Latest News

Although provision for gifted and talented pupils is at least satisfactory in the majority of secondary schools, there are still areas of significant

Guidance has been produced by the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth and the DCSF and sets out general principles for schools and colleges to use in their planning and delivery of effective provision for gifted and talented students. It points out that the greater emphasis on personalisation at Key Stage 3 and in 14-19 learning offers considerable potential for gifted and talented students: greater choice in what and where to study, access to virtual learning environments, and a more individual approach. However, for schools, it is a real challenge to create the structures that will realise this agenda.

The guidance also points out that a school's gifted and talented population will be broadly representative of the whole school intake, in terms of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background. However, some groups are more likely than others to slip through the net of 'talent spotters', for example those from low socio-economic groups, from BME groups with a record of underperformance (including Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, mixed heritage), those who need support to learn English as an additional language, those with medical conditions and those with special educational needs. Others who may not be identified as gifted or talented are those in small rural schools, where they may be perceived as the 'only one', poor attenders with low aspirations and/or motivation, and those who have a mismatch between their cognitive ability and their basic skills.

Strategies for supporting gifted and talented pupils include planning for effective assessment for learning that informs the planning of challenging curricular targets and differentiated learning objectives, additional stretch being provided through a combination of enrichment, extension and acceleration, opportunities for independent learning, and integrated learning in settings beyond the classroom.

Related Tags :

• General

Last Edited Date : January 18 2008 9:55 am