Gifted, Talented, More Able and Exceptionally Able Policy

 

Rationale
 
At Old Leake Primary and Nursery School we believe in treating all pupils as individuals and so catering for their individual needs. We plan our teaching and learning in such a way that we enable each child to reach for the highest level of personal achievement. This policy helps to ensure that we recognise and support the needs of those children in our school who have been identified as gifted, talented and more able according to national guidelines.
 
Aims
 
Through this policy, we aim to:
 
  • Ensure that we recognise and support the needs of our children.
  • Enable children to develop to their full potential.
  • Offer children opportunities to generate their own learning.
  • Ensure that we challenge and extend the children through the work that we set them.
  • Encourage children to think and work independently.
 
Definitions
 
In this policy, the terms ‘more able’ and ‘gifted and talented’ are used. The more able pupils at Old Leake are identified as being the top 30-35% of the school population. The Gifted and Talented pupils at Old Leake form the top 5-10% of the school population. An exceptionally able child would be identified as one who isachieving 2 levels above the norm.
 
In these guidelines the term ‘more able’ refers to those pupils who demonstrate high achievement across most areas of the curriculum.   ‘Gifted’ refers to those pupils who demonstrate a very high range of achievement and consistently exceed national expectations. Those children who are gifted often have very well developed learning skills. The term ‘talented’ refers to those pupils who have a very high level of skill in the areas of sport and/or the creative arts (for example music, dance, drama, art and design technology).
 
Identification
 
The identification of gifted, talented, more able and exceptionally able pupils is a process in which all teaching staff have a part, but it is overseen and co-ordinated by the Gifted, Talented and More Able Co-ordinator.
 
We use a range of strategies to identify gifted, talented, more able and exceptionally able pupils. The identification process is ongoing and begins when pupils join our school. The identification strategies we use are:
 
  • Baseline assessment
  • Foundation Stage Profile
  • National Curriculum Statutory Tests at Y2 and Y6.
  • National Curriculum Optional Tests at Y3, 4 and 5
  • November retesting of mathematics using the previous year’s paper
  • Graded mental maths tests carried out once a term
  • Running Records for Reading
  • NfER Spelling
  • ’10 by 10’ writing assessments
  • Talent boxes
  • Teacher observation
  • Consultation with parents
  • Consultation with pupils
  • Involvement with relevant outside agencies
  • Work Scrutiny
  • Classroom Observation
 
The Gifted, Talented and Co-ordinator has produced a Register of Gifted, Talented, More Able and Exceptionally Able pupils. This register regularly reviewed and updated in consultation with Staff.
 
Monitoring
 
The gifted, talented, more able and exceptionally able cohort is monitored by the Gifted, Talented and More Able Co-ordinator through a programme of work sampling, classroom observation and the analysis of assessment data. Results are compared with the expectations generated by baseline testing. Individual and group Personal Education Plans are in the process of being generated in consultation with the Learning Mentor where appropriate.
 
Each pupil is further monitored on a daily basis by his or her class teacher who sets regular targets and monitors the achievement of those pupils.
 
We believe that one of the most effective strategies for helping gifted, talented,
 more able and exceptionally able pupils to reach their full potential is ensuring that they develop as rounded individuals and so their progress in social and interpersonal skills is monitored as well as their progress within curriculum subjects.
 
Provision
 
There are three basic ways of meeting the needs of gifted, talented and more able pupils: acceleration, enrichment and extension. 
 
Acceleration
 
Acceleration consists of enabling a pupil to access work which would typically be for older pupils. This can occur through moving the pupil up a year group or through simply giving them work which would more typically be given to older pupils.
 
Enrichment
 
Enrichment consists of broadening a pupil’s education. Concepts and skills are explored in greater depth, with an emphasis on investigation and the encouragement of creative thinking.
 
We enrich the curriculum for gifted, talented and more able pupils in these ways:
·         Schemes of work indicate where additional resources and materials can be used to broaden gifted, talented and more able pupils’ appreciation of a topic.
·         There is an extensive range of lunchtime and after-school clubs at Old Leake Primary and Nursery for example, Dance, Tag Rugby, Craft, Athletics, Rounders, Football, ICT, Netball, Kwik Cricket and Gardening, which enable gifted, talented and more able pupils to broaden their knowledge and interests.
·         Gifted, talented and more able pupils are invited to participate in workshops outside school time for example, the School Sculpting Workshop at Donington.
·         Regularly throughout each term, groups of identified gifted, talented and more able pupils across the school receive support from the school’s Learning Mentor. The main focus of these sessions is to promote and encourage social interaction across a variety of year groups as well as developing the pupils’ meta-cognitive skills.
·         By holding ‘themed’ weeks such as Literacy, Art and Science, the GTMA children are given opportunities to work alongside community artists, etc. A planned Art / Grounds Week for summer 2007 will involve not only the GTMA from Old Leake but other such children from local primary schools within our Excellence Cluster.
 
Extension
 
Extension occurs when pupils are encouraged to develop more sophisticated thinking and reasoning skills. Extension activities provide pupils with an extra tier of challenge.
 
We extended gifted, talented and more able pupils by
 
·         Providing appropriate differentiation to ensure gifted, talented and more able pupils are appropriately extended and challenged.
 
Provision for exceptionally able pupils is being developed through links with the Giles Secondary School and enrolment in the ‘Learner’s Academy’ (NAGTY).
 
Continuing Professional Development
 
Gifted, talented, more able and exceptionally able issues are included in staff meetings at least once per term. The Gifted, Talented, More Able and Exceptionally Able Co-ordinator delivers and attends training as appropriate.
 
Responsibility for Co-ordinating and Monitoring Progress
 
The Co-ordinator for Gifted, Talented, More Able and Exceptionally Able is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the policy and provision. Where necessary, the Co-ordinator will make suggestions for how this can be enhanced further. The monitoring includes feedback from pupils, classroom observations, evidence of pupils’ work in order to demonstrate the standards that they are achieving. The Co-ordinator uses these examples to inform the process of identification of gifted, talented, more able and exceptionally able pupils. 
The Co-ordinator updates, gives feedback and disseminates information to the Staff and Governing Body.
 
Signed ……………..…….Headteacher                      Date ……………..
 
Signed ………………….Chairman of Governors       Date ………….
 
 
Review date ………………………….