All pupils have gifts, talents and personal qualities, which should be developed and nurtured not only through equality of opportunity but also quality of opportunity. They have the right to a broad and balanced curriculum with equal degree of concern for their education and development and equal chance to benefit from resources available to their school irrespective of gender, ethnicity, level of ability or social circumstance.

In order to provide for the range of needs and abilities the school, teachers and parents need to work together to provide an imaginative and flexible approach to allow the pupil to access the curriculum at their level.

Some pupils may display exceptional abilities in relation to their age group and demonstrate specific needs which arise from their intellectual or other skills or from difficulties which they may face in relating their capabilities to those of the majority of pupils.

Purpose

To develop a whole school policy which:

• seeks to discover and maximise the potential of each pupil who is felt to be able and talented. This strategy will operate to anticipate problems which may arise through frustration felt by the individual or from under or over estimation of ability
• ensures that students make continuous emotional and social development appropriate to their chronological age rather than their specific capability
• supports teachers who may feel anxious about handling an exceptional child
• is able to respond to the concerns of parents or raise their awareness regarding the potential of their child

Guidelines

Any definition is a generalisation but a pupil who is showing outstanding ability in relation to its peer group in one or more of the following can be considered:

• general academic ability
• specific academic ability
• creative thinking
• leadership/social awareness
• visual and performing arts
• mechanical ingenuity
• physical and sporting skills

Identification

Identification is designed to discover potential and should not mean we label pupils but rather are providing for their needs. Identification should be a combination of methods which can include:

• high quality planning in the delivery of the curriculum
• agreed classroom checklists
• knowledge of background
• private testing
• NFER assessment in Prep school
• teachers' observations and assessments
• individualised tests
• parents'/pupil's observations

Provision

Provision should recognise the needs of the able and talented child which should include:

• recognition of special needs
• contact with chronological peers
• contact with intellectual peers
• challenge to the point of failure
• development of good study skills
• participation in group activities
• opportunity to develop own interests
• encouragement - all round development
• counselling

Provision can include

• curriculum extension within the classroom
• acceleration through the curriculum
• individualised learning programmes
• intellectual/specialised peer group support
• extra curriculum activities
• access to additional courses
• opportunity to meet specialists in field of interest
• links with other schools, further education of local community