Preparatory School and Early Years Policy
Able, Gifted and Talented Pupils
Aims & Objectives:
At the Daiglen school we are committed to providing a sufficiently challenging curriculum for all our pupils. In addition, we will provide opportunities to identify and nurture those who are more able and their abilities.
We believe that all children are entitled to an education that will enable them to reach for the highest level of personal achievement, be that intellectual, physical, aesthetic, creative, emotional, spiritual or social, finding appropriate challenge in our learning environment.
We acknowledge that all children have individual needs, and therefore put personalised learning at the heart of our teaching and learning.
Definition:
Able - a group of children (about 10% of our pupils) who achieve, or have the potential to achieve, at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group in their general intellectual ability, specific academic ability, creative
thinking, technical ability or interpersonal skills. This group includes sub-groups of more able and gifted.
Gifted – a minority of children (0.5% or less of our pupils) who are capable of exceptional work in one or more areas of the curriculum and are working one key stage above their peers;
Exceptionally able – the top 2% of children nationally fall into this category and may commonly be regarded as ‘geniuses’;
Talented – a group of children (about 10% of our pupils) who show exceptional ability in a particular area. This might be in a curriculum area such as music, art or sport, or be a less easily acknowledged talent such as leadership, creative imagination or social maturity.
Identification Strategies:
We use a range of strategies to identify Able, Gifted and Talented children. The identification process is ongoing; it begins when the child joins our school and involves staff, pupils, parents and carers. Data taken into account will include:
- Information from parents and carers.
- Information from previous teachers or pre-school.
- Discussions with pupils
- Identification by staff using professional judgements, classwork and test and Assessment results
- Specific criteria developed by subject coordinators or their professional associations
Arrangements for coordinating provision
- Pupils who are identified by the school as being able, gifted and talented are entered onto the school register. The register will be reviewed three times a year at the time of pupil target setting, during which an evaluation of whether the pupil is reaching his or her full potential will be made. Parents will be included in this evaluation.
- The AG&T coordinators for KS1/Foundation Stage and KS2 will monitor and oversee the progress of those children on the able, gifted and talented register and liaise with the leadership team to establish mechanisms for meeting their needs.
- Curriculum planning at the school is objective led and Schemes of Work are based on year group objectives and level descriptors for numeracy and literacy. This enables teachers to adjust expectations according to ability for any programme of work.
- Ongoing assessments against year objectives and National Curriculum Levels are maintained and used formatively to set new curriculum targets for identified individuals so that they can achieve at the gifted level and always aim to make further progress. Pupils are involved in this process.
- Provision will be made for continuing professional development that addresses the implications of more able students and develops teaching and learning styles that take account of differentiation, enrichment and extension.
- An audit of enrichment and extension opportunities provided by the wider extra-curricular programmes will be maintained.
- Pupils are encouraged to work on self-directed projects and to enter local and national events and competitions such as ‘Maths Challenge’, sports’ competitions, LAMDA, art exhibitions and competitions etc. When appropriate, pupils will be allowed time out of school to pursue specific talents.
- Discreet pastoral care and mentoring, when appropriate, will be provided on an individual basis.
- Opportunities will be provided for those children identified as able, gifted or talented to work together, both in timetabled withdrawal groups and in extra-curricular activities. The achievement of all pupils is recognised, celebrated and rewarded.
- In order to ensure consistent practice across the school, the leadership team will evaluate able & talented provision and practice annually. Results of evaluation will be shared with the whole staff in staff meetings and also the Education sub committee of the governing body.
Inclusion:
Able, Gifted and Talented pupils have equal access to all aspects of the curriculum and school life. The school recognises that some able, gifted and talented pupils may be keen to specialise early in some activities to the detriment of other experiences or subjects of the curriculum. However, pupils will be encouraged to fulfill their potential in the subjects in which they are gifted or talented without reducing the breadth of their curriculum and personal experiences of sporting activity, exercise breaks and fresh air.
Responsibilities:
Teachers
- to identify more able pupils and put their names forward for inclusion on the Able, Gifted and Talented register
- to provide schemes of work that contain enrichment/extension material for identified students
- to provide differentiated activities, support and resources for able, gifted and talented pupils
- To regularly monitor and report to the AG&T coordinator on individual pupil performance
Subject coordinators
- to prepare subject-specific criteria and inform teaching staff and G&T coordinators of these criteria.
- to ensure that the enrichment/extension material is being used by subject teachers.
G&T coordinators
- to prepare, from prior attainment data, a register of the top 5-10% of pupils in the school.
- to gather names of identified students from all areas and consider the list on an annual basis with the leadership team and to communicate back to subject coordinators and teachers
- to prepare, in consultation with the form teacher or subject coordinator, IEPs for pupils who are identified as very able.
- to monitor the provision for more able students to evaluate the progress made by more able pupils and monitor the provision made for them on an annual basis
Head teacher
- to ensure ongoing monitoring of able, gifted & talented pupils
- to monitor the schemes of work.
- to work with the G&T coordinators to oversee the process and activity
- to include items concerning provision for more able students on meeting agendas
- to ensure that teachers have registers that recognise who has been identified as more able
- to arrange training for self & staff
Policy revised February 2009 MB