Gifted and Talented

John Bayley helps two KS3 teachers manage vocal, engaged students

Behaviour expert John Bayley recommends practical classroom-management techniques for handling the attention-seeking behaviour of bright, engaged students who tend to dominate lessons, in this pedagogy resource. Their behaviour can take up large proportions of a teacher's time, causing an adverse effect on the rest of the class. John focuses on three Year 9 pupils who dominate two teachers' classes at Bishop Stopford's School in Enfield. John works with secondary maths teacher Ben Pearce and Key Stage 3 geography teacher Rhys Jones. The teachers don't want to dampen the students' enthusiasm, but they do want to improve the teaching and learning experience for everyone in their lessons. They decide to try using the students' energy in more constructive ways - as leaders of group activities. But will it work?

Bright Extroverts

Inspiring lesson ideas for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution

Former Teacher of the Year Ceri Evans inspires a group of gifted and talented Year 10 students in an active lesson about Darwin's theory of evolution. Using a variety of games and challenges, Ceri leads a group of gifted and talented pupils and, in the process, provides science teachers with some effective ways of teaching about one of the most important ideas in the history of philosophy and science.

Evolution

A review of the provision for gifted and talented pupils

Staff at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Hastings and the nearby Helenswood Performing Arts College are followed as they go about identifying their gifted and talented pupils. Ten per cent of pupils at every primary and secondary school are identified as gifted or talented and placed on a register. This programme looks at the provision in places for these children and at the role governors have played in implementing and monitoring the G&amp;T programme. Higher order thinking skills, open ended investigations, lunchtime and after school clubs are among the approaches addressing the needs of the G&amp;T students. At both schools, the G&amp;T coordinators are currently undergoing lead teacher training and governors at both schools play a crucial monitoring role.

A management and governor focus on Gifted and Talented

A focus on the Gifted and Talented programme from a management and governors perspective, focusing on the fundamental questions of identification and provision This includes a look at how proper support and structure can evolve into a sound whole-school policy. Taking an inclusive approach to identification, including pupils from all backgrounds, languages and learning styles, different schools provide a range of learning opportunities as well as monitoring methods. The message is clear: good provision for the most able has a positive impact on the whole school.

Gifted and Talented - A Whole School

Introducing causal reasoning to a mixed ability Year 9 class

James Woodcock, head of history at Cottenham Village College, introduces causal reasoning to his Year 9 mixed ability class using the tale of Alphonse the camel. Causal reasoning is a key skill in history and an area where all pupils need to be stretched. It is especially helpful in improving more able pupils' higher order thinking. This amusing model, built around a non-historical content story, helps all pupils develop the vocabulary, language and thought processes to get to grips with causation, in preparation for use in a history topic.

Gifted and Talented - History - Causal Reasoning: A Model

A Year 9 history class look into the causes of World War I

In this programme, an innovative causal reasoning model that stretches all pupils is applied to the complexity of causes of WWI. Casual reasoning is a key conceptual skill in history. Here, a Year 9 history class are asked to consider whether two bullets were responsible for the 20 million deaths that resulted from WW1.The mixed-ability students, from Cottenham Village College, apply the skills and vocabulary developed in a previous non-content model to the causes of the war. Head of history James Woodcock builds on the work of NAGTY history consultant Arthur Chapman and takes the class through various exercises, enabling all pupils to advance their conceptual thinking.

Gifted and Talented - History - Causal Reasoning: WW1

Three secondary school's implementation of Gifted and Talented

This programme features three secondary schools which have implemented the Gifted and Talented programme using the principles of provision, identification and monitoring. At Eastlea Community School, the new programme has had a knock-on effect on the attainment of other students. Techniques include early identification of Year 6 pupils in local primary schools, and using gifted and talented pupils to teach other pupils. St Marylebone School focuses on provision with a view to stretching all students and encouraging higher-level thinking skills. The Capital City Academy recognises that academic and sporting skills develop at different rates and uses "stage not age" to provide for those with special sports abilities.

Gifted and Talented - Secondary Teaching and Learning

A guide for parents about the Gifted and Talented programme

A focus on how the Gifted and Talented programme works, including a look at some excellent provisions in a range of schools, as well as some ideas of ways that parents can support their children. Increasingly, schools provide stretching and fulfilling education to more able pupils both in and out of the classroom. Taking an inclusive approach to identification, including pupils from all backgrounds, languages and learning styles, different schools provide a range of learning opportunities as well as monitoring methods.

Gifted and Talented - What Does It Mean For Parents?

Peter Curran takes a look at the gifted and talented programme

This episode of Careerwise looks at the gifted and talented programme, exploring what the role of the gifted and talented coordinator is and what it can bring to a career. Presenter Peter Curran chats to two leading experts about the programme, finding out when it began and discovering how to get that valuable CPD to help teach this group of children. There's also a visit to a primary school that looks at how the G&amp;T programme works in the earlier years, and reveals exactly what we should look for in gifted children.

Gifted and Talented Coordinator

How gifted and talented deaf pupils have changed their school

Jamie, a gifted and talented pupil at Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education, tells how he has been able to influence the provisions made for others like him at his school. Using British Sign Language, Jamie explains the ways in which his school has listened and taken on board the particular needs that gifted and talented deaf students have. Suggestions such as vertical learning groups for some pupils, and improving the experiences which deaf students have with partner hearing schools, are just some of the ideas the academy has taken on board. Jamie also explains how the gifted and talented pupils also contributed suggestions for the design of a new school building, all contributing to a better learning experience for the gifted and talented pupils.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Whole school

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