to E pupils who are talented. We also seek to identify pupils who could fit into these categories in the future (F) and who are not fulfilling their potential.

A. intellectual (aspects of English, mathematics, science)
B. artistic and creative (art and design, music, drama)
C. practical (design and technology, mechanical ingenuity)
D. physical (PE, sports, dance)
E. social (personal and interpersonal, leadership qualities, working with adults)
F. a pupil who could be recognised as gifted or talented but who is presently not reaching his or her full potential
(These categories are based on the Howard Gardner seven intelligences.)

Identification strategies

Staff, pupils, parents and carers will all be involved with the identification.

The strategies used will include:

  1. Identification by staff using professional judgments, class-work and test and assessment results. This will be shared with Gifted and Talented co-ordinator during termly Pupil Progress discussions, or earlier if appropriate.
  2. Information from parents or carers;
  3. Identification by a previous teacher, previous school, external agency or organisation;
  4. Discussions with pupils.

The school register

Pupils who have been identified by a teacher as being gifted and talented are entered onto our school register. A copy of the register is made available to all staff. The area of ability is recorded using one of the categories A-E with further reference made to which aspect or aspects they have a gift or talent in (i.e. A - science). The parent or carer is consulted before the pupil’s name is put on the register.

The register is reviewed during Pupil Progress discussions termly and the progress of each pupil towards their individual targets is evaluated. If a pupil is not reaching his or her full potential, or has achieved the set targets, new arrangements and, where necessary, new targets will be set.

Teaching and learning

We recognise that it is important for gifted and talented pupils to work at an appropriate pace and in a variety of settings. Some of our able pupils grasp concepts quickly and are ready to move to the next, or more demanding, work; at times they may also require more time than others to complete work to their own satisfaction. Not all of our able pupils will be good at all subjects and this may mean that some gifted and talented pupils will work in different ability groups for different subjects.

As appropriate the teachers provide differentiated activities and a range of support and resources for gifted and talented pupils. This may include extension activities that are more demanding of their abilities or enrichment activities that provide new and different ways of working.

Curriculum and organisation

The curriculum

The school curriculum is planned to encourage the maximum progress for all pupils, including gifted and talented pupils. Curriculum policies refer to the needs of pupils of different abilities and describe the different expectations of pupils as outlined in the QCA Schemes of Work. Due regard is given to the equal opportunities policy to ensure that gifted and talented pupils are provided with a full and balanced school and curriculum experience. At St. Michael’s we believe that all pupils should have an inclusive experience of the school’s formal curriculum and any other personal, social and enrichment opportunities.

Organisation

We believe in the education of the whole pupil, focusing on both their academic and social development (intellectual and emotional intelligence). All gifted and talented pupils are taught in groups, which are appropriate for the age and ability in the normal class for their chronological age.

The class teacher, Gifted and Talented co-ordinator, and head teacher will undertake reviews of Gifted and Talented pupils. The parents will be involved in this process and it may also include the involvement of teachers from secondary school.

Continuity and progression

Gifted and talented pupils often make very rapid progress in some subjects, parts of a subject or many subjects. We aim to make sure that the pupils make maximum progress through careful differentiated planning and diligent record keeping. Records and lesson planning are shared between teachers across a year group, and within phase group meetings, these follow the pupil to the next class.

Inclusion

Classroom support is provided across the school to ensure that all pupils have appropriate opportunities to develop their own ideas and work, whatever their ability, beliefs or background. Gifted and talented pupils have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum and school life and will be encouraged to take a full part. We recognise that some gifted pupils may be keen to specialise early in some activities, such as in academic work, to the detriment of other experiences or subjects of the curriculum such as group performance, sporting activities or even going out at break-time to get exercise and fresh air. Pupils will be encouraged to fulfil their potential in those subjects in which they are gifted or talented without reducing the breadth of their curriculum and personal experience.

Extension or extra-curricular opportunities

The aim is to create a culture in which all pupils are encouraged to reach high standards and where it is acceptable to work hard and be successful. All pupils, including the gifted and talented, are encouraged to use local centres of interest such as museums, galleries, and clubs, sports groups or Scouts and Guides.

Homework

Homework is matched to the ability of all of our pupils, including Gifted and Talented, and is set according to the school homework policy. Particular care is given to matching work to the high level of gifted and talented pupils’ ability. This is particularly the case in Numeracy where there is a clear need for carefully differentiated work.

The role of parents and carers

All parents and carers are encouraged to be involved in their child’s learning and the school aims to work in full partnership. The pupils are encouraged to share their work and ideas with their parents during open sessions (including STAR week reviews), visits to the school and at home. Parents are invited to support their child during the time they are doing set homework and, if possible, provide space for them to work and additional resources such as reference material.

Personal and Social Education

Classwork and work outside the classroom include a number of opportunities for pupils to work in small and large groups, which will help develop their personal and social skills. Support programmes are available where necessary (e.g. small group SEAL, SPRINT).

We recognise that the way that pupils work in teams and support each other when discussing ideas or collecting resources and materials supports their social, personal and emotional development. Some gifted and talented pupils find working in teams easy; others show excellent social and leadership skills but others find ‘team work’ more difficult. The school aims to develop all the abilities of pupils, including their social and personal skills, especially if these are not strengths. We aim to create a climate in which children are taught to relate well to each other and where differences of all kinds, including ability, are accepted.

Safeguarding and e-safety

The school will follow all guidelines related to e-safety when suggesting websites to parents and/or gifted and talented pupils. This will include the checking of any site by the member of staff and the reinforcement of general principles of e-safety. (See Safeguarding and E-Safety policies for further information). Any websites recommended will be added to a list of useful sites to be held and monitored by the school I.C.T. co-ordinator. A copy of the Gifted and Talented will be posted on the school’s website.

Staff development and training opportunities

At St. Michael’s we undertake a regular audit of teaching. The information gained is used to identify training needs. Specialists use these identified needs to plan training sessions and inputs. The school makes full use of local staff training and, whenever possible and when applicable, staff attend national and local courses and conferences.

Leadership and management roles

The co-ordinator for gifted and talented pupils is responsible for monitoring the school’s provision for pupils. The headteacher is responsible overall for the implementation of the gifted and talented policy. A named governor takes specific interest in the school’s arrangements for gifted and talented pupils and works, with the co-ordinator, on review and development.

How attainment and progress will be monitored, evaluated and assessed

The assessment of pupils is based on the National Curriculum Level Statements in specific subjects, collated from a range of tests and teacher assessments. All work is planned so that there are three levels of expectation, one for the majority of the class, one for more able and one for less able pupils. The headteacher and governor with curriculum oversight will monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the Gifted and Talented Policy. Issues raised during the monitoring process will be reported to the governing body and addressed in the school improvement plan.

Useful reference materials

Educating the Very Able, Current Education Research, OFSTED, 1998, The
Stationery Office, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT. ISBN 0-11- 350100-5.

Effective Provision for Able and Talented Children, Barry Teare, 1997, The School Effectiveness Series, Network Education Press. ISBN 1-85539-041-8.

Effective Resources for Able and Talented Children, Barry Teare, 1999, Network Education Press. ISBN 1-85539-050-7.

Accelerated Learning in the Classroom, Alistair Smith, 1996, Network Educational Press Ltd. ISBN 1-85539-03-5.

Teaching More Able Pupils, Deborah Eyre, 1998, National Association for Able and Talented Children (NACE). ISBN 1-901099-05-9.

Handbook for Inspecting Secondary Schools, 2003, OFSTED, The Stationery Office.

Handbook for Inspecting Primary and Nursery Schools, 2003, OFSTED, The
Stationery Office.

Aquila Magazine PO Box 2518, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2BB.


GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Who is a gifted and talented pupil?

All pupils have some special abilities and we all may have talents that we have not yet discovered. It has been claimed that truly gifted and talented pupils comprise between 2 and 5 per cent of the school population. More recently DfES has said that gifted and talented pupils are “defined as the most able 10-15% of pupils.” However if we look at the full range of talents and abilities we could be looking at between 30 to 40 per cent.

It is generally accepted that it is important to include as many pupils as possible in this category so that the pool of talent available to our country can be expanded.

To aid identification it can be helpful to recognise that gifted and talented pupils are: “those pupils who achieve, or have the ability to achieve, at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group in school.”

In the publication called Providing for Gifted and Talented Pupils produced in December 2001, OFSTED say that in the Excellence in Cities Initiative:
“.....no school can say it has no gifted or talented pupils. An obvious consequence is that the composition of the gifted and talented population is likely to vary..... Pupils regarded as gifted and talented in one school may not be considered so in another school whose intake of pupils is dissimilar.”

No school should be in a position to claim that it does not have any gifted and talented pupils because we are talking about at least the top 5 to 10 per cent in every school.

Despite the spectrum of abilities and the type of catchment area, all schools and classes will have more able pupils for whom they will need to plan.

DEFINITIONS

Types of ability

There is a whole range of different abilities, talents or gifts that able pupils demonstrate. It is not only academic ability that is important to identify.

Although high IQ is important, children’s abilities vary and include:

A. intellectual (e.g. aspects of language, mathematics, science);
B. creative (e.g. aspects of science, design and technology, creative writing);
C. artistic (e.g. art, music, drama);
D. practical (e.g. technological and ‘hands-on’);
E. physical (e.g. sports, dance, movement);
F. social (e.g. personal and interpersonal, leadership qualities);
G. a pupil with ability who is presently under-achieving.

Many pupils will have more than one of these abilities and will not only be talented or gifted in one aspect but will have ability across a number. It is important to recognise that to be gifted and talented does not just mean to be ‘intellectual’. Ability is multi-faceted.

Howard Gardner at Harvard University has developed a theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner considers there to be at least seven distinct intelligences;