more able and talented

EXEMPLAR SCHOOL POLICY
FOR
MORE ABLE AND TALENTED CHILDREN: SECONDARY

At ------- school we believe in creating an inclusive learning community that celebrates the uniqueness of all children. The school will promote stimulating and challenging experiences through a broad balanced curriculum that also offers quality learning activities that focus on the particular needs and talents of the children. We are also committed to identifying and meeting the needs of these children as early as possible in order to enable them to achieve their best.

To develop provision for more able and talented children that reflects the LEA policy.
To develop a curriculum that extends and enriches the learning experiences of this particular group of children.
To develop a range of learning and teaching strategies that extend and support children’ development.
To work effectively in partnership with children and parents/ carers to develop individual learning programmes

To identify a more able and talented co-ordinator who will work proactively in developing a whole school approach to meeting the needs of more able and talented children.
To identify and place on a data base more able and talented children in our school
To ensure effective monitoring and evaluation systems are in place

More Able and Talented is the general term for this concept;
Children may be more able and/ or talented in diverse fields (academic, creative, sporting, social, leadership);
More able children would demonstrate a higher ability than average for the class and would often require differentiated tasks and opportunities to learn through challenges;
Most able children will be working at two levels above the majority of children in the class and would sometimes require additional and different provision. This would be supported by an IAP;
Talented children demonstrate an innate talent or skill in creative or sporting fields
More able and talented children may be “high flyers”, coasters or disaffected

The school recognises that more able and talented children can fall into three broad categories:

Children who display a level of ability beyond that of their peers. They are highly motivated and thrive on different and challenging learning experiences

Often engage in anti social behaviour as a result of poor motivation or lack of sufficient challenge. If educational needs are not met they can rebel against authority.

We are committed to identifying children in response to this policy’s definition on more able and talented, which will enable us to accurately identify the diverse range of abilities. This will be achieved by using a variety of strategies as part of the identification process. It is not intended to define a pupil as more able and talented based on the results of a single strategy, but rather, from a combination of any of the following:

Examination results, including NC and other external test marks, school exams, a range of other national tests including CATs (see school assessment policy);
Teacher observation and nomination based on course work;
Assessment of preferred learning styles based on Gardiner’s multiple intelligence theory;
Pupil checklist of characteristics;
Parent nomination based on skill, interests and abilities, possibly using questionnaires in the appendix.

The school recognises that successful provision for more able and talented children is dependent on partnership. We realise that all parties involved in this process have rights and responsibilities that need to be acknowledged and respected. These will include:

The school aims to provide a stimulating learning environment for all its children, this includes the more able and talented child;
More able and talented children will be asked to set their own rigorous learning targets and will be provided with differentiated work to meet these targets.

We want our parents/ carers to be aware that we are committed to meeting the needs of all our children;
Parents of children who are more able and talents will be made aware of this and their child’s IAPs will be shared with them

The Co-ordinator will: set in place a register of More Able and Talented children; the LEA will then aim to establish its own authority-wide register;
monitor and track the progress of children identified;
lead staff discussion and raise awareness through effective INSET provision
Liase with class teachers, subject leaders, ARR coordinator and the SENCo
set up and manage a whole school resource facility to inform on recent materials, specialist facilities and share good practice
give advice and guidance on extending opportunities and linking to other agencies

The Head of Department will liaise with the More able and Talented Co-ordinator over the early identification of more able and talented children in his/ her department;
Each department will nominate a teacher with responsibility for more able and talented children

Teacher should discuss the planning for these groups of children with the Co-ordinator so as to ensure (s)he meets their needs;
A variety of teaching strategies should be used to meet the needs of more able and talented children (see section on Learning and Teaching overleaf).

The governing body will be responsible for ensuring that this policy is fully implemented;
A governor has been given specific responsibility for children who are more able and talented;
The Annual Governors’ Report to Parents will comment on the implementation of this policy.

The LEA Co-ordinator will assist schools with their teaching of more able and talented children;
The Co-ordinator will facilitate in- service training for schools and organise special events for more able and talented children

All more able and talented children will be entered on the school and the LEA’s more able and talented register;
Where necessary and appropriate the school will link up with its cluster group, the LEA Co-ordinator, external providers and industrial links;
The school brochure will contain a section on provision for more able and talented children

The school’s policy for more able and talented children will work within the framework of the curriculum policy;
Teachers and children will share expectations for lessons;
Staff will make flexible and efficient use of resources within and across departments;
Teachers will deploy appropriate teaching styles (see following section) with children and evaluate their outcomes;
Teachers will use their assessments to inform future planning;
There is a nominated teacher in each department with responsibility for more able and talented children.

Setting;
Varying groups to suit tasks;
Extension opportunities;
Child initiated learning opportunities;
Differentiated teacher questioning;
Targeted use of classroom assistants;
Adopting a problem solving approach;
Adopting a skills based approach;
Awareness of learning styles;
Special tasks of responsibility;
Visits by experts;
Consultation with LEA Co-ordinator;
Use of more able and talented children as tutors and/or mentors
Acknowledging children’s success through displays/rewards/newsletters
Encouraging identified children to share their expertise and skills, supporting others within and outside the classroom

All monitoring and evaluation should reflect the school’s Self-evaluation procedures and monitoring and evaluation policy;
The More able and Talented Children Register together with children’ IAPs should be regularly monitored and reviewed by the co-ordinator;
Children should be aware of testing data and the IAP review process so that they can be instrumental in setting their own learning targets;
The co-ordinator should liaise regularly with the governor with responsibility for more able and talented children;
The governing body will comment in their Annual Review on progress and developments in implementing this policy.