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Gifted and Talented Children strand

Information for Co-ordinators
Information to Schools
Useful Organisations for Lead Co-Ordinators for Gifted and Talented Pupils
Action identified from the Evaluation of CPD
Lead Co-ordinators Conference Outcome
Effective Provision Questionairre
Questions Frequently asked by Co-ordinators

Gifted and Talented Children Policy

This is a three-year action programme, with year one designated a pilot year. It is targeted mainly at gifted and talented children of secondary age in Inner London (the 13 former inner London Education Authorities plus Newham, Haringey and Waltham Forest); Manchester/Salford; Liverpool/Knowsley; Birmingham; Leeds/Bradford; and Sheffield/Rotherham.

The broad objectives of the strategy are to:

  • help improve the attainment and motivation of the most able children in each inner city secondary school - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds;
  • improve the ability of inner city secondary schools to make effective provision for their most able children, partly by developing local support networks based on a cluster of neighbouring schools; and
  • create a positive perception of city education amongst parents and the wider community.

    As part of the Excellence in Cities initiative gifted and talented co-ordinators, in each of the 450 secondary schools involved in the initiative, are putting in place a distinctive teaching and learning programme and an extensive programme of out of hours study support opportunities for the most able 5 -10% of pupils in their schools. Each school will form part of a small cluster of 4 or 5 neighbouring secondary schools which will work with a wide range of partners, such as primary and independent schools, higher education institutions and businesses to develop and provide the study support programme.

    The Department for Education and Employment is also supporting this initiative by funding, a university summer school programme, beginning in Summer 2000, for up to 5,000 16 and 17 year olds from schools and colleges in the Excellence in Cities areas. There will also be a programme of over 500 summer schools for gifted and talented 10-14 year olds in schools across England.

    Other elements of the Excellence in Cities programme which will have an impact nationally are:

  • new guidance and materials to help all primary schools cater effectively for gifted and talented children within the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies; and
  • new 'world class' tests, initially in maths and problem-solving, to enable our most able children to measure their performance against the performance of the most able 9 and 13 year-olds in the countries that are highest rated in these areas in studies of international comparisons.

    The Department plans to consult on how best to develop a national strategy for the education of gifted and talented children. Our proposals will take account of, amongst other things, the experience of schools in the Excellence in Cities areas and of the findings of a survey of existing provision for gifted and talented children which we have recently commissioned.

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