Gifted Talented Learners Every School A Good School

Gifted & Talented Learners

Every School A Good School (2009) § The characteristics of a successful school § Child-centred provision § High quality teaching and learning § Effective leadership § A school connected to its local community

Every School A Good School (2009) Child-centred Provision § A school culture of achievement, improvement and ambition exists – with clear expectations that all pupils can and will achieve to the very best of their ability. § Effective interventions and support are in place to meet the additional education and other needs of pupils and to help them overcome barriers to learning. § A commitment exists to ensuring that all children follow an educational pathway which is appropriate for them in a school or through a collaborative arrangement with another school, FE College or other provider.

Every School A Good School (2009) High Quality Teaching & Learning § A broad and relevant curriculum is provided for the pupils, including through the Entitlement Framework for pupils at Key Stage 4 and above. § Teachers use adaptable, flexible teaching strategies that respond to the diversity within the classroom. § Assessment and other data is used to effectively inform teaching and learning across the school and in the classroom and to promote improvement.

What does a gifted and talented learner look like? In small groups, agree on two sentences that describe a gifted and talented learner.

What does a gifted and talented learner look like? The clichéd view is of a gifted and talented learner who is competent, confident in his/her abilities and who succeeds unaided. It isn’t always like that….

In 1873 F. W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21. He would not serve customers as he lacked confidence. In 1913, as a successful businessman, he paid for the Woolworth Building to be constructed in New York City at a cost of $13. 5 million in cash.

Temple Grandin, Ph. D, was diagnosed with brain damage at age two. She is now an associate professor at Colorado State University and arguably the most accomplished adult with ‘high functioning’ autism in the world. She is also a world renowned professional designer of humane livestock facilities.

Maria Callas was rejected by the prestigious Athens Conservatoire. At the audition her voice failed to impress. She was later gained world-wide recognition as one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20 th century. Critics praised her bel canto technique, wideranging voice and dramatic gifts.

Guidance § Learners, who are gifted and talented, have additional needs and may require: § Differentiated curriculum § Support for making and maintaining friendships § Support for coping with the emotional pressure of greater expectations § They may also have special educational needs. § CCEA, with the support of NCCA, developed guidance for teachers and schools on educating gifted and talented learners. You can download the guidance here.

Definition In Northern Ireland we use the term Gifted and Talented to describe those learners who are achieving or who have the potential to achieve a level substantially beyond the rest of their peer group inside their particular school. Those learners who demonstrate or have the potential to demonstrate extremely high levels of ability, compared to their peers across the entire population, will be referred to by the term Exceptionally Able.

Gifted & talented areas: • general intellectual ability or talent; • specific academic aptitude or talent; • visual and performing arts and sports; • leadership ability; • creative and productive thinking; • mechanical ingenuity; and • special abilities in empathy, understanding and negotiation.

Talent spotting! It can be difficult to spot talent so a robust identification system is needed.

Talent spotting (cont. ) § Has your school got an identification system in place? § Have you considered how to support those learners who are both gifted & talented and have a special educational need? § Have you considered all possible areas of talent and ability? § For further information the chapter on identification starts on page 10 of the CCEA guidance.

Profiles § Starting on page 80 of the guidance is a chapter which outlines typical profiles of learners who are gifted and talented. § Use this to identify and discuss the learners described in the pen portraits which follow.

Conor is 14. He is well liked by teachers and his classmates. He has a neat and tidy appearance, is rarely absent from school and never late. His ‘end of year’ test results are always above average, (often top in his class). Conor is also an excellent sportsman. He loves athletics and has achieved well in competitions when running 100 m and 200 m events. Usain Bolt is hero. When choosing GCSE subjects, Conor was unsure which to pick. He is very able in Maths and is always in the top three of his year group. His teachers recommended that he take GCSE Maths in one year, followed by GCSE Additional Maths in Year 12. Conor decided not to do this as he wasn’t keen on extra work and was sure that GCSE Maths would be enough.

The successfuls Conor is 14. He is well liked by teachers and his classmates. He has a neat and tidy appearance, is rarely absent from school and never late. His ‘end of year’ test results are always above average, (often top in his class). Conor is also an excellent sportsman. He loves athletics and has achieved well in competitions when running 100 m and 200 m events. Usain Bolt is hero. When choosing GCSE subjects, Conor was unsure which to pick. He is very able in Maths and is always in the top three of his year group. His teachers recommended that he take GCSE Maths in one year, followed by GCSE Additional Maths in Year 12. Conor decided not to do this as he wasn’t keen on extra work and was sure that GCSE Maths would be enough. Identified by: teacher nomination; diagnostic tests; summative tests; formative tests School can support by providing: • Accelerated and enriched curriculum • Time for personal interests • Compacted learning experiences • Development of independent learning skills • Mentorships • University & career counselling • In-depth studies

Lauren is 9. She comes from a large, close-knit family. She attends a learning support unit attached to a primary school. Her brothers and sisters attend the mainstream section of the same school. At the recent school sports day, Lauren won several races. Although she didn’t always run in a straight line and knocked into some other children because of this.

The double-labelled Lauren is 9. She comes from a large, close-knit family. She attends a learning support unit attached to a primary school. Her brothers and sisters attend the mainstream section of the same school. At the recent school sports day, Lauren won several races. She didn’t always run in a straight line and knocked over some other children because of this. Identified by: recommendation of significant others; interview; performance; teacher recommendation; scatter of 11 points or more on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) or Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) School can support by: • Placement in Gifted & Talented • Providing alternative learning programme experiences • Providing needed resources • Giving time to be with peers • Giving individual counselling

Rachel is a bubbly 14 year old. She has two close friends and is very conscious of trying to fit in with her peers. She adores fashion and going out socialising with her friends. Her written work is meticulous and well researched. She regularly achieves good B grades in all her subjects. When asked to answer a question in class, Rachel is hesitant and unsure about committing herself. When working on projects in groups, Rachel often has excellent ideas but unfailingly defers to the suggestions of others. To everyone’s surprise, Rachel won second place in a national short story competition and a gold certificate in Junior Maths Challenge. Rachel was mortified when her success was announced in school assembly.

The undergrounds Rachel is a bubbly 14 year old. She has two close friends and is very conscious of trying to fit in with her peers. She adores fashion and going out socialising with her friends. Her written work is meticulous and well researched. She regularly achieves good B grades in all her subjects. When asked to answer a question in class, Rachel is hesitant and unsure about committing herself. When working on projects in groups, Rachel often has excellent ideas but unfailingly defers to the suggestions of others. To everyone’s surprise, Rachel won second place in national short story competition and a gold certificate in Junior Maths Challenge. Rachel was mortified when her success was announced in school assembly. Identified by: teacher nomination; diagnostic tests; summative tests; formative tests School can support by: • recognising ability & giving appropriate curriculum • ensuring that ‘same age’ friendships are supported • providing same-sex role models • continuing to give university and career information

Aaron is 13. At primary school, he was a high achiever. He was on the school council there and represented his class passionately. In year 8, Aaron found that he had covered many of the topics already. He didn’t always complete homework. His standard of work in year 9 is below the year average. Aaron doesn’t make friends easily. Gradually, he discovered that he could achieve ‘hero points’ by making a well-timed quip during classes. Aaron argues back when asked to be less disruptive. He has a strong sense of justice and during these arguments will point out misbehaviour by classmates that hasn’t been corrected by the teacher. Aaron is genuinely upset by this and feels unable to let the point go.

The challengings Aaron is 13. At primary school, he was a high achiever. He was on the school council there and represented his class passionately. In year 8, Aaron found that he had covered many of the topics already. He didn’t always complete homework. His standard of work in year 9 is below the year average. Gradually, Aaron discovered that he could achieve ‘hero points’ by making a well-timed quip during classes. He argues back when asked to be less disruptive. He has a strong sense of justice and during these arguments will point out misbehaviour by classmates that hasn’t been corrected by the teacher. Aaron is genuinely upset by this and feels unable to let the point go. Identified by: peer recommendations; parent nomination, interviews, performance, recommendation from a significant non-related adult, teacher advocate, diagnostic tests, summative tests School can support by: • Tolerance • Placement with appropriate teacher • Behavioural contracting • Direct and clear communication with learner • • Giving permission for feelings In-depth studies Mentorships to build self esteem Cognitive & social skill development

Profiles The chapter on profiles gives a number of suggestions of how schools can meet the needs of different types of gifted and talented learners. § Which of these does your school already provide? § Which others could be implemented in the short term? § Which others could be implemented in the long term?

Case studies § From the ‘A Window On Special’ series watch: § Autism, Art and Achievement § Paralympic success § Which were the strong points in provision? § Which were the areas for improvement? § Which ideas could be used in your school? There a wider range of case studies available in the CCEA guidance starting on page 96.

Teaching strategies Our PE colleagues are good role models to follow. Able sportspeople are: • Given special training programmes to follow; • • • Not extra work at simpler levels… Shown role models to follow; Set short term challenges; Given long term targets to reach; Work with peers of all abilities; Given opportunities to work or compete with others at a higher standard.

Lesson design to ensure differentiation § § § § What content is to be covered, and when? At what level of complexity? How will the lessons be sequenced? How quickly should you go? Which strategies are suitable? How can the experiences be varied? Individual, paired, group work? Varied stimulus…

Next steps § How will you take this forward… § …as a school? § …in your classroom? § List the actions needed. § Assign a person to be responsible for each action. § Set deadlines.