Gifted and Talented Definition
What does ‘Gifted’ and ‘Talented’ mean?
There is a range of terminology used to describe this group of children
including :
- Able pupils
- More able pupils
- The very able
- Exceptionally able
- Gifted children
- Talented pupils
- Those with exceptional talent
- Pupils with marked aptitude
The DfES, from its Excellence In Cities programme, uses the terms ‘gifted
and talented’ and these are defined as follows:
| Gifted |
Top 5-10% of pupils per school as measured by actual or potential
achievement in the main curriculum subjects |
Talented |
Top 5-10% of pupils per school as measured by actual or potential
achievement in the subjects of Art, Music and PE |
However, this definition raises a number of issues and difficulties
amongst which are:
- The fact that the words ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ above
are so rigidly fixed to particular areas of subject content. It
is surely possible for example to be a ‘gifted’ (as opposed
to a ‘talented’) artist and many people would describe
Mozart as an innately ‘gifted’ musician? Moreover,
there could be other words and phrases that could equally (perhaps
better) describe the qualities of a particular individual and there
should not be any kind of an inherent hierarchy in the definitions
(gifted above talented for example). A flexibility in
terms of definitions is therefore suggested.
- The definition is relational. Being ‘gifted’ and ‘talented’ in
one school is not necessarily a matter of possessing an objective
quality which would mark a pupil as being gifted and/ or talented
in another school. This may be the case with exceptional individuals
but it may more routinely be the case that someone is amongst the
most able 5-10% in one particular school. Nor should the specific
figures be set in stone, especially where age cohorts are small and
can vary significantly from year to year.
- Pupils develop at different rates and with pupils joining and
leaving a school it may well be happen that a particular pupil will
fall within the scope of the definition ‘gifted and talented’ in
one year but may not fit that category in a subsequent year. Pupils
could move in and out of the group and some indicators of giftedness
may be misleading eg young children entering school very able and
comfortable with language. A particular problem in misjudging the
extent of high ability, which profoundly affects decision making
about specific children's giftedness, relates to academic, chronological
and social age. A child who is academically years ahead of his/her
peer group may have the personal maturity of an average child of
his/her age - and possibly the social skills of an even younger child.
- Although the definition refers to ‘actual or potential’ achievement,
this itself is two different things. Everything within the school system
is geared towards ‘actual’ achievement in terms of the process
and end results of pieces of work. What about those highly able or gifted
pupils who for one reason or other cannot or choose not to display their
real ability – either consistently or at all - which may be outstandingly
high? Perhaps they are bored and not stimulated by what is on offer in
their classroom or they might be choosing not to ‘shine’ above
their peers. They may have behavioural difficulties, be experiencing other
barriers to learning or specific learning difficulties in one area which
get in the way of their demonstrating their ability in another.
- Linked to this are such things as children possessing talents and aptitudes
in a mother tongue which is not English, whilst it is also the case that
high ability in some curriculum areas is much more easily recognised than
in others; pupils who get the benefit of many educational opportunities
from home for example may show ability much more obviously than those without
access to these opportunities. Below is a checklist for what we might term
the ‘less obvious suspects’ in terms of the
gifted and talented - highly able pupils who may be disadvantaged in some
way and perhaps able underachievers.
- What isn’t covered in the DfES definition? As well as high ability
within subject areas, what about pupils who can think imaginatively and
creatively across and inbetween subjects (eg an outstanding conservationist,
linking together aspects of Geography and Biology). Personal and social
qualities and skills such as leadership and communication are also surely
aspects that we would wish to develop with pupils in our schools.
- The definition implies a degree of similarity between able pupils when
in fact they may be the most diverse of individuals in a whole range of
ways. Just as there is no such person as a typical pupil, there
is no such person asa typical ‘gifted’ or ‘talented’ pupil.
Gifted and Talented in the Classroom
In practical classroom terms, Gifted and Talented children are likely
to present themselves to teachers in one or another of three groups:
- those whose outstanding ability is so evident (and in some cases
linked with behaviours that cause difficulties in mixed-ability settings),
that they force teachers to seek to develop specific strategies to
cope with their high ability, even if there is no existing whole
school policy.
- a much larger group of children with high levels of ability
(the DfES suggests about 10% of a school’s cohort), who attain
high levels of achievement and would specifically benefit from
a school policy targeted on providing appropriately for Gifted
and Talented children.
- Children with high levels of ability, who do not achieve
at a high level and who are in danger of being missed by those
seeking to provide appropriately for Gifted and Talented children.
Able pupils can have/be :
- Good all-rounders
- High ability in one area only
- Of high ability but with low motivation
- Of good verbal ability but having poor writing skills
- Very able with a short attention span
- Very able with limited interpersonal skills
- Keen to disguise their abilities
- SEN (think of children on the Autistic spectrum)
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