policy for gifted and talented children ... - Dorsetforyou.com

DORSET CHILDREN’S SERVICES
POLICY FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN
Purpose of the policy
The purpose of this policy is to establish an agreed framework with schools for the
effective provision for gifted and talented children in Dorset. It is based on national
guidance and research and reflects the best practice that is already taking place in
schools in Dorset, and is in accordance with the authority’s Inclusion Strategy.
The policy is accompanied by a local authority strategy for gifted and talented
children, which provides annual objectives for the development of provision. The
policy is also complemented by a range of guidance documents, which provides
more detailed information and examples of good practice in Dorset.
Definition
The local authority (LA) has adopted the Department for Education and Skills (DfES)
definition of gifted and talented children as:
“children and young people with one or more abilities developed to a level
significantly ahead of their year group* (or with the potential to develop these
abilities)”.
(* Children who are educated other than at school will meet this definition if, were
they to be educated at their local appropriate school, they would be within the
identified group)
In defining gifted and talented children in this way the authority encourages schools
to focus on:
• learners who are gifted and talented relative to their peers in their own year group
and school (including the top 5% nationally who are eligible for the National
Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth membership)
• a range of abilities including talent in the arts and sports, and personal qualities
and skills such as creativity and leadership
• ability rather than achievement, so that underachievers are amongst those
identified.
There are gifted and talented learners in every year group in every school. Although
DfES assume a norm of around 10% of pupils in each school, schools are free to
determine the size of their gifted and talented population, but should be able to justify
this in terms of the provision made for the identified group, and improved standards.
Intended outcomes
In line with the authority’s Inclusion Strategy, the aim of this policy is to produce
better outcomes for all children and young people, defined within the Every Child
Matters framework. This emphasises:
♦ being healthy
♦ staying safe
♦ enjoying and achieving
♦ making a positive contribution
♦ achieving economic well-being.
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Each outcome is important, both individually and as a contributory factor to the
others, and it is the intention of this policy that all children and young people,
whatever their personal circumstances, should achieve as well as they can against
these outcomes. However it is recognised that for gifted and talented children some
outcomes are more significant than others in providing gateways to “social” inclusion
and success in adult life. This policy therefore focuses on those outcomes
considered most important to opening gateways to future success. These are:
♦ achieving as well as the child or young person can at school
♦ being mentally and emotionally healthy, and developing self-confidence,
♦ developing personally and socially
♦ staying safe from bullying and discrimination, and
♦ preparing well for further education, employment or training.
The role of the local authority
The local authority’s responsibility to promote high standards includes ensuring that
the needs of gifted and talented children are met. To fulfil this responsibility the local
education authority will:
• establish a policy on the education of gifted and talented children
• monitor its implementation and the impact of the policy on practice and standards
• review the policy at regular intervals, and
• ensure that the policy is made available to all relevant partners in meeting the
needs of gifted and talented children.
In addition the local authority will:
• monitor the provision available within Dorset, in maintained schools and in other
local institutions, and the outcomes of that provision and
• give advice and support to parents and children in gaining access to this
provision.
To support schools in meeting the needs of very gifted and talented children, the
local authority will:
• provide relevant information to schools to encourage them to offer appropriate
challenges to gifted and talented children
• provide information and advice on school management, curriculum, pedagogy
and transition in relation to gifted and talented children, and disseminate best
practice
• enhance the provision for gifted and talented children, through joint work with
schools and partnerships with other groups and providers, and
• identify sources of funding which can support the further development of
provision.
To secure high standards in schools, the local authority will:
• identify and promote improvements in schools in which provision for gifted and
talented children is causing concern, and
• promote the effective and efficient use of resources to meet the needs of gifted
and talented children.
To ensure that the needs of gifted and talented children from minority groups are
met, the local education authority will:
• promote arrangements for the identification and assessment of needs, and
subsequent provision, that are equally accessible to children who are
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educated in mainstream schools
educated otherwise than at school
from minority ethnic groups
travellers
in public care, and/or
have special educational needs.
To support the development of effective practice and to implement the policy, the
authority will nominate one or more lead officers for gifted and talented provision (see
appendix 1).
The role of the school
Each school is required within the OfSTED framework 1 to ensure that the needs of
gifted and talented children are met, and is expected to
• establish procedures for identifying gifted and talented children which are
transparent, non-discriminatory, flexible and effective
• analyse attainment data, including performance criteria in sport, PE and the
creative arts, in order to identify its gifted and talented children and those children
who have the potential to reach high levels of performance
• check that particular groups of children are not under-represented in the cohort of
gifted and talented children
• ensure its curriculum and other opportunities meet the needs of gifted and
talented children
• have a policy on teaching and learning which enables gifted and talented children
to learn as much as they can and which takes account of the different needs of
these children
• challenge attitudes and behaviour to overcome negative stereotyped
generalisations about gifted and talented children
• monitor the outcomes and track the progress of gifted and talented children,
paying particular attention to groups of children who may be underachieving,
such as highly mobile children, minority ethnic groups including refugees,
children in care or disaffected children, and
• take appropriate and effective action to promote the interests of these children,
including providing training for staff as well as support for children and their
parents to plan their learning and develop further their talents and experiences.
Each school should keep a register of its gifted and talented learners, which will form
the basis of its school level census return (formerly PLASC) each year.
Each school is expected by DfES to use national Institutional Quality Standards (IQS)
for gifted and talented education to support evidence-based self-assessment of its
provision and to identify priorities for improvement. For further information on IQS
see appendix 2.
The local authority will support schools by
• providing guidance on setting up and maintaining a register for gifted and talented
children
• providing guidance and professional development opportunities related to key
aspects of provision for gifted and talented children.
1 Inspection of Strategies to Promote Educational Inclusion: Meeting the Needs of Gifted and
Talented Pupils, OfSTED Update 34, Winter 2000
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The role of the school’s Governing Body
School governors have a large part to play in the introduction of a school policy for
gifted and talented children. Working with the head and the staff, they can help to
ensure that the policy fits the particular ethos of their school. They should decide
whether or not to appoint a governor with special responsibility for this area.
Governors can help to ensure that parents are well informed about the strategy and
engage their support. They may be a useful resource in establishing links throughout
the community.
Governors should decide
• what type and level of monitoring of the policy is appropriate in their school
• ensure that the monitoring is implemented appropriately and also
• evaluate the impact of the policy.
They should be aware of the possible implications for extra funding for staffing, new
resources, non-contact time and staff training. The governing body should try to
increase its knowledge in this area, by arranging for one or more governors to attend
relevant governor training when available.
The local authority will support governing bodies by
• providing training opportunities and support for school governors to develop their
understanding about identification and provision for gifted and talented children,
and on developing and implementing a school policy.
Partnership with parents
Parents and schools working together can significantly enhance a child’s experience
of education, through
• effective identification and assessment of strengths and needs, especially when
starting a new school
• sharing high but realistic expectations of further success
• agreeing on the need for a broad and balanced curriculum which provides
challenge in relevant areas but avoids the undue pressure that comes from an
expectation of high ability in everything all the time
• recognising together that learning to learn and the enjoyment of learning are as
important as passing tests and examinations
• building on the experiences provided by the other, and
• sharing successes and concerns.
Effective partnership will be based on the development of trust, and on each partner
valuing the other.
Research shows that parents value schools where headteachers and teachers are
approachable, flexible, and willing to listen and discuss possible courses of action
openly. Schools which have a well developed ethos and processes for involving
parents in the school’s life are most likely to be successful in forming effective
partnerships. Schools should ensure that parents are aware of the school’s policy on
gifted and talented children, and that they know who to contact to discuss their child’s
needs, or their own needs as parents. Parents should know how to make a
complaint, and to whom, should they need to do so.
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In return the research shows that schools value parents who are willing to help and
get involved, and can see different points of view and understand the ways in which
schools operate. Schools may find it useful to discuss with parents ways in which
they can support their child within and outside the school curriculum.
To support effective partnerships, the local authority will
• give advice and support to teachers and parents about making provision for gifted
and talented children
• where necessary, help to improve the partnership between the school and
parents if this is preventing the child from receiving appropriate provision
• work with national and local parents’ groups to develop partnerships to enhance
children’s learning.
Identification of gifted and talented children and their needs
It is the responsibility of each school to meet the needs of all of its pupils. To achieve
this, schools should identify the abilities and needs of all its pupils, including the
gifted and talented children, and provide the appropriate opportunities and
challenges to enable them to learn as effectively as they can. This should be a
continuous, whole school process, underpinned by classroom and curriculum area
arrangements.
Schools are recommended to establish a range of identification processes which take
into account:
• the full range of abilities and “intelligences” possessed by children
• the extent to which abilities can be measured through attainment and through
performance
• the views of a wide range of adults, including teaching and non-teaching staff,
parents and other adults in the community e.g. youth group leaders, team
coaches, and
• relevant information available from previous educational providers.
Particular care should be taken to ensure that identification processes are broadly
based in order to identify underachieving children, and those with the potential to
achieve at higher levels.
The approaches selected could include taking account of any of the following:
• teacher observation and assessment, using agreed criteria such as generic and
subject checklists
• National Curriculum attainment
• attainment in externally accredited courses, e.g. GCSE results
• standardised test scores, e.g. CATs
• involvement and achievement in competitions, e.g. school or county competitions
• achievements in extra-curricular activities, e.g. participation in exhibitions, public
events or specialist clubs
• nomination by the child’s parent(s)
• peer group nomination, and/or
• external agency nomination e.g. health visitor.
Schools should recognise that if all abilities are to be identified, then a range of
appropriate curricular opportunities also need to be provided for children to
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demonstrate their abilities. Teare 2 notes, “suitable provision is the most important
method of identification – without a curriculum of opportunity many talents and
abilities will go unnoticed”. Schools should ensure that all children are given
curricular, and other, opportunities to show their abilities. The challenge for all
schools is to “catch the children being bright”.
Schools should note that their procedures for identifying gifted and talented children
should be transparent, non-discriminatory, flexible and effective in order that children
from all backgrounds are given opportunities to demonstrate fully their abilities. In
particular schools should be cautious when using identification and assessment
processes that:
• are dependent on words, limiting the achievement of children for whom English is
an additional language, or for whom language is less well developed
• fail to take into account multi-lingual capacity
• are culturally specific, discriminating against children who have recently moved to
this country or to the area, or which may fail to recognise the child’s ability within
her or his own cultural background
• fail to take into account the child’s achievements outside the school, overlooking
children who may be underachieving in class, and/or
• do not motivate children to succeed.
It is good practice for each school to monitor the backgrounds and characteristics of
children identified as gifted and talented to ensure that no particular groups are
under-represented. If this is the case then the school should ensure that its
explanations for this are convincing and well founded.
The local authority will support schools in the identification of gifted and talented
children by
• providing relevant guidance and training for teachers and school managers
• providing specific guidance and support in the assessment of children from
minority groups and groups at risk of underachievement, and providing relevant
feedback to schools to develop their practices.
Effective provision for gifted and talented children
The intention of educational provision for all children, including gifted and talented
children, should be to help each child to
• develop skills which will enable her or him to learn even more effectively, such as
how to carry out research and to become an independent learner
• form effective practices in learning, such as learning how to collaborate with
others
• be creative, develop higher order thinking skills and develop problem-solving
techniques
• develop personally, socially and emotionally
• develop motivation and aspirations which enable her or him to take advantage of
continuing opportunities for lifelong learning
• recognise the enjoyment of learning
and therefore to secure the highest standards of attainment, including in
examinations and tests.
2 A School Policy on Provision for Able Pupils, JB Teare, NACE, 1995
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The range of provision made should also offer further opportunities for the child to
demonstrate high ability and expert performance.
As part of the commitment to raising standards for all, each school will aim to make
appropriate provision matched to children’s abilities, needs and aspirations. This will
be supported by
• accurate identification of abilities and needs
• appropriate curriculum provision
• effective classroom teaching
• a classroom climate in which children are motivated to learn.
• appropriate pastoral support
• access to relevant extra-curricular activities, and
• positive partnership and planning with the child and her/his parent(s).
Schools have a responsibility to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all
children. The National Curriculum is a starting point for planning a school curriculum
that meets the specific needs of individuals and groups of children. The statutory
inclusion statement 3 for the National Curriculum sets out the three principles that are
essential to developing an inclusive curriculum:
A. Setting suitable learning challenges
B. Responding to children’s diverse learning needs
C. Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and
groups of children.
These principles provide schools and teachers with a range of approaches which
should be explored when planning to meet the needs of gifted and talented children,
including
• extending the breadth and depth of study within individual subjects
• planning work which draws on the content of different subjects, and/or
• drawing on materials from later key stages or higher levels of study.
Schools can also plan for children to complete a key stage programme of study early
and to progress beyond its requirements into the next key stage 4 .
The National Curriculum also requires schools to help children to develop key skills
and thinking skills, all of which are embedded in the National Curriculum programmes
of study. The development of these skills is as important for gifted and talented
children as for other children; schools should not assume that more successful
children have already developed these skills sufficiently. Planning should identify
opportunities for teaching and learning all these skills, across all key stages.
In planning to meet the needs of gifted and talented children, schools may consider a
number of organisational issues, such as mixed-ability teaching, streaming, setting
and advancing the pupil to a later year group. The decision to adopt any of these
approaches remains with the school, but care should be taken to consider all the
issues involved in making the decision.
The most important provision, in any organisational context, is effective classroom
teaching. Good teaching for gifted and talented children has the essential
characteristics of good teaching for any pupil, but is characterised by planning more
creatively, using more demanding resources, teaching children deliberately how to
engage fully with the subject and creating a classroom climate in which children are
motivated to learn. OfSTED have also found that good teaching for gifted and
3 The National Curriculum, DFEE/QCA, 1999
4 Designing and Timetabling the Primary Curriculum, QCA, 2002
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talented children, especially in secondary schools, is particularly dependent on the
teacher’s own specialist expertise and scholarship. Other research values the
teacher’s charisma, and the teacher’s willingness to explore new learning
possibilities. Schools are encouraged to use the national Classroom Quality
Standards for gifted and talented provision to explore these characteristics, and how
to develop them further, through staff discussions and in planned training and
support.
Good classroom provision can be complemented by school-based enrichment
activities such as school clubs and activities, visits and “masterclasses”. Schools
should ensure that any activities organised by the school and available to children
are of high quality and safe. Schools should also aim to ensure that children are not
barred from participation because of
• cost, including any additional costs of travel to and from school
• inappropriate identification of children for whom the activity is planned or for
whom the activity would be of benefit
• any disability which results in less favourable treatment than that received by
others.
The local authority will support schools and parents in making effective provision by
• monitoring the provision available in Dorset for gifted and talented children in
order to disseminate best practice
• providing opportunities for school and curriculum leaders to share best practice in
making provision for gifted and talented children in their schools
• providing training opportunities for teachers and school governors to develop
their skills
• promoting and working in national and local partnerships to extend the range of
provision available in Dorset
• in exceptional cases, providing financial support for a pupil to attend a specialist
boarding school 5 .
Monitoring the policy
The local education authority will evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of
this policy annually, based on national Local Authority Quality Standards, with a
particular focus on
• the extent to which objectives in the authority’s strategy are met
• analysis of the progress of high attaining children in National Curriculum tests
and accredited examinations
• annual review of standards and school provision by School Improvement
Partners with headteachers
• review of school OfSTED inspection reports
• analysis of any parental concerns or complaints about provision
• review of additions to the range of provision made within the authority.
The policy will be reviewed fully every two years.
Publication date: June 2007
5 Dorset LEA Boarding Policy: Boarding at Independent (Private) Schools, available from
Support Services Officer, Children’s Services
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Appendix 1: Lead Officer(s) for Gifted and Talented Provision
Sue Swift, Seconded headteacher (primary)
Ken Stevenson, Principal Inspector for Inclusion
Angela Herrera, Primary Strategy Team
Katie Ashcroft, Secondary Strategy Team
Vacancy, Advanced Skills Teacher
Appendix 2: National Quality Standards
National Quality Standards include
• Institutional Quality Standards for self-evaluation of school provision and
outcomes
• Classroom Quality Standards for self-evaluation of classroom provision
• Local Authority Quality Standards for self-evaluation of the LA’s policy and
provision.
All standards are available at the national G&T Wise website
http://www2.teachernet.gov.uk/
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