Cirencester Kingshill School Gifted and Talented programme

Our school has a number of extremely able or gifted pupils, whose performance well exceeds the levels of others in their year group; this may be in one or more areas of the curriculum. We believe that we can make a difference in enabling these pupils to achieve the greatest possible progress. In September 2005, 158 pupils in years 8-11 have been identified by their teachers as being gifted and talented in one or more subject areas.

As a school we believe that provision for our more able pupils is most effective when it is made both within the classroom, through a stimulating and differentiated curriculum, and through enrichment activities. All curriculum areas plan differentiated schemes of work with challenging extension activities. The school has a wide range of enrichment and out of school hours activities to challenge and assist our pupils. Additionally we offer a broad range of extra-curricular activities, many of which are especially suitable for our most able pupils, for example the Drama and English faculties host theatre visits, recent professional productions seen were Blood Brothers, Beauty and the Beast and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There have been trips to the Tate Modern, Wimbledon and the Science museum. The PE faculty offers an extremely wide range of sports clubs and activities, both at lunch times and after the school day.

Specific activities aimed at our Gifted and Talented population include:

· Maths: UK Maths challenge – 30% of year 8s and year 10s are entered for a national maths challenge; Swindon Mathematics master class (6 Saturday Mathematics master classes, at the University of Bath in Swindon). There is also the ‘Maths team challenge’, where teams compete against each other for a range of prizes.

· PE: Pupils identified as Gifted and Talented in PE are provided with a lifestyle management programme, known as Junior Athlete Education. Pupils have also been 'fast-tracked' and have taken GCSE PE at the end of year 10, enabling them to begin the A/S level in Year 11. There is frequent use of professional coaches for pupils at all levels.

· English: There is an annual Public Speaking competition, which is sponsored by the Cirencester Rotary club. The winners attend a showcase and perform to the Rotary club. The faculty encourages entry to National writing competitions, especially for poetry. Year 8 have a visiting author visit, in 2005 this was Tim Bowler, followed by a Workshop session for our most talented writers.

· Expressive arts. Peripatetic music tuition is provided by a team of specialists in the following areas: strings, woodwind, brass, piano, drumming, guitar and singing. There are several extra-curricular music groups, which perform in Christmas and Spring concerts. Every year the school stages a large-scale musical. There are a wide range of theatre trips arranged every year for all year groups. GCSE Art students have the opportunity to visit both local and national art galleries.

· Humanities: The History club is an opportunity for keen Historians to debate issues and meet with like-minded students.

· Science: Pupils are given the opportunity to attend a ‘Faraday lecture’ at the Institute of Electrical Engineers, specifically aimed at able and interested scientists aged 14-16 year olds. Year 8 have a specific resource booklet, with enrichment information and activities.

· ICT: Pupils who show a great interest in computers are given the opportunity to attend informal sessions, either at lunchtimes or after school to develop their skills further. Pupils have been involved in the set up and maintenance of the school website.

· Modern foreign languages: Able linguists study 2 languages to GCSE level. There are visits and exchanges to France and Germany, which are especially beneficial to talented students as these visits allow them immersion in the language. Many pupils have pen friends and e-mail contacts.

· Design and Technology: There is a range of enrichment offered in this area, including supervised access to the workshops after school.

The future for Gifted and Talented at Kingshill:

There are a number of initiatives at the planning stage. These include:

· Student membership of NAGTY (National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth)

· A school online newspaper

· Enrichment activities aimed specifically at Gifted and Talented students.

· Development of the school’s website to encourage independent learning and the development of thinking skills

· Increased dissemination of information to allow students to participate in events held both locally and nationally

If you require further information please contact Claire Burns, Gifted and Talented coordinator, at the school.