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DFES Gifted and Talented
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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:

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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)