Contact Details:
Adviser Jeremy Reynolds Tel: 01438 844008 jeremy.reynolds@ hertscc.gov.uk Hertfordshire Development Centre, Robertson House Six Hills Way Stevenage SG1 2FQ
Conferences
Herts G & T Conference Report &Presentations 2008
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Links
Inclusion News, Events & Meetings
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Hertfordshire Gifted and Talented Conference 25th February 2009 New

'Pedagogies for Personalisation'
Keynote Speaker - Professor Dylan Wiliam, Institute of Education, London
9.30 - 4pm, Hertfordshire Development Centre, Robertson House, Stevenage

The third Hertfordshire Gifted and Talented conference, now an established annual event, will focus upon developing and sustaining the most effective teaching and learning strategies within the classroom that can benefit able, gifted and talented and all students. A central theme will be the message of effective Assessment for Learning, delivered by one its key figures and authors

Professor Dylan Wiliam is Deputy Director of the Institute of Education in London. After wide experience in schools and Higher Education, his research work has focused on the use of assessment to support learning and he was the co-author, with Paul Black, of the seminal Inside the Black Box : raising standards through classroom assessment. He has worked with many groups of teachers and school leaders in the UK and abroad. Professor Wiliam will focus upon the twin ideas of ‘Engagement and Contingency’ to build effective learning power for able, gifted and talented students and this will be considered within and across a wide range of curriculum areas.

The aims of the conference are to:

• Have the opportunity to hear leading practitioners and experts in thefield of Gifted and Talented education
• Participate in workshops covering subject and themed teaching and learning approaches that support the education of able, gifted and talented students
• Examine and gather resources from organisations such as NACE, YG&T, NAGC, SAPERE and Villiers Park
• Plan ways forward for schools to improve their provision for able, gifted and talented students
• See and share best practice from schools  

Also – a unique experience. See what is possible in our ‘Talent Creation in a Day’ Don’t miss it!

• Further details and to book online

Workshops

• Word 2003, 24kb/1 page, 12/12/2008, conference_2009_workshops.doc

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Leading Teachers Network/Cluster Group Meetings New

Spring Term 2009

Please find below a list of cluster group meetings for Leading Teachers which will be held in the spring term 2009. Letters about these will be sent to schools at the beginning of next term. Resources will be given out at these meetings which are also an opportunity to share good practice and receive up to date information about G&T nationally.

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Excellence East Events - Spring Term 2009

Subject Matters - 24 January 2009
Years 10-11, University of Cambridge

• Adobe pdf, 81kb/1 page, 05/12/2008, subject_matters.pdf

Volcanology - Apply Pure Science to one of Earth's Greatest Natural Hazards - 9 January 2009
Years 11-12,University of Cambridge

• Adobe pdf,. 126kb/1 page, 05/12/2008, volcanology.pdf

Popular Sport and Pastimes in 18th Century England - 24 January 2009
University of East Anglia, Norwich

• Adobe pdf, 240kb/1 page, 05/12/2008, sport.pdf

Fungi and Us: An Ongoing Social Relationship - 28 February 2009
University of East Anglia, Norwich

• Adobe pdf, 156kb/1 page, 05/12/2008, fungi.pdf
  

Around the World in 3 Days - 15-17 April 2009
University of East Anglia, Norwich

• Adobe pdf, 266kb/1 page, 05/12/2008, easter_school_2009.pdf

Discover Archaeology

How does the passage of time transform everyday life as it becomes an archaeological site?
Can you examine evidence from one human being from the past to piece together their life and the circumstances surrounding their death? What can an examination of the past tell us about the future?

Archaeology Discovery Days are presented by Carenza Lewis, MA FSA of the University of Cambridge Department of Archaeology and Channel 4's Time Team. The aim is to introduce pupils to archaeology with an emphasis on new ideas and the chance to think imaginatively about them. No previous knowledge or experience of archaeology is required or expected. During the day you will
Be given ideas and information to examine and analyse for yourself, working in small groups and contributing to larger discussions. It will be informal and fun!

• Learn to think laterally and analytically about new ideas.
• Be able to handle and investigate finds, and get an insight into how archaeologists really find out about the past
• Find the event a thought-provoking experience which should give you a few new perspectives both about life in the past and on creative ways of thinking today
  

Reference: 2009Cam-003
Dates/times: 12 Feb 2009 – 10am to 3.30pm
Years: Years 7 to 9
Location: Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Places: 25 places in total
Cost: £25 per student full cost (For information on our free and half price places, please see Section F of the downloaded application form)

To register an interest and download an application form visit:

• www.excellenceeast.org.uk

Closing date for completed applications Wednesday 4 February 2009.

Saturday Morning Lectures

We are currently running two saturday morning lectures.

Lecture: History Lecture
Date: Saturday 24 January 2009
Time: 10 am
Location: Lecture Theatre 2, University of East Anglia
Speaker: Dr Emma Griffin (School of History, University of East Anglia)
Topic: Popular Sports and Pastimes in Eighteenth Century England: What does the study of recreation tell us about the past?

Flyer

• Adobe pdf, 245kb/1 pages, 07/01/2009, history_lecture_flyer_jan09.pdf

Lecture: Biology Lecture
Date: Saturday 28 February 2009
Time: 10 am
Location: Lecture Theatre 2, University of East Anglia
Speaker: Dr Kay Yeoman (School of Biology, University of East Anglia)
Topic: Fungi and Us: An Amazing Social Relationship

Flyer

• Adobe pdf, 162kb/1 pages, 07/01/2009, biology_lecture_flyer_jan09.pdf

The lectures are open access and free of charge. They are aimed at G&T students in Years 11-13. Students do not need to complete application forms, but we do ask that they register an interest on our website.

• www.excellenceeast.org.uk

Refreshments will be available after the lectures and students will have the opportunity to talk to current UEA undergraduates about the lecture and university life.

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Gifted and Talented in the School Census

Letter to all headteachers from Andrew Adonis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools - 16th Sept 2008 concerning identifying gifted and talented pupils in the termly school census:

• Adobe pdf, 89kb/3 pages, 06/10/2008, dcsf_school_census_letter.pdf

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Excellence East

Excellence East was established in April 2007 and is the Hub for the six East of England counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. It is a partnership of a number of higher education institutions and other stakeholders working in the region and will offer a diverse range of activities for Gifted and Talented learners aged 11 to 19, including master classes, summer schools and specialist subject challenge days.

They have launched a website specifically for the Gifted and Talented community in East Anglia. If you are a Gifted and Talented student or a parent, carer or teacher of a Gifted and Talented young person, this website will tell you all you need to know about Excellence East.

• www.excellenceeast.org.uk/

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Goal Events

Year 12 University Conference - The University of Warwick

The inside track for Year 12 Goal students on applying to university and making the right choices about the future. Sessions on UCAS, student life, personal statements, student finance as well as interactive skills sessions. Year 12 only.

Medical Sciences Mentoring - University of Oxford

A 12 week mentoring programme, in conjunction with Bright Journals, to find out more about studying at Oxford, studying medicine and careers in the medical professions. Years 9 - 12

Visit the events page for more information and booking forms:

• http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/goal/students/events/

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Challenge Days

Just to draw your attention to these Challenge Days for very academically able students from state
schools only.

These are organised by the Widening Participation Team here at Cambridge University. They have been
running now for a number of years so they predate the Excellence East project considerably, and
involve individual colleges donating space and free lunches etc. They are specifically for very
academically able students at the top end of the ability scale but for this year we've avoided using
the term "gifted and talented" as it causes confusion with Excellence East events.

So they will continue for 2008/09 under our general access programme but we are looking at bringing
them under the Excellence East banner for 2009/10.

There are two different sets of dates for Years 10 and Year 12. View them at:

• www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/events/challengedays.html

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Recognising and Nurturing Giftedness in Early Years Conference Report - 16th November 2007

Professor Valsa Koshy, from Brunel University, a world authority on giftedness and high ability in young children and Director of the Brunel Able Children’s Centre (BACE) addressed the conference. She spoke about how to recognise and develop high ability in young children and based what she has to say on her extensive research experience, including several DfES research projects.

Delegates were able to develop an understanding of how to identify giftedness in young children through looking at strengths and interests rather than labelling and through the use of 'talent portfolios'. Professor Koshy and Early Years Adviser Sarah Kingham then took delegates through practical classroom based strategies which are designed to develop higher levels of thinking in Mathematics and Literacy.

A very useful and stimulating day which delegates found very thought provoking and it was particularly good to see other colleagues from across the region attending.

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Leading Teachers for Gifted and Talented Education

Gifted and Talented education is at a watershed moment in September 2007, with two main changes and developments. Firstly, the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) is now no longer in operation and CfBT, a new contractor, has taken over the management of the National Programme which is entitled ‘Young Gifted and Talented’.  More details of the new programme can be found at:

• http://ygt.dfes.gov.uk

Secondly, there is now an alignment with, and involvement of, the National Strategies in the new G and T Leading Teacher programme. We sent out a letter last term which explained the background and context to this development and we are now in a position to outline our plans for Hertfordshire in the following documents.

Letter to schools with form to complete and return *

• Word 2003, 59kb/3 pages, 24/09/2007, leading_teachers_letter.doc

National Strategies - Support for Gifted and Talented - Developments in 2007

• PowerPoint 2003, 540kb/25 slides, 24/09/2007, nat_strategies_gt_developments.ppt

The Role of the Leading Teacher for Gifted and Talented Education

• Word 2003, 68kb/2 pages, 24/09/2007, leading_teacher_gt_education.doc

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Young Gifted and Talented Update March 2008

The latest update on the YG&T Programme is available below:

• Adobe pdf, 2.11MB/17 pages, 14/03/2008, ygt_update_mar08.pdf

More information on the website at:

• www.ygt.dcsf.gov.uk

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The Heat Is On - Reflective Report on Pilot Workshop

The Heat Is On is the name of an educational project promoting global warming issue awareness and positive change amongst young people across the country. The inspiration came from a desire to tackle climate change by educating our next generation of business owners and leaders so they can develop new ideas for sustainable development in the future: In ten years time these children will be our science and humanities graduates; in twenty years time, our leaders and policy-makers. We felt we must start them on a career trajectory, which is climate-aware and which boosts our economy in an environmentally sound way.

The workshop itself is inter-disciplinary and “fills the gaps” between subjects currently taught in the school curriculum. By approaching our subject through drama, we created a sense of reality amongst the children and encouraged thinking about sustainable development and global citizenship.

Read the full workshop report:

• Acrobat pdf, 100kb/3 pages, 07/11/2006, heat_is_on.pdf

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