Gifted and Talented

Hampden Gurney recognises that all of its pupils are unique individuals at varying stages of readiness and ability but each with their own individual potential.

Our policy starts with the expectation that there are gifted and talented learners in every year group. Senior staff, teachers and other adults identify pupils who are gifted and talented, and co-operate with parents when making those decisions. Gifted or talented children are often much more than simply higher than average. As a high-performing establishment, we are keen to help children reach their full potential by providing enriching and significant challenge and support throughout every year.

Ongoing assessment of student educational performance and attainment enables the school to identify students who require significant differentiation of the curriculum and its content because  they are achieving national standards with ease and who would benefit from further enrichment and extension to achieve attainment levels commensurate with their ability or potential.

There are many definitions of gifted and talented. This guidance builds on the work of Excellence in Cities (EiC), which identifies:

• ‘Gifted’ learners as those who have abilities in one or more subjects in the statutory school curriculum other than art and design, music and PE.
• ‘Talented’ learners as those who have abilities in art and design, music, PE, or performing arts such as dance and drama.

The aims of our Gifted and Talented programme at school are:

1. To educate children to the highest possible standards.
2. To be concerned with developing the ‘whole’ child, socially, emotionally and intellectually.
3. To provide an extended curriculum for Able, Gifted and Talented children within the daily Literacy and Numeracy hours, including objectives appropriate for the ability of the children.
4. To provide further work on Literacy, Numeracy, Speaking and Listening and Thinking Skills and using and applying in Mathematics.
5. To explore and implement strategies both within school and with outside agencies to help Able, Gifted and Talented children.

Provision

Enrichment and extension

Provision for Gifted and Talented pupils takes place within the frameworks of the National Curriculum subjects but also provides opportunities to study topics and subjects outside of those frameworks. It is a combination of differentiation, enrichment, extension and acceleration that occurs as both in-class provision and out of class provision.

Hampden Gurney has a full time teacher that specialises in teaching Gifted and Talented children giving them the opportunity to stimulate their thinking.

Children learn ‘how to think’ developing their thinking skills. By thinking skills, we mean any skills that support and structure the development of thinking. Thinking skills are clustered in the National Curriculum as follows:

• Information Processing Skills
• Reasoning Skills
• Enquiry Skills
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Evaluation Skills
• Higher level questioning skills.

Acceleration

Children who meet the following criteria will be offered the opportunity to join the class above for the purpose of learning the core curriculum at their ability level:

• Consistent performance, above that of their peer group, in National Tests (NFER in October, QCA in May) as school’s summative assessments.
• Consistent performance in day-to-day class work, above that of their peer group, school’s formative assessment.
• Pupils demonstrating a higher order of social and emotional skills when compared to their peers.

Out of school hours provision enables children to examine National Curriculum subjects at a greater depth and breadth or to explore additional subjects. It includes:

• After-school clubs
• Weekend schools
• Focused visits to artistic events, exhibitions and performances.
• Master classes offered by external agencies and institutions
• School competitions

Parental involvement

Meeting the needs of the Able, Gifted or Talented child requires the help and understanding of both parents and the school. Both can support and encourage each other in the provision for the Gifted and Talented.

Hampden Gurney involves parents of Gifted and Talented children by keeping parents informed on strategies used in the school to extend the child’s progress and also by informing them about clubs and resources available outside school.

Useful Information for Parents

Young Gifted and Talented

Information about the Young, Gifted & Talented programme including resources, activities, news and case studies. Further information can be found on the YG&T website.

National Association for Gifted Children

Practical tools and courses to help you develop your child's gifts and talents. Further information can be found on this National Association for Gifted Children's website.

National Association for Able Children in Education

Independent education organisation specialising in teaching and learning for able, gifted and talented pupils.

Directgov

Information about supporting gifted and talented children. Further information can be found on the directgov website.

BBC schools homepage - Learning resources for home and school.

Londongt - Advice on how to support your child at home.