Most Able - Gifted and Talented Pupils

Academically Most Able Pupils and Gifted and Talented Pupils at SS John & Monica’s Catholic School

SS John & Monica’s policy for the Most Able - Gifted and Talented Pupils reflects our mission and aims: through an awareness of Gospel values and an understanding of the uniqueness of each human, we aim to develop the God given potential of all our students and provide opportunities for the balanced development of our children’s intellectual, emotional, creative, physical and spiritual qualities.

All children at SS John & Monica’s are valued equally and have equal entitlement to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum.

Aims

At SS John & Monica’s School we aim:

• To ensure that more able pupils are provided with an appropriate, challenging, stimulating and enjoyable education, based upon high teacher expectations
• To offer children opportunities to develop their specific skills and talents through provision of opportunities and guidance that is sensitive to their ways of learning and allows potential to be turned into performance
• To provide equality of opportunity for children, enabling them to reach their intellectual, personal, social, creative, physical, emotional and spiritual potential

Definition

As a Catholic School we recognise the abilities of all children and acknowledge that all children are talented in some way or another. Children choose to share these talents at different times and places but we ensure that all talents are valued equally.

We acknowledge that there is no fixed nationally or internationally accepted definition of 'Most Able'  ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ children. Part of the difficulty with creating a definition is that able pupils can vary in level of ability and skill.

At SS John & Monica’s we have agreed a definition of gifted and talented pupils in line with DfE guidance that incorporates the following…

• ‘Gifted’ pupils are defined as those who exhibit super academic performance in one or more curriculum subjects
• ‘Talented’ pupils are defined as those who exhibit enhanced creative talents in sport or through musical or artistic abilities

* Most Able are those pupils who have a ‘high scaled score’ of 110 or more in reading and maths, and have been teacher assessed in writing as 'working at a greater depth or a Higher Standard within the expected standard’.“Most able” children are not regarded as gifted or talented but are provided with a differentiated curriculum that helps them to excel and reach their potential.

*We are also agreed that there are Most able, gifted and talented pupils who have the potential to achieve – yet, for whatever reason, are currently underachieving and we work hard to ensure that these pupils have the support they need to catch up AND meet their potential.

Children who are Most able, gifted or talented are monitored by their class teacher to ensure that they are given challenging opportunities to achieve their full potential.

If you want support to help your child develop their potential even further, please speak to your child’s class teacher who can provide extra homework, challenges and advice.