Able Child (G&T)

Our school values all children equally and endeavours to ensure that each child should have the opportunity to realise his/her potential in a challenging yet supportive environment.

The school has, at any time, a number of able, talented or gifted pupils, some of whom may perform at a level that well exceeds the level of others in their class or that expected for children in their age group. This may be in one or more areas of learning.

The role of the more able child leader is to ensure that the needs of the more able child are met through a range of opportunities including class provision, interventions and extra-curricular activities. We believe that monitoring of pupil’s progress is key to securing sustained achievement with the aim of every child fulfilling their potential.

We believe that we can make a difference in enabling these pupils to achieve the greatest possible progress and recognise the value and importance of identifying and celebrating their achievements and successes.

The school creates a climate in which success is valued by everyone and where individual differences are accepted. This involves:

The identification of the particular needs of able children in all our planning.
The provision of appropriate resources.
The encouragement of children to be independent in their learning. This includes the provision of opportunities for them to organise their own work, access the resources they need, work unaided, make their own choices about work, evaluate what they are doing and be self-critical.
Flexibility of organisation which will include withdrawal, setting for a particular subject, cross-curricular enrichment projects or partial acceleration, thereby providing opportunities for the able child to work with others of similar ability.
The creation and adoption of mentorship, if it is felt appropriate, for a particular able child or group of children.
Regular celebrations of achievement.

In class our aim is to:

Provide appropriate challenge through high quality tasks for enrichment and extension which will always be available (not “more of the same”) growing out of the subject/topic being studied by the whole class.
Plan work so that extension tasks are always available for able children, allowing for flexibility to adapt to changing needs/directions. This may also include the opportunity to work at a pace more suited to their strengths, opportunities to take part in investigations and/or challenges to further develop their understanding.
Differentiate appropriately through stimuli, resources, tasks, outcomes and responses as well as provide wide variety in what we prepare for the pupils and in what we ask them to do for us.
Set individual targets, not class targets which are shared with the child as well as regular feedback and personalised targets to improve.
Set individual and regular homework which builds upon and reinforces learning in the classroom.
Encourage pupils to become independent learners by:

Organising their own work,
Carrying out unaided tasks which stretch their capabilities,
Making choices about their work,
Developing the ability to evaluate their work and so become self-critical.

Out of the classroom:

The school will aim to encourage development through enrichment activities such as:

Involvement in extra-curricular activities and clubs run by teachers.
Participation in school trips and residentials across all year groups.
Musical and artistic events such as trips to theatres and museums and whole school competitions for pupils in all years and across phases.
Sporting opportunities, including becoming PE leaders and coaches for their peers or younger pupils in the school and attendance at sports events.
Opportunities for entering local and national competitions.

The use of outside agencies and experts to provide workshops on varied curriculum topics as well as information on routes into further education and access to careers.

The opportunity to become transition leaders across key stages.