Gifted and Talented

Using ICT to enhance learning and teaching for able pupils in mathematics

scameron — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:43:37 +0100

When technology first arrived in schools in the 1980s it started off in maths departments with spreadsheets and Logo. It was seen as a natural marriage. Later on, as there were more developments in ICT to support different areas of the curriculum, maths fell behind. For a long time it was word processing and multimedia which dominated the curriculum but with interactive whiteboards it has become easier to show examples and make maths dynamic.

Storytelling to stretch young minds

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:48:09 +0100

Storytellers in ancient, preliterate cultures could remember word-for-word epic tales that might take several evenings to recount. They would store the entire tribal history in their minds and retell it at celebrations and ceremonies.

Writing stories down in books and reading them again liberates the mind from these feats of memory. But traditional storytelling still has a role to play and is a skill worth cultivating.

Starting points 2: How can I meet differing learning needs in the classroom?

scameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:03:31 +0000

What are the different learning needs of pupils in my class/classes?

Storytelling as an enrichment activity

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:51:23 +0000

Day two of the Derby gifted and talented storytelling workshop begins with a fast round of BillyBong, a delightfully silly game with lots of shouting and jumping up and down. It is designed to wake everyone up, get rid of inhibitions and make people listen carefully to what others say. A second game involves miming. We start with realistic things such as skipping and painting, moving on to eating a frog or painting an alien.

Enhancing provision for gifted users of ICT

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:48:46 +0100

Some schools now have wonderful ICT, with immersion technology, green screens, podcasting and software for different forms of modelling, but we need to ensure that technology is used appropriately to enhance and support teaching and learning for our most able pupils.

'Outstanding' lessons in G&T provision: charting the routes to excellence

scameron — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:02:59 +0100

During a recent school Inset day, I heard a teacher addressing his own staff with a very strident warning: that scrutinising Ofsted ‘outstanding' descriptors was actually a fruitless exercise. His comments gained support from his staff and he went on to say that school improvement was linked more to ‘growing' a staffroom of morale ‘lifters' rather than morale ‘hoovers'.

Switching the lights on for potentially able learners: part two

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:51:34 +0100

It is evident that schools are facing huge challenges in education arising from a complex network of powerful social, economic, and political influences. Yet many are providing high-quality education. In a recent research project (see references, below) the case-study schools shared common attributes which resulted in high-quality provision, not only for gifted and talented pupils but for all learners:

How does G&T education justify its own existence?

scameron — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:44:31 +0100

Gifted education has many unfortunate associations for colleagues in terms of elitism, giving more to those that already have, the concept of ‘chosen ones’ and the lack of focus on commitment. It also hasn’t appeared to address itself to the big ‘so what’ and ‘why bother’ questions. This article is the start of some practical investigations into how we frame G&T and how we as G&T educators address these big questions. How does G&T education justify its own existence? How do we persuade our colleagues that it matters?

Academic language for G&T learners

scameron — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:28:43 +0100

In the secondary phase of education in particular, classroom coverage of language is understandably driven by the requirements of subject. But without a focus on language development, learners will fail to secure the command of language that they require for high achievement. EAL-focused initiatives like A Language in Common could have made the difference, but largely have not.

How to challenge advanced bilingual learners

jlee — Fri, 07 May 2010 09:27:13 +0100

Who are our advanced bilingual learners? How do I understand their learning needs?

The Pupil and Parents Guarantees for G&T – writing to parents

scameron — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:43:43 +0100

In the two previous issues of this bulletin we outlined the proposed Pupil and Parent Guarantees and their implications for schools. In the meantime, the guarantees have been dropped from the Children, Schools and Families Bill that was passing through parliament in the ‘wash-up’ before the general election. However, we hope that this advice will be of value to you even in the absence of the guarantees, as it is good practice to communicate with parents and work together for the benefit of pupils

The Pupil and Parent Guarantees – what are the implications for schools?

scameron — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:41:12 +0000

In the previous issue, we highlighted that the new Pupil and Parent Guarantees will place schools under some pressure to state an entitlement for G&T learners, to define precisely the extra challenge and support that an identified gifted and talented learner will receive as a direct consequence of being identified.

Guarantee 3.10: That every pupil identified as gifted and talented receives written confirmation by their school of the extra challenge and support they will receive.

The Pupil and Parent Guarantees – what are the implications for G&T?

scameron — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:36:11 +0000

One of the new elements of national policy for gifted and talented education concerns the pupil and parent guarantees. These have been framed by the Secretary of State as key elements of ‘an education which combines universal entitlements for all – designed to lead to a broad curriculum and the best possible teaching – with personalised and targeted support which meets the particular needs of individual learners.’ (The Pupil and Parent Guarantees, Foreword, p3). This issue summarises the provision which schools will be expected to make.

How do you spot G&T potential in a new EAL student?

scameron — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:46:39 +0000

Many more classrooms now include learners with English as an additional language (EAL) who are relative beginners in English or recently arrived in the UK. Conventional means that we use to identify G&T pupils cannot be easily applied to these pupils, for example if we do not have access to information about their education and achievement, or their ability to communicate their thinking in English does not match that in their first language.

Sustainable G&T provision and the role of data

scameron — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:57:00 +0000

The December Ofsted report entitled Gifted and Talented Pupils in Schools was produced to provide an indication of how ready schools would be to meet the challenge of G&T education with the ‘scaled-back’ capacity of the national programme – seriously reduced capacity within the DCSF and the impending demise of the National Strategies at the end of March 2011.

The big question therefore became ‘What would schools have to do if they were to sustain any of the improvements made?’

The Ofsted Report on G&T practice

scameron — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:57:22 +0000

During July 2009 Ofsted visited 17 secondary schools and nine primary schools to evaluate their capacity to provide for gifted and talented pupils, to identify good and less effective practice and to determine how best schools might be supported. They published their report, Gifted and Talented Pupils in Schools, in December 2009 (ref 090132); we report on their findings in the next two issues of this e-bulletin, analyse the critical assumptions and issues in the report and look at how schools can usefully respond.

Gifted and talented education - the case for inclusion: part 2

scameron — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:20:45 +0000

In the previous issue we introduced some of the key debates around the composition of the national G&T population by pupil characteristics. We contrasted differing perspectives on identification with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ view of G&T to show how different characteristics such as gender, ethnicity and free school meals eligibility influence the probability of inclusion.

Gifted and talented education - the case for inclusion: part 1

scameron — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:20:53 +0000

Ability is evenly distributed within the population; achievement is not.

The national programme for gifted and talented education emerged in 1997 as a response to significant evidence that more able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were not achieving in the same way as those facing less challenging circumstances.

Twelve years on, significant inequalities remain.

Seeing your school through the eyes of the SIP

scameron — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:54:57 +0000

Questioning your provision

Practical strategies and ideas for G&T provision in your school

scameron — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:48:16 +0000

Welcome to your new e-bulletin from Optimus Education, Gifted and Talented Update. Each fortnight we will bring ideas, news and information direct to your inbox. With leading teachers getting to grips with the role, and every teacher aiming to provide personalised learning for every child, there should be something of interest for everyone!

Supporting disabled children in sport

scameron — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:14:26 +0100

The BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2008, 13-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, had an amazing year. She was selected for the swimming team at the Beijing Paralympics and came home with two gold medals for her top performances in both the 100 metres and 400 metres freestyle.

School trips: challenging pupils

scameron — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:33:20 +0100

Greg Walters, coordinator of outdoor education at Redbridge Community College in Southampton, led the school’s expedition to Mexico. Crispin Andrews interviewed him to find out about it

Know, Want to know, Learned: G&T classroom strategies

scameron — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:09:57 +0100

Activity: KWL (Know, Want to know, Learned)
Subject: Any
Key Stage(s): 2, 3 and 4.

Time to allocate:
This activity can be used alongside a learning stimulus in a lesson such as a section of video material, independent research using books or the internet, or a reading from a text. If, for example, a video clip of 10-minutes’ length is used, the KWL activity should be used before, during and after the clip, as detailed below.

Links between SEN and gifted & talented: part 2

scameron — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:45:46 +0100

Last SENCO Week we looked at the issues surrounding pupils with DME (dual or multiple exceptionality) – those with high ability in one, or some, specific areas but also experiencing difficulty in some aspect of education. This week we consider some strategies for support and how to help pupils fulfill their potential.

Links between SEN and gifted & talented: part 1

scameron — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:55:58 +0100

Lots of SENCOs find themselves in the role of G&T coordinator as well as having responsibility for pupils with SEN. In fact, some schools include their G&T youngsters in the SEN or AEN (additional educational needs) category. They are recognised as having specific learning needs and as such, deserve an equal amount of attention. Even if you are not the G&T coordinator, you may well be involved with individuals who are ‘twice exceptional’ - they are very able in one area, but have difficulties in another.

Developing very able students at post-16

scameron — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:55:24 +0100

Written by Moira Sheehan, Richard Gould and Jeremy Reynolds

A handbook to support your Gifted & Talented strategy

This handbook is a source of practical advice and expertise for all those responsible for improving teaching and learning at post-16, including lead professionals for Gifted and Talented, Heads of Sixth Forms and Vice-Principals. Whether you have just started to think about provision for your very able students or whether you have a well-established programme, this handbook can help.

A-Z of G&T education (8): Gifted and talented

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:42:01 +0000

What exactly do we mean by ‘gifted and talented’? Dictionaries give us the following definitions:

gifted:

having natural talent or aptitude
highly intelligent (children)

talented:

Helping secondary G&T students aim high

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:57:55 +0000

Last month saw many young people starting university. In some cases, they will be the first person in the family to follow this route and to aim for degree-level qualifications.

G&T activity to stimulate creative thinking

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:03:49 +0000

Activity: Odd One Out
Subject: Any
Key Stage(s): 1, 2, 3 & 4.

Dragon's Den for G&T students

scameron — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:43:36 +0000

Anyone familiar with the television programme Dragons’ Den will be aware that marketing an idea is not for the faint-hearted, particularly when the judges have a financial interest in the outcome. However, maintaining a calm demeanour under intense scrutiny is one of the more challenging, but useful life skills: so any chance to practise it within a safe environment has to represent a good opportunity for young people.

Research into G&T has CPD benefits

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:36:46 +0000

Two years ago, together with 19 other teachers from schools across the country, I was awarded a research grant by the now defunct National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY). My research was to consider whether mixed-ability teaching challenges the most able in a primary classroom. It was a subject that had intrigued me for many years, not only at primary but also at secondary level. As most of my experience is in 9-13 middle schools I neatly cross the divide.

Working with governors on G&T provision

scameron — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:52:13 +0000

School governors come in all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of knowledge and expertise. Their backing for G&T provision can be a great asset, helping you to move G&T up the agenda, secure resources and improve the opportunities on offer for your most able pupils. Keeping governors informed about your work as G&T coordinator/ leading teacher can be influential in getting and keeping them ‘onside’, and the pointers below may help you in addressing this part of your role.

Gifted and talented centres: leading the way

scameron — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:07:36 +0000

Yorkshire and Humber was the first region to select schools as ‘gifted and talented centres’ last term. This is the latest initiative designed to strengthen and enhance the work of regional partnerships, acknowledge outstanding practice and facilitate the sharing of expertise.

The selection process in Yorkshire and Humber consisted of two stages:

CPD training for G&T coordinators

scameron — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:42:07 +0000

The education of highly able or ‘gifted and talented’ (G&T) children has received much government attention in recent years. Major policy changes and significant financial developments in the area of gifted and talented education, in particular through the introduction of the ‘Young Gifted and Talented’ programme and the creation of the role of leading teacher for G&T, has in turn given renewed impetus to CPD in this area.

Monitoring learning and teaching

scameron — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:49:24 +0000

This activity comes from Improve your Leadership Skills, a school resource that tackles the issues that those with leadership positions in schools face.

It contains worksheets, guides and 20-minute activities designed to help middle leaders develop practical and straightforward procedures that will make a contribution to teaching and learning within their school.

Written by Kit Field, Elizabeth Hoult and Simon Hughes

Gifted and talented: the basics

scameron — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:49:30 +0000

For those encountering the idea of gifted children and gifted education for the first time, the field can appear complex and confusing. ‘Who are the gifted?’ and ‘What educational provision will they need?’ are some of the most difficult questions to answer. Yet it is important for a growing population of professionals and lay people to get to grips with some of the basic principles underpinning good practice. As the range of providers of services for G&T is expanded, this need is becoming greater and more acute.

G&T classroom strategies: Science

scameron — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:38:13 +0000

Maps from memory: the underlying theory

Maps from memory is based on research conducted into working memory – the part of our memory that stores and immediately processes information. Unlike long-term memory, which is a vast library of information, working memory is small and information can be retained and processed in it for only short periods of time.

A-Z of G&T education (7): Extension

scameron — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:31:45 +0000

Extension is a term used to include a variety of methods of providing stimulation, challenge and pace for able pupils. It involves teachers in planning appropriate differentiation for quick learners rather then requiring them to do ‘more of the same’.

Leaders of the future: G&T leadership skills

scameron — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:35:31 +0000

As a G & T coordinator or leading teacher, how would you describe your leadership style? If you have been part of a programme of continuous professional development such as the NCSL ‘Leading from the Middle’ programme, you will undoubtedly have been asked to consider your own leadership style and how it affects the contributions of others around you; but have you considered how this learning could benefit the experiences of those able, gifted and talented students you support?

Identify G&T without stigmatising

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:49:01 +0000

The field of gifted education is primarily concerned to ensure that those who have the potential to excel are not held back by lack of educational opportunity. Yet the question of how best to achieve this continues to perplex. This year, I have been undertaking a review of the international literature on the education of gifted and talented children over the past 50 years, and it is clear that certain dilemmas in the field remain unresolved.

Integrating enrichment activities

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:18:25 +0000

One of the well-documented limitations of many enrichment activities is the danger of presenting a ‘one-off’ experience divorced from the curriculum and/or delivered out of context. Freeman (1998) points out that enrichment is not a ‘supplementary diet’ but should always be integrated with whole-school provision for the very able, indeed for pupils of all abilities: she also believes that enrichment can lack clear goals if the activity is ‘decontextualised’.

Identifying primary G&T pupils in sport

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:55:47 +0000

A cricketer’s career

When he was 13, cricketer Nasser Hussain was well on the way to becoming an international leg spinner. But within three years, he had undergone a growth spurt and in the midst of this physical development his bowling fell to pieces.

Intelligence vs ability

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:33:07 +0000

Orla is struggling in maths again. ‘I’m just not clever enough to do this, Miss’. For some reason the fact that she has been hailed a ‘literary genius’ since the age of seven on the basis of her creative word play and devouring Philip Pullman novels since the age of eight doesn’t seem to factor in this negative self-perception. And Sally. Well, what can we say about Sally? Working beyond Level 8 in maths at the tender age of 12, though she needs to work alone and abhors open-ended questions. The concept of error does not factor on her agenda.

Developing visual learning skills

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:26:12 +0000

Visual imagery can play a powerful role in accelerating human learning. Complex verbal explanations can often be simplified through visual support – now made more accessible through new technologies. And organised learners use a range of low-tech techniques to make sure that their notes are well-ordered and easy to navigate. These include colour coding, post-it notes, highlighters, etc, to help categorise, prioritise and make the work user-friendly.

Achieving equality for gifted and talented students

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:56:05 +0000

Many gifted and talented students live in black/ minority ethnic (BME) communities and/or speak English as an additional language (EAL), but such students are traditionally under-represented in G&T cohorts. The REAL (Realising Equality and Achievement for Learners) Project is the first national project specifically working to improve the overall quality of gifted and talented education for BME and EAL students.

A gifted and talented sports programme

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:05:48 +0000

A progressive and forward thinking establishment, Bucklers Mead School is situated on the outskirts of the town of Yeovil in Somerset. Head of PE at the school is Craig Fletcher, a dynamic and experienced teacher who over the past few years has been involved in the National Gifted and Talented Scheme.

In a department of over five teachers and a schools sports coordinator (SSCO) – assigned to develop partnership with a local sports colleges and primary feeder schools – Craig has worked hard to improve the quality and performance of both students and staff.

A-Z of G&T education (6): Enrichment

scameron — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:03:03 +0000

Enrichment is now sometimes used as an umbrella term to encompass a range of approaches to enhancing opportunities for G&T learners, especially in terms of out-of-school activity. It can be useful, however, to consider enrichment as a certain form of differentiation with particular characteristics which include:

Personalised learning opportunities for able students

scameron — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:51 +0000

Ask your closest colleague why they are doing what they are doing and chances are they will attribute the shape of their lives to an early encounter that unlocked something – ‘let the genie out of the bottle’ – forever. The encounter may have been with a book or a place, but it was more than likely with a teacher. It would have been the teacher who introduced the book, the place, or the subject, topic, activity, pastime that introduced the ‘other world’, beyond the routine and the everyday.

Nurturing hidden talent

scameron — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:51:26 +0000

The aim of widening participation policy is to ensure that everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education (HE) should have the opportunity to do so. But although the total number of students participating in HE has grown, it seems this is mainly due to an increase in numbers of students from affluent backgrounds. This highlights a need for targeted interventions addressing particular issues for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Give disadvantaged students the opportunity to shine

scameron — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:54:02 +0000

In the current education arena, the ‘skills agenda’ focuses on developing the intellectual capital of individual students and the ‘personalisation agenda’ provides a potential framework to enable this to occur. However, a third major education agenda is the need to reduce inequity in the system.