Leadership and school improvement

Gifted and talented: Leadership and school improvement

Secondary school leaders, Gifted and Talented leading teachers, subject teachers and governors can use these materials to create a challenging and supportive learning environment for gifted and talented pupils. The information includes Excellence for All (EfA) which applies Gifted and Talented good practice to improve provision for all.

• Excellence for All: A Gifted and Talented approach to whole-school improvement

  Secondary school leaders, Gifted and Talented (G+T) leading teachers, subject teachers and governors can use these tools, frameworks and resources to help develop G+T education as part of a whole-school approach to school improvement. This information is part of ‘Gifted and talented: Leadership and school improvement’.

  • About Excellence for All

  • Key concepts

  • Leadership and implementation

  • Enriching classroom experiences: Developing QFT

  • Planning effective interventions for the G+T target group

  • Continuing professional development: Support

• Excellence for All in practice

  A series of mini case studies that describe G&T practice in schools that improved provision for all, some achieving developing or exemplary standards according to the appropriate G&T Quality Standards and Ofsted criteria. This page provides an introduction to these mini case studies.

  • Use of pupil voice to develop evidence of Quality First teaching in school

  • Empowering G+T pupils as leaders of learning

  • Embedding critical thinking skills in the curriculum through teacher learning communities

  • Developing research skills – a project for pupils and teachers

  • Using G+T CQS to improve provision for all in Key Stage 3 science

• Academic study support

  Academic study support materials are a collection of useful strategies and tools for supporting potential G+T pupils who may have underachieved in the past, or may be in danger of underachieving. The focus is on skills needed by Key Stage 4 pupils but can be easily adapted for the needs of younger pupils.

  • Using a discussion framework to develop learning awareness in gifted and talented pupils

  • Focusing on the question set – an approach to improving pupils’ question analysis skills

• Addressing underachievement: Planning a whole-school approach

  This introduction to a whole-school approach to Gifted and Talented (G+T) education outlines the main principles of the programme and the need for a Quality First teaching environment which encourages specific and effective interventions for all G+T pupils. This is part of the Gifted and Talented (G+T) information for leadership and school improvement.

  • Using these materials

  • Gifted and talented pupils: Narrowing the gaps

  • Recognising underachievement

  • Ethos and organisation

  • The three-waves model of intervention

  • Personalising programmes: Provision mapping

  • Transfer and transition

• Supporting leading teachers for gifted and talented education

  The aim of these professional development materials is to encourage schools to take a more strategic approach to identifying their gifted and talented pupils, to improve gifted and talented education in schools and settings and so improve the attainment, aspirations, motivation and self-esteem of gifted and talented pupils, especially those who are underachieving.

  • The school improvement cycle

  • Purpose of the professional development materials

  • How to use these materials

  • Session overviews

• Progression skills modules

  Get an overview of the purpose of progression skills modules.

  • About the progression skills modules

  • How do schools use these resources?

Gifted and Talented Quality Standards

The Gifted and Talented Quality Standards are designed to support LAs and schools in evaluating and deciding next steps to improve their provision for gifted and talented learners.

• The Classroom Quality Standards (CQS)

  Find the aims of Classroom Quality Standards (CQS), how leading teachers and classrom teachers can use them and what they offer. Also find an online resource to support auditing, planning and development of classroom practice. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

• The CQS layers

  Find the three layers that make up the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS): a quick self-review; a deeper, evidence-based evaluation; and support for next steps into improvement. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards

• The Institutional Quality Standards (IQS)

  Find the aims of Institutional Quality Standards (IQS), how schools can use them and what they offer. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

• The Local Authority Quality Standards (LAQS)

  Local Authorities (LAs) can find the Local Authority Quality Standards (LAQS), their aims, what they offer and how they can be used. Also find a case study of one LA’s experience of using the LAQS. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

• Using the LAQS

  Local authorities can find suggested strategies for using the Local Authority Quality Standards (LAQS), broken down into three stages. Also find a process diagram to explain the key stages of the improvement cycle. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

• LAQS: The core team

  Find out what the core team does, how many people can be involved and who to include in the team. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

• LAQS: Sources of evidence

  Find suggestions of sources that could be used for evidence when using the Local Authority Quality Standards (LAQS). These sources are grouped into data and reports, evaluations and audits, local authority (LA) sources, LA activities and school activities. Part of the Gifted and Talented Quality Standards.

Institutional Quality Standards for Gifted and Talented education

Institutional Quality Standards for Gifted and Talented education

• Using the Institutional Quality Standards to improve Gifted and Talented education in schools

  Understanding and using the Institutional Quality Standards.

  • What are the Institutional Quality Standards?

  • Who are the Institutional Quality Standards for?

  • Linking the Institutional Quality Standards to the Ofsted Framework

  • How the Institutional Quality Standards support schools’ self-evaluation and planning

  • How the Institutional Quality Standards level descriptors can support whole-school improvement

  • A word about evidence

  • How some schools are using the Institutional Quality Standards effectively

  • An extract from one school’s self-evaluation and analysis

  • Action planning outline 1 – using the Institutional Quality Standards

  • Action planning outline 2 – taking the Institutional Quality Standards to the whole school

• Institutional Quality Standards – revised 2010

  The revised Institutional Quality Standards (IQS) in Gifted and Talented (G+T) education for 2010.

Narrowing the Gaps

• Narrowing the Gaps: Leadership for impact

  These resources are designed to help school leaders and teachers in primary and secondary schools, partnerships and federations to take effective action to close attainment gaps.

  • Support for school improvement