Gifted & Talented
The education of Gifted and Talented learners has come to the fore across the Western World in recent years. Many countries are developing educational systems that cater for learners with exceptional abilities. There is no universally agreed definition of learners who would be assessed as Gifted and Talented. For the purposes of our information to schools CCEA has used the term Gifted and Talented to describe those learners who are achieving or who have the potential to achieve a level substantially beyond the rest of their peer group inside their particular school in nursery, primary, selective and non-selective post-primary schools or other educational settings.
Those learners who demonstrate or have the potential to demonstrate extremely high levels of ability, compared to their peers across the entire population, will be referred to by the term Exceptionally Able.
Our Department of Education’s Supplement to the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (September 2005) states that all learners are entitled
‘to worthwhile experiences, which help develop their knowledge, skills and understanding’.
With this in mind CCEA decided to undertake a joint project with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), Republic of Ireland to develop guidelines for the education of gifted and talented learners.
In order to draw upon the most recent research and good practice in this area, a comprehensive literature review was compiled:
Gifted and talented children in (and out of) the classroom (CCEA, 2006) PDF, 1.6 MB
Guidelines for Teachers
Guidelines have now been produced. These guidelines are non-statutory. They aim to support the teaching and learning of Gifted and Talented learners. They reflect good practice which is already taking place in schools throughout Northern Ireland. They are consistent with the aims and objectives of the Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum.
Download Gifted and Talented Pupils: Guidelines for Teachers PDF, 2MB
Forms relating to the information in these guidelines may be downloaded from the links below.
Downloadable Forms
The non-statutory guidance on the education of gifted and talented learners makes reference to a number of forms useful for identification, school audit and for record keeping. Below you will find copies of these forms and brief instructions on their use.
Identification
Nebraska Starry Night Initial observations, particularly with young children, could be completed using the ‘Nebraska Starry Night’ (Eyre, 1997). This form should be used over a designated period, e.g. a week or a month. The amount of time needed depends on the age of the learner and how many hours a week the teacher spends with the learner. During the designated period as the teacher spots the learner performing an activity that fits on the map, an ‘X’ is marked in the relevant area. (The ‘X’s scattered over the form look like stars and hence the name of the form.)
At the end of the designated time period, teachers use the map to decide whether further identification methods should be used. This is useful with younger learners but may also be useful where a teacher has a large, busy class and time is at a premium. This record also allows teachers to provide evidence when they suspect a learner is Gifted and Talented.
General Checklist for identifying Gifted and Talented Learner This form provides an alternative to the Nebraska Starry Night. The class teacher/one or more subject teachers may fill in this form while considering the whether a learner should be put forward for further identification methods. Teachers should tick or write ‘yes’/’no’ in the appropriate box. When deciding on how to answer each section teachers should bear in mind the learner’s age and the general level of the learner’s peers.
Parents’/Carers’ Questionnaire Parents/carers know their child, and can be a very useful source of information in identifying a Gifted and Talented learner. Parents/carers can provide valuable insights into the strengths and issues of their son’s/daughter’s learning needs and should be consulted so that support offered in school can be maintained at home. Schools may also find it useful to send out questionnaires to parents/carers of learners who are in the process of being identified as Gifted and Talented.
NB. Schools should be aware that ‘looked after children’ may have no such advocate. Schools should take extra care when following other methods of identification to ensure that these learners are given a greater focus in order to redress the imbalance.
School Audit
Whole School Audit This form is a useful tick sheet for school management to gain a valuable insight into strengths and weaknesses of the school’s provision for gifted and talented learners.
Classroom Strategies Checklist Individual class and subject teachers may wish to use this tick sheet to audit their own practice with regard to gifted and talented learners.
Recording
Individual Record Sheet This sheet is an example of the type of information schools may wish to keep about individual learners who have been identified as gifted and talented. The sections are self explanatory. This form will be useful for teachers to refer to when planning class or individual work. It will also be useful for teachers who are new to the school and/or substitute teachers. It may also provide a basis for discussion with learners and parents/carers.
School or Year Group Record (PDF)
School or Year Group Record (Word Doc) Two alternative forms are provided for schools to consider. These forms allow management to maintain an overview of provision within their school.
Two points to note:
Ass. is short for assessment and it is anticipated that scores in the relevant area will be included here. The learning areas may be edited to adapt the form for primary/post-primary.
Gifted and Talented Information Days
Two Gifted and Talented Information Days were held on 26 & 27 February 2008. The following documents were presented during these sessions.
Presenting the Guidelines
An introduction to the Gifted and Talented guidelines.
Presenting the GuidelinesPPT, 907 KB
Key Presentation, Dr Carrie Winstanley
A presentation from our key speaker on the main issues in Gifted and Talented Education.
Key Presentation, Dr Carrie Winstanley PPT, 1.69 MB
This document contains key questions raised by Dr Winstanley for schools to consider.
Key Questions for SchoolsPDF, 176 KB
Workshop Presentations
School Management: Gifted & Talented
Neil Downing, Principal of Cookstown Primary School and David Ryan, BELB held a workshop called ‘School management: organising for the education of the gifted and talented’.
School Management: organising for the education of Gifted & TalentedPPT, 2 MB
Young Applicants in Schools and Colleges Scheme (YASS)
Christine Compton and Margaret Chaytor held a workshop on the Open University’s scheme to allow pupils to study university modules while still attending school.
YASS Scheme (Open University)PPT, 1.9 MB
Identifying Highly Able Children with Multiple Exceptionalities
Dr Carrie Winstanley ran a workshop on meeting the needs of the dually exceptional, providing valuable insights on how to spot learners whose abilities are masked by their disabilities.
Identifying Highly Able Children with Multiple Exceptionalities PPT, 798 KB