Gifted & Talented Policy – Thomas Tallis School
January 2013
Policy Contents:
- Whole School Aims
- Identification & Process
- Provision
- Learning & Teaching Strategies
- Staffing Structure
- Monitoring & Evaluation
1. Whole School Aims
It is the schools aim to encourage and support the learning of all students. This policy underpins the concept of ‘Excellence through Creativity’and is an integral part of the school’s broader development of inclusion of educational opportunity for all students and states our commitment to providing an environment in which all students are enabled to realise their potential.
Students with particular gifts and talents must be recognised and supported to reach their full potential – intellectually, emotionally, aesthetically, socially and physically. Our ambition is to provide a challenging and stimulating learning environment for all, which offers the opportunities for students to shine and develop an enthusiasm for learning.
We aim to identify gifted and talented students both within specific subject areas and those who excel in more than one and continue to improve gifted and talented students' outcomes in terms of attainment, aspirations, motivation and self-esteem. We believe it is important to celebrate our students’ achievements and create an ethos where it is okay to be bright and enthusiastic. By continuing to improve our coherence and quality of enrichment and out of school hours opportunities for gifted and talented students we maximise their opportunities and experiences.
The following ten characteristics are important factors we wish to develop in our students in order to ensure academic achievement and longer-term success:
1.Self-awareness and a sense of control and influence over learning
2.Sophisticated vocabulary and good command of academic English
3.Knowing what an A or A* requires – the AsL approach
4.Self-confidence and motivation
5.Good speaking, listening and critical thinking skills
6.Good social skills
7.Good independent study skills
8.Learning beyond the syllabus (depth)
9.Linking learning to the real world (breadth)
10.Significant family resources and support
2. Identification & Processes
A gifted student is one who demonstrates a higher level of ability than most students in their cohort in one or more curriculum or skill areas. This could manifest itself as skill in practical areas as well or instead of ‘reading and writing’ based subjects.
A talented student is one who shows marked aptitude in any of the physical, artistic, creative, musical or performance areas.
At Thomas Tallis our cohort is made up from students identified as ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ in several subjects based on a points system using both quantitative and qualitative data. Points are awarded by using a wide range of sources, including information from Primary Schools, parents, teachers, Reading Testand KS2 SAT’s. This cohort is made up from roughly 10% of the total year group.The data for each year group enables easy identification and enables subject teachers to give their input based on the academic excellence within a curriculum area. It is important that this group is representative of the whole school population in terms of gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic background.
Once identified, a gifted and talented list is produced and information is made available for teachers to access. Parents/carers are also informed about their child’s inclusion on the register. Communication and consultation with parent/carers is vital to ensure that our students are supported beyond school and that parent/carers understand and share the ambitions for these students.
Parent/carers need to be informed each time the lists are refined. This can happen at various stages across the year(s) and thus ensures they are informed about their child’s progress.
3. Provision
The school and its teachers will provide a challenging and enriched curriculum to enable the gifts and talents of students to emerge, be recognised and developed. Deputy Pastoral Leaders will provide enrichment to challenge and stretch their cohort further. We will have high expectations of students. Students are encouraged to support teachers by being active participants in lessons and to take responsibility for their own learning and take the initiative, where possible. The emphasis will be on increasing the ‘depth and breadth’ of the curriculum for gifted and talented students rather than providing an accelerated curriculum.
Classroom teachers will plan to ensure that gifted and talented students have the opportunities to reach the highest levels and are supported to reach their Tallis Target. They will provide extension at higher levels which challenges higher level thinking /critical thinking and is not repetitive. Learning outcomes must provide further challenge, reflecting the breadth and depth of the subject.
Thomas Tallis provides a variety of extra-curricular clubs and activities, allowing for both enrichment and extension. Sports teams, music and drama clubs and many opportunities for performance are organised.Language days, reading clubs, theatre visits, field trips, community projects/performances, and debating competitions are also available. Enrichment activities provide opportunities for students to work with those of different ages, but similar interests and abilities.
Improving Provision:
Subject areas may bid for money to buy additional resources which support the learning of gifted and talented students.
Staff are also encouraged to set up clubs and extra activities according to their interests.
Regular communication between the Gifted and Talented Coordinator, Deputy Pastoral Leaders, Curriculum Leaders and nominated subject G&T coordinators are crucial to this process.
4. Learning and Teaching Strategies
●The coherent management of student groupings (whether in mixed ability groups or ability sets) and recognition that whilst there may be a higher concentration of gifted and talented students in some groups there will be students who have gifts and talents in all groups.
●The provision of opportunities for gifted and talented students to work with students of similar ability. This will mean that we will endeavour to set up vertical groups where appropriate.
●Mentoring and additional provision for students of exceptional ability.
●The provision of enrichment/extension activities and tasks in all lessons.
●Differentiation within subject areas, including separate tasks.
●Differentiated learning outcomes that are open ended for gifted and talented.
●Pitch questioning aimed at stretching gifted and talented students in all lessons
●The development of independent learning by allowing students to organise their own work, to carry out tasks unaided, evaluate their work and become self-reflective.
●Use of experts inside and outside the classroom
●Provision could also include, in class provision for G&T students, small group provision for G&T outside ‘lessons’ and small group provision for G&T learners with personalised interventions based on gaps in their learning and interventions put in place to plug these gaps.
5. Staffing Structure
The staffing structure aims to realise our ambitions for these students.
●We have Gifted and Talented Coordinator overseeing the achievement and provision for G&T students across the school.
●We endeavour to assign a G&T coordinator in every subject area who will audit and develop the provision in their area.
●Our deputy pastoral leaders monitor the progress and have general oversight of the students who are displaying talents in more than one curriculum area.
●The Assistant Head Teacher Inclusion and Deputy Head Teacher Learning and Teaching have oversight of G&T initiatives through the G&T Coordinator.
The G&T Coordinator will support and monitor the provision designed for G&T students across subject areas, and lead subject and curriculum leaders in doing so. S/he will also work with deputy pastoral leaders to track the progress of these students and to ensure that enrichment opportunities are linked to the curriculum.