Gifted and Talented
Rationale
Holy Family is a Catholic school which seeks to develop the potential of all students. It aims to nurture, motivate and raise the aspirations of individuals so that they can fulfil their potential by using their God given talents. The school recognises that there are students who have a very high general ability. These students must be identified, challenged and supported in order to ensure that their individual needs are met both within and outside the curriculum and in order to raise attainment and aspirations among more able students.
Statement of Intent
Holy Family aims to:
• Provide stimulating and challenging learning experiences for all students that encourage independence and autonomy and support students in using their initiative
• Provide opportunities for students to work at higher cognitive levels
• Provide opportunities for all students to reveal and develop their potential abilities
• Provide opportunities for students to develop specific skills and talents
• Encourage students to reflect on the process of their own learning and to understand the factors that help them make progress
• Foster the development of a well-rounded and balanced individual, both intellectually and socially
• Encourage pupils to be open to ideas and initiatives presented by others, thus promoting the importance of citizenship and collaboration
• Encourage every student of whatever ability to improve on their personal best.
Provision
School Level:
• Setting by ability within subject areas when applicable
• Effective provision of ICT facilities and resources to challenge and enrich the learning of students.
• Differentiation and extension within individual teachers’ planning to provide challenge for more able students within the curriculum
• Withdrawal for specific activities that allow more able students the opportunity to work together on challenging and enriching tasks
• Involvement of more able students in extra-curricular activities that extend the boundaries of the curriculum
• Effective teaching for a variety of learning styles
Within the classroom:
The learning culture should:
• Be student centred, valuing and utilising students’ own interests and learning styles
• Encourage the use of a variety of resources, ideas, strategies and tasks
• Encourage metacognition, or “thinking about thinking”
• Provide a secure learning environment where risk taking is valued
• Provide a challenging learning environment, allowing students to access higher order thinking skills and problem solving skills
• Involve students in working in a range of settings and combinations: as individuals; in pairs; in groups; as a class; cross-year; cross-school; inter-school
• Encourage students to ask questions of themselves, of their peers, of adults and of ideas
• Encourage target setting that involves students in their own learning and progress
• Celebrate creative and original thinking through registration competition and reward system
• Ensure that homework extends the learning of the individual student, encouraging independence and self-motivation
Outside the classroom:
The school will actively seek:
• Opportunities for able, gifted and talented pupils to take part in enrichment activities outside school e.g. Challenge Days; Masterclasses; mentoring younger pupils; peripatetic music teaching; sporting events; dramatic productions; competitions; residential courses
• Collaboration with outside agencies that provide guidance, ideas and support for able, gifted and talented pupils e.g. Young, gifted and Talented (YGT) and National Association for Able children in Education (NACE)
• Involvement of adults (parents, local businesses, University) with abilities and knowledge in specific areas, in order to motivate and inspire able, gifted and talented students
• Opportunities for able, gifted and talented students to participate in Gifted and Talented Summer Schools
• To collaborate with parents. Subject teachers are responsible for informing parents/carers at the appropriate parents’ evening that their child is performing significantly above the norm in their curriculum area and at the time. The annual student report will also specify student strengths and indicate outstanding performance.
