Gifted & Talented
We recognise that every girl has strengths, abilities and talents which are capable of being realised. We aim to provide every opportunity for pupils to develop their gifts in academic subjects and also their talents in music, art, drama, sport or dance.
Young people develop at different rates and much development remains unseen. Therefore, it is vital not only to nurture those gifts which are already apparent but to encourage the potential in every pupil. The school’s Academic Enrichment provision aims to meet both these needs.
The most able pupils are identified and encouraged to develop their abilities further: through their subject areas, by their form teachers and by the Academic Enrichment Coordinator. This includes extension work within lessons and occasional extra enrichment lessons and outings. Pupils are also encouraged to take their interests further, outside school. Some of our most able girls in Years 7-10 will have the opportunity to complete independent extended project work as part of our ‘Horizons’ project. The aim of the project is to build genuinely independent and resilient learners who will investigate an area of their choice over the course of the academic year, often working closely with staff for guidance and support. This allows girls the opportunity to extend their knowledge in a particular subject they enjoy or research a topic outside the curriculum to stretch their learning further, as well as fostering a genuine love of academic endeavour. The girls’ work on this project culminates in them presenting their exploration to an audience of staff and parents and presentations have been rich and diverse in form.
Opportunities are provided to all pupils to discover their gifts in every area. Schemes of work are carefully planned to include independent learning and challenge for all. Pupils enter school and national competitions such as the UK Maths Challenge, Science Olympiads and National Linguascope French competition and every year some pupils achieve very highly. School notice boards celebrate pupils’ achievements and the displays encourage pupils to ask questions and investigate further for themselves, often through quizzes. There is also a range of after school activities available. Outings with able pupils in mind are usually open to any pupil who is genuinely interested, because serious interest in a subject is often more important than obvious high ability in it.
Heads of Section, Form Teachers, subject teachers and the Academic Enrichment Coordinator liaise closely with each other to support the development of pupils’ gifts and talents. The support and encouragement provided by a group of teachers who know their pupils well is of very great importance in enabling all pupils to reach their full potential.