• We recognise the needs of A,G&T students in the school;

• We will implement procedures and strategies that will address the needs of an identified cohort of A,G&T students;

• We will ensure that A,G&T students are motivated to achieve to the best of their ability and set standards of excellence as an example for others to follow. 

 

​Definition:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families defines Able, Gifted and Talented students as “children and young people with one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group (or with the potential to develop those abilities)”.
Other skills such as leadership, decision-making and critical/creative thinking are also taken into account when identifying A,G&T students.
More specifically the terms Able, Gifted and Talented are defined as follows:

• “An Able student, as defined by Hadleigh High School, is one who achieves, or has the ability to achieve, at a level significantly in advance of the peer group. This may be in all areas of the curriculum or in a limited range.” 

• “A Gifted student is one who achieves, or has the ability to achieve, in the top ~ 10% of their year group in subjects which are traditionally labelled as academic”.

• “A Talented student is one who achieves, or has the ability to achieve, in the top ~ 10% of their year group in art, music, physical education and technology”.

Identification strategies:
Multiple factors will be used to create the register including:

• KS2/3 SAT results;

• High MidYIS  score (120+);

• Internal assessment data;

• Primary school teacher nomination;

• Information from parents on pupils’ entry to school;

• Subject teacher nominations

Students fulfilling at least one of the following criteria may be placed on the core register:

• Top 5% nationally in Key Stage 2 SATs;

• A high MidYIS score of 120 +;

• Receive a high number of subject specific nominations;

• A prediction of 6 or more A or A* GCSEs (FFT);

• A prediction of 6 or more A or A* GCSEs (teacher predictions); 

Students who fall outside these criteria but who excel in a particular subject will be added to the subject specific excellence register.
The database of students that emerges from this exercise is circulated among all staff so that everyone is aware of students' talents in subjects other than their own, and of those individuals who show ability in a number of subject areas. 

Effective provision in the classroom:
The principles of good teaching and learning provide a foundation for effective provision for Able, Gifted and Talented students. The most important provision is that delivered in the classroom in everyday lessons. Therefore, effective support and provision is the responsibility of all teaching staff. Excellent teaching and learning is characterised by:

• Lesson plans which accommodate the needs of A,G&T pupils, recognising and building on what learners already know, avoiding unnecessary repetition and setting out appropriate objectives (HOTS – higher order thinking skills, not MOTS – more of the same);

• A classroom culture of high expectations and aspirations, in which it’s ‘cool to be clever’ and where all sorts of talents and abilities are valued;

• The use of varied teaching approaches to make learning an enjoyable and challenging experience matching tasks to learners’ maturity and preferred learning styles;

• Encouragement of independent thinking and open inquiry;

• Selection and use of questions that stimulate higher order thinking;

• Encouragement and support for students to ask their own questions;

• Promotion and modelling a variety of thinking skills;

• Modelling and requirement of students to use effective problem solving techniques;

• Effective use of class discussion;

• The development of young people’s confidence, self discipline and understanding of the learning process (metacognition): helping them to think systematically, manage information and learn from others;

• The use of peer and self assessment to make young people partners in their learning, help them to assess their work, reflect on how they learn and inform subsequent planning and practice;

• A focus on student voice.

Curriculum:
We are committed to developing a flexible and differentiated curriculum which offers learning pathways and a broad learning experience. This includes introducing challenge through breadth (enriching learning through additional material beyond the core curriculum), depth (extending learning by asking students to delve deeper into a certain topic) and pace (accelerating learning ahead of their peers).

Grouping:
Effective provision for Able, Gifted and Talented pupils uses a variety of grouping approaches, including those outlined below: 

• Grouping by ability so that A,G&T students have the opportunity to work with others of a similar ability to enable the provision of appropriate enrichment and extension activities and ensure intellectual stimulation and accelerated progress;

• Mixed ability grouping provide opportunities for late developers and learners with potential to progress to the highest levels. They reflect the society in which we all live, and help A,G&T students to develop patience and understanding with those less academically able than themselves. Sometimes, working with a less able student helps to clarify thinking and find a clear way to explain a concept; being in the role of ‘tutor’ or ‘coach’ can also be very good for self-esteem. However, A,G&T students should not be asked to devote significant amounts of time to assisting other students at the expense of their own learning.

Enrichment:
We aim to offer a regular, varied and on-going programme of enrichment activities out of timetabled lessons as a key component of the provision for Able, Gifted and Talented students, including activities such as:

• Competitions;

• Productions;

• Musical and sporting activities;

• Field trips;

• Visiting experts and outside agencies;

• Enrichment days and  visits;

• Collaboration with local schools and universities;

• Master classes;

• Summer schools;

• Inspirational career talks;

• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in Year 10.

National provision:
Students’ participation in national A,G&T activities is actively encouraged and supported. These opportunities are publicised to students.

Responsibilities:
The Able, Gifted and Talented Coordinator will take responsibility for: 

• Maintaining the A,G&T register;

• Liaising with parents / carers / teachers to help all parties to best understand how to provide the child with the best possible support;

• Logging all enrichment activities and review provision;

• Liaising regularly with Subject Leaders and Year Learning Leaders; 

• Sharing information gained from attending local and national meetings; 

• Overseeing the monitoring of the progress made by A,G&T students and ensuring that colleagues are aware of their needs. 

All staff will take responsibility for: 

• Recording those gifted and talented students they teach and consider their individual needs when planning lessons;

• Setting personalised targets for gifted and talented students that address specific areas of weakness; 

• Monitoring and intervention of gifted and talented students and this should have a positive impact on progress and development.