A range of training and CPD opportunities are available at national, regional and local levels.
The Government set out its ambitions for gifted and talented learners in the 2005 Education White Paper, Higher Standards: Better Schools for All. All schools will need to ensure they provide stretch and challenge for gifted and talented pupils in every lesson so that these pupils can go on to achieve their potential. We know that sometimes teachers find it hard to meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils, particularly in mixed ability classes. One of the commitments set out by the Government in the 2005 White Paper was that every school should have access to an 'expert' or leading teacher in gifted and talented education who will help the school and its teachers to ensure they have the skills and expertise to be able to stretch and challenge gifted and talented pupils. Many schools already have G&T coordinators. Leading teachers will focus more on improving pedagogy and less on coordinating activity.
Currently, the Westminster Institute at Oxford Brookes University runs the National Gifted and Talented Co-ordinators' Training Programme (for primary and secondary schools in EIC areas/Excellence Clusters only). This has been available since 1999 The programme will run until September 2007. A range of other programmes focusing on gifted and talented education are also available at the Institute.
From September 2007, training will be provided locally for leading teachers in gifted and talented education. Every secondary school will have a leading teacher and primary schools will have one leading teacher per cluster. Ahead of the September 2007, Local Authorities will work with schools to help identify the leading teachers in preparation for the training. The training is being developed by the National Strategies with the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth and other partners. It will be a blended learning approach - face-to-face training together with e-learning modules. The training will be based around the National Quality Standards in Gifted and Talented Education. Local Authorities will be trained to deliver the training by the National Strategies in the summer of 2007.
Other CPD opportunities are also available. For example:
The National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth provides:
- termly conferences for local authority gifted and talented advisers/co-ordinators
- PGCE for early career maths and science teachers
- on-line Nutshells - brief, interactive introductions to areas of gifted and talented provision. This includes: primary provision, mathematics, and the Quality Standards
The Regional Partnerships are committed to providing a range of CPD opportunities to reflect identified priorities within the regional or rural partnership and in particular to support teachers and others to implement the measures set out in the 2005 white paper.
In addition, many local authorities provide training and/local networks to support schools in developing gifted and talented provision.
Links
The Westminster Institute, Oxford Brookes University
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education/cpd-g&t.html!
The National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth
http://www.nagty.ac.uk/professional_academy/index.aspx
Regional Partnerships
http://www2.teachernet.gov.uk/gat/website/StaticPages/
RegionalPartnerships.aspx?MenuID=r5hWTOeyPzI=
