The Gifted and Talented
Gifted and Talented Policy
At Chelmer Valley High School Gifted and Talented students are identified in each year group, mentored, their achievement monitored and enrichment activities provided.
Gifted refers to students who excel at the core subjects and traditional tests. The present criteria for selecting this group in Year 7 are:
1. level 5 in Maths, English and Science and
2. an average score of 120 or more in the NFER CAT tests (spatial, verbal and quantitative)
Talented students are normally defined as those who excel in the creative subjects of art, drama, music and physical education/sport. The present method for selecting this group at Year 7 is from primary records and teacher recommendation. For sport we would expect the student to be performing at county level at least (or equivalent). At Chelmer Valley we would also include those students who, while not meeting the Gifted criteria, perform exceptionally well in one of the core subjects by achieving level 6 or a score of 130+ in one of the NFER CAT tests.
Gifted and Talented (G&T) refers to those students in both categories and as a general rule would not exceed 10% of the year group.
Students are tracked each year and their achievements monitored. The cohort is revised at the end of each year in the light of the student’s performance.
While parents will know their child’s achievements and potential from NFER tests they will be informed formally of their inclusion in the Gifted and Talented groups during the Autumn term of Year 8.
Policy into practice
Overall responsibility for all students lies with the Deputy Headteacher (Students). At present this is:
Mr R Cowling
Two Gifted and Talented co-ordinators deal with initial selection at Year 7, mentor, track and monitor the student’s achievements. They advise on any revision to the cohort. At present the two co-ordinators are:
Mrs L Roberts and Mrs D Bacon
An able child co-ordinator takes responsibility for the programme in Year 9, 10 and 11 and G&T provision in the classroom. The present Lead Teacher is:
Mr R Shakespeare
All policy decisions relating to the G&T programme are made by the G&T working group. This group currently includes:
Deputy Headteacher (Students) – Mr Cowling
SENCO – Mr Speed Andrews
G&T Co-ordinators – Mrs Roberts and Mrs Bacon
Lead Teacher – Mr Shakespeare
English representative – Mr Wilson
Maths representative – Mrs Cohen
Science representative – Mr Quinn
Developments
Chelmer Valley High School is now linked with the two Chelmsford Grammar Schools, King Edward VI Grammar School for Boys (KEGS) and Chelmsford County High School for Girls (CCHS). The three schools are involved in various initiatives to promote the teaching and learning of G&T students.
The school’s highest priority is to continue to provide worthwhile enrichment activities for G&T students and to review the teaching and learning in the classroom environment to stretch the most able.
