Gifted and Talented
Click here to view Sharper Minds Programme and register for sessions.
At Ousedale we are committed to providing an environment which encourages all students to maximise their potential, including those students who are gifted and talented.
Below you will find General Information about the identification and support of Gifted and Talented students at Ousedale School.
Any specific questions you may have should be directed to Lexie Hughes, G&T Co-ordinator. lexie.hughes@ousedale.org.uk
To view the Gifted and Talented Policy in full, click here.
Definitions
“Gifted” students are those whose ability is developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group or who have been identified as having the potential to develop such ability, although they may be underachieving.
“Talented” students are those with exceptional abilities in one or more of the following subject areas; Music, Drama, Art and Physical Education.
Identification of Gifted and Talented Students
“Gifted” students are identified using a variety of processes and methods, including:
CAT Scores of 129 or above
Performance in internal and external examinations
Teacher referral by teachers from two or more subject areas based on:
- Subject tests, exams and coursework
- Continuous assessment
- Independent Study
- Contributions to class discussions
“Talented” students are identified through teacher referral based on:
- Classroom Performance
- Performance in extracurricular activities.
Provision For Gifted and Talented Students
- Enrichment
Enrichment relates to breadth of study and experience. It involves offering learners a wide variety of opportunities, both within and outside the curriculum, and exposing them to experiences not usually encountered as part of the standard curriculum.
At Ousedale School we offer enrichment opportunities for gifted students through the Sharper Minds Programme, a series of after-school sessions, offering a range of experiences beyond the curriculum, available to all students on the Gifted Register.
The Art, Music, Drama and PE departments offer enrichment opportunities for talented students through specialist sessions run at intervals during curriculum time and though after-school activities and clubs.
Other Departments also run enrichment sessions focussing more specifically on related skills and subject matter and catering more broadly to the most able and interested students in that curriculum area.
- Extension
Extension (also referred to as enrichment through depth), involves students following the standard curriculum but developing a deeper understanding through encountering more complex resources and materials, tackling more challenging questions and tasks, demonstrating higher levels of thinking, and presenting increasingly sophisticated responses.
Class teachers are responsible for offering extension opportunities to gifted and talented students and formally planning for these opportunities in the long, medium and short term.
At a departmental level, Gifted and Talented provision is a focal area in each department’s Development Plan and departments set targets relating to improving the provision of extension and enrichment activities designed to meet the needs of Gifted and Talented students.
- Acceleration
Involves fast tracking students with a gift in one or more subject area. The Deputy Head Curriculum will be responsible for deciding if any student is accelerated. The decision will be based on the ability of each student and whether there is an appropriate progression route, which does not necessarily involve sitting more qualifications at a higher level, following early entry.
Monitoring the progress of Gifted and Talented students
Classroom provision for Gifted and Talented students is monitored by the G&T Co-ordinator as part of an ongoing cycle of lesson observations and work sampling.
Individual progress of students on the Gifted Register is tracked by the G&T Co-ordinator through Progress Reviews, Reports, internal and external examination results and the completion of Gifted Pupil Causing Concern referral sheets by classroom teachers.