WCHS Able, Gifted and Talented Statement 

This document states the aims, principles and strategies for addressing the needs of Able, Gifted and Talented pupils, and seeks to raise the standards of all pupils who attend Whitworth Community High School. 

School philosophy and aims 

At Whitworth Community High School we recognise that all students are individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses, gifts and talents. For our school this means not simply treating everybody the same but understanding and tackling the different barriers which could lead to unequal outcomes for different groups of students in school, whilst celebrating and valuing the achievements and strengths of all members of the school community. 

We affirm that every student has the right to be included in a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum; and that each student is entitled to have the opportunity to participate fully in an education which inspires, challenges, motivates and rewards them, ultimately enabling them to achieve their individual potential. 

Provision for able, gifted and talented students is an integral part of the teaching and learning that takes place at Whitworth Community High School. All teachers are teachers of the Most Able, and providing for their needs is a whole school responsibility. Thus every teacher is responsible for recognising the needs of Most Able students and ensuring that they are afforded subject-specific teaching strategies to enable them to climb higher towards their academic potential. 

Definition and scope 

Able, Gifted and Talented students are those who have the ability or abilities beyond the large majority of their peer group and consequently require a more challenging curriculum than that appropriate for the large majority. Able and gifted students have the capacity for, or demonstrate high levels of performance in academic areas, whilst talented students show ability through creative or physical talents. They may also be good all round performers or high achievers in one specific area. 

Generally, such students will make up approximately 5-15% of the school population though no fixed limits should hinder or prevent a student being included on this list if the criteria are satisfied. Ability is a continuum with no clear cut off points so that it is not necessary to define ability precisely within narrow limits. Provision must be appropriate to enable students to achieve what they are capable of in many or specific areas of study. 

Within the Able, Gifted and Talented group there will be a diverse range of ability. 

Intelligences can change over time as the students develop and the group of Able, Gifted and Talented students identified will also change to reflect such development. Once on the register, students will not normally be removed, though a thorough review will take place at least yearly. Students can only demonstrate what they are capable of when given the opportunity to do so. 

As such, all staff have a responsibility to ensure that the needs of Able, Gifted and Talented students are met in lessons and beyond, through additional opportunities where appropriate. 

Identification 

Identification of Most Able students is an ongoing process and the students included on the register may vary over the course of their time at Whitworth Community High school. When identifying the Most Able students we will be guided by the following eligibility criteria: 

• Mean CAT of 121+ 
• Non Verbal CAT of 120+
• Any individual CAT of 129+ 
• 4 or more teacher nominations. 

Target population

We expect the % to be approximately 15% of the intake of the year group. Of those, about half might be identified as exceptionally able, i.e. scoring highly on all the criteria listed above. 

Additionally, each subject creates their individual “Talented in Subject” list. This will include students that they deem to be particularly talented in their subject area based on departmental criteria and the range of data available to them. These students may already appear on the whole school-able, gifted and talented list, or they may be different, depending on an individual’s talent in a subject. The AGT Co-ordinator will also be made aware of these students but these lists will not be entered on SIMs and instead are held by departments. It is the responsibility of the Director of Learning/ Teacher in charge to monitor that students on these lists are suitably challenged in their subject. 

It is important to realise that not all Able, Gifted and Talented students are obvious high achievers and may underachieve when their potential is masked by factors such as frustration, low self-esteem, lack of challenge, peer pressure and low parent/teacher expectations. As such a broad and inclusive approach to identification and monitoring the progress of AGT students is essential. 

Process 

On entry to the school in Y7, the AGT lead will compile a draft register of new AGT students. This will be based on primary school nominations/info, average KS2 scores and CAT scores.

In the Spring term departments will be asked to nominate students who have a gift or talent in their subject for further inclusion on the register, which will then be distributed to all staff. Towards the end of each academic year, faculties will be asked to nominate any students who have developed throughout the course of the year for consideration for inclusion on the register. 

Parents will be informed of the inclusion of their child on the register and be able to access additional information with regard to what this means, and what information and activities both they and their child can access. A Headteacher’s Coffee Morning will be held for the students with regard to outlining what being on the AGT register means, and what information and activities they will be doing. 

Strategies 

At Whitworth Community High School, work will be carefully matched to meet the needs of all learners. It is important that AGT students are challenged inside the classroom and given opportunities to develop academically, culturally and creatively. A range of strategies will be employed by staff to ensure that work meets the needs of the AGT cohort. 

Impact 

• Students are able to talk about going to University or about aspirations for their chosen career. 
• Students can extend their answers and give reasons for their decisions - evidenced in AGT review. 
• Students can lead groups - seen in lesson observations. 
• 75% of AGT students exceeded their targets in the most recent GCSE examination series. 
• 100% of AGT students from our most recent year 11 leavers went on to study A level qualifications.

As well as all the subject specific strategies, we will also be providing the following opportunities:

● High expectations of students by staff

● Challenging pace to activities and lessons

● Effective differentiation by task/outcome

● Open ended or research based tasks which require original thought

● Use of high level language by staff

● High level thinking skills activities

● Debate

● Making predictions or encouraging speculation

● Problem solving

● Effective use of ICT

● Visiting speakers

● Competitions

● Cooperative learning to enhance social skills and encourage students to become independent learners

● Students leading group activities

● Effective questioning techniques to develop skills of analysis and evaluation

● Opportunity to consider university education plus other higher educational opportunities in order to raise aspiration

Monitoring and Review

Most Able Co-ordinator-

● Updating and keeping a central record of all able, gifted and talented students.

● Tracking the progress of able, gifted and talented students through monitoring reports.

● Coordinating and providing enrichment activities for able, gifted and talented students

● Promoting the profile of able, gifted and talented students both within the school and through communication with

parents (Postcards, letters, Head teachers coffee morning)

● Evaluate the whole school provision for able, gifted and talented students (student voice, staff voice)

Directors of Learning:

Are responsible for facilitating, coordinating and recording all activities related to the most able students within their

area of the curriculum. They monitor the ‘Talented in subject’ list and review annually.

Classroom teacher:

All teachers are responsible for their own professional development, the provision of teaching and learning opportunities within the classroom, and the assessment and monitoring of our most able students.

The progress of students identified as AGT will be monitored through appropriate data analysis following each data collection. Where progress is deemed to have slowed or does not reflect student potential then a range of intervention strategies will be put in place. These may take the form of departmental, faculty or pastoral interventions.

Impact:

● Students are able to talk inspirationally about targets, as well as being set aspirational targets where appropriate.

● Students are able to talk about going to University or about aspirations for their chosen career.

● Students can extend their answers and give reasons for their decisions

● Students can lead groups

● 75% of AGT students attaining their target/aspirational target in at least three subjects.