More Able Students at The Downs School

Year 7

30 September 15Welcome!

Mrs Preston :Deputy Head Teacher for Learning

Mrs Seath:Able Pupil Co-ordinator

Why were you invited?

All upper ability students – Based on KS2 and CAT data

CAT tests:VerbalNon-verbalSpatialQuantitative

What is intelligence?Growth mindset

Nature of intelligence

• Innate or acquired?• Fixed or flexible?

How we define intelligence will make a difference to how we provide for it.

Current research suggests that intelligence

can be acquired and is flexible.

What implications does this have for the teaching, learning and assessment

of the ability of pupils?

Teachers should be constantly aware of the need to look out for the emergence of new abilities in

students.

Most provision for able pupils must be inside the classroom rather than extra-curricular.

Provision should be inclusive.

Teaching of more able studentsis about good teaching for all.

All pupils will benefit, not simply the most able.

What are the principles of teaching more able students at The Downs?

Flexible intelligence – we can learn to be brighter – the growth mind-set

Inclusion – not exclusive opportunities for some

Nurturing of latent / emergent abilityPrevention of underachievement

Continuous cycle of provision – identification – provision

The G&T register is one of the tools used by teachers to help them provide appropriate challenge for their students

Provide for the most able in lessons Extra curricular provision open to all

studentsAll lessons should seek to challenge

and inspire all students, including the most able, and should be differentiated to allow for all students to achieve their best

Connections between subjects Departmental responsibility for

identification and provisionValue and nurture different types of

intelligences and skillsWhat we believe about learners can

affect their performance

How do we define G&T at The Downs School?

-in general -in specific subjects

- school website

Renzulli’s Three Ring Model

Above-averageability

Creativity

Task commitment

Renzulli’s Three Ring Model

• ‘Giftedness’ would only occur in the central overlap between

• high ability, • task commitment (ability to lock onto details and

become absorbed in the work – experiencing ‘flow’ – not mere conscientiousness or hard work)

• and creativity (ability to think sideways and make unusual / original connections between ideas).

Downs School G&T categories

Sliding scale of G&T categories to help teachers consider emerging intelligences, not just who’s getting the best marks

EA Exceptionally AbleAA Able AchieverAU Able UnderachieverSA Specific AspectSE Soft Evidence

Exceptionally Able

• Typically, EA could be top 10% nationally in a subject – Oxbridge standard, professional musician or sportsman

• Subjects have agreed what they would look for to identify a student as EA: intelligences / skills / abilities / attitudes / knowledge / thinking / habits

AU : Able UnderachieversCan do better in tests than class workOften get their sense of achievement from areas

outside academic prowessOften know how they could improve their work

but do not consider it worth the effortAre self aware and articulateOften do not take personal responsibility for

their own progressIntervention required if not already in place –

teacher / departmental responsibility

SA: Specific AspectShows ability in a specific aspect of the

subject but not across the whole subject.This might be indicative of latent or

emerging ability.Recognition of high ability in a specific

aspect of the subject might lead to setting work which would encourage development in other areas, or to increased confidence in the child leading to higher motivation

SE: Soft Evidence

A mismatch between the qualitative (soft) evidence and the quantitative (hard) evidence, eg a child might show high level thinking in discussion which is not matched by their written work.

(If there are SEN the teacher would have to discern whether this was the cause of the mismatch.)

What to expect from The Downs: classroom provision

Challenge and InspireOur goals for the students

• Students take responsibility for their own learning: • they devise their own questions; • they organise themselves effectively in groups; they

construct tasks themselves to meet learning outcomes; • they respond to feedback so that their work improves;

their work is well organised; • they can explain their level or grade and what they

need to do to improve; • they can explain the purpose of their work; they can

talk about how they are learning (learning habits and skills).

Challenge and InspireTargets for the classroom

• Students are challenged at their different levels and work matches ability:

• questioning is informed by an understanding of the hierarchy of thinking skills;

• opportunities to support reading, writing and communication are taken in order to develop literacy, especially with weaker students;

• there is opportunity for creativity, deep-thinking, choice and extension within tasks;

• all students are involved and contribute.

Choice

• Choice puts students at the centre of their own learning.

• It creates ownership and engagement which leads to motivation and success.

• Clear parameters are needed: explicit purpose, the learning objective, the level students should be learning at and how this will be assessed.

• Some students and classes will cope better with choice than others; level of choice will be varied.

Ability and the GROWTH MINDSET

• Ability is the result of learning.• Focus on students’ ability to grow.• Through effort, motivation, hard work,

perseverance, challenge and support, students can become more able.

• Students who believe in the growth mindset are more likely to progress

• Students who have fixed mindset will not value effort and will make less progress.

Teachers..

• Encourage a growth mindset in our students• Be vigilant for those whose ability emerges late

and who can progress rapidly• Ensure all students progress to their full

potential, ensuring that at times they struggle and have to tackle obstacles

• Ensure that challenge is always provided and that those who are motivated and ready to do so can access more demanding work

What to expect from The Downs School:-and what you can support at home...

We seek to develop learning character:motivationself esteemresilience

learning to learnthinking skills

How can we and you support your child’s development

• Praise and encouragement• Help them develop self esteem• Help them develop resilience

Strategies to help students with low self esteem

• Montgomery: catch them being clever - comment positively on pupils’ learning processes.

• Dweck – praise effort and strategy rather than intelligence – resilience and motivation would then not be bound up in self image. Success to do with effort rather than personal qualities.

Personal Learning and Thinking Skills

• Independent inquirers• Creative thinkers• Reflective learners• Team workers• Self managers• Effective participators

Other aspects of the school’s provision for G&T

NACE - National Association for Able Children in Education

Whole school commitment to G&T Identification of high ability / talentSchool self evaluation and targetsProvision: teaching and learning, curriculum, pastoral careSupport for underachieving / disadvantaged studentsStaff trainingSupport for exceptionally able studentsEffective use of resources inc ICTStudent voice and responsibilityLinks with parents and stakeholdersMonitoring and evaluation of provision for G&T

Examples of current practicesExceptional Education Plans – years 8 and 9 EA studentsCelebrate Success! assemblies for all yearsG&T challenge days led by studentsStudent voice – interviews and councilG&T page on website Faculty G&T rep teachers Information about opportunities outside schoolLearning walks to audit different aspects of classroom practice, eg extension opportunities , adequate challengeSupport for able underachievers AUsThe Brilliant Club

Developing practices• Support less advantaged able students – special focus

on identification of ability• Students plan enrichment activities• Use of enrichment for identification of untapped

potential • Peer mentoring: older / younger students; within

faculties; links to primary• Using student expertise in creating subject specific

websites • Students to be involved in action research• G&T register : self nomination, leadership, enterprise• ‘G&T community’ to have higher profile

G&T page on school website:

• How G&T is defined by subject teachers• How specific subjects provide for their most

able students• Websites recommended by subject teachers• Parent site / General Info / scroll down to Gifted

and Talented.

Outside agencies you could investigate

• International Global and Gifted Youth• Children’s University• MENSA• Potential Plus

Key message:

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard