"By School for Schools" - Using Specialist School Networks To Create Future Practice in Gifted and Talented Education Rosanna Raimato Head of Achievement Programmes, SSAT

Overview The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Creating School Networks for Gifted Education Outcomes New Challenges

The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Our aim is to give practical support to the transformation of secondary education in England by building and enabling a world-class network of innovative, high performing secondary schools in partnership with business and the wider community.

Specialist Schools Aim for all English secondary schools to be specialist Promotes excellence of opportunity, creativity, achievement and shared working with the educational and business community to enhance outcomes for all Secondary schools working with their own ‘family of schools’, including Primary and Special schools Schools can opt for: Arts, Business and Enterprise, Technology, Engineering, Humanities, Languages, Maths and Computing, Music, Science, SEN, Vocational

Our network of schools An independent, not for profit organisation Affiliated Membership of 4861 educational establishments - 2821 English secondary schools 1324 International member schools Secondary Specialist Schools and Academies Trust schools, Special Schools and Primary Schools Sixth Form and Further Education Colleges Local Authorities and Higher Education Institutions

Our Programmes and Themes specialism community vocational achievement innovation new technologies leadership Continuing Professional Development Themes - current system leadership post-16 (raising of education participation age) diversity – ethnicity, culture and religion sustainability every child achieves (social mobility) creativity and enterprise parents

Our Principles We believe in ‘by schools, for schools’. By this, we mean: making sure that improving student achievement and raising academic standards are at the heart of everything we do making sure that head teachers take the lead in directing our work involving head teachers and other teaching staff in designing and delivering our programmes, activities, research and development

Our Principles inspiring, challenging and motivating head teachers and other teaching staff to raise standards, and to support and challenge one another validating and accrediting educational practices and measuring educational outcomes

Our principles aim to support: the development of the specialist system as a ‘self-improving’ system in which education professionals share and develop teaching and learning practices, with a commitment to raising standards school-led system leadership (where head teachers come together to influence and develop education issues, and support schools other than their own) the creation of an environment in which schools can move from ‘good’ to ‘great’

SSAT and G+T Education – Supporting Schools Commitment to G+T by Specialist Schools – within specialisms and in the community Lead Schools and Lead Practitioners Case studies, events, publications Dialogue with local and national bodies Segmentation and pupil level data Pilot Programmes generated by SSAT and in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)

Creating School Networks for Gifted Education From participation in our wider activity we identify the system leaders of Gifted and Talented education Lead Schools demonstrate effective and creative practice in G+T are recognised on a local, regional or national scale share strategies and resources freely can show the impact on the achievement and wellbeing of gifted and talented students

Our most valuable resource – inspiring and challenging their peers Lead Practitioners Our most valuable resource – inspiring and challenging their peers nominated by head teachers for their work in G+T able to be both creative and reflective a ‘research and development’ model work with other schools and colleagues face to face, online, through publications, seminars, conferences, in-school training modest funding to create capacity – sponsorships, grants, school-funded

Creating Networks – a regional model South Central South West 1 South West 2 North East South East East Midlands West Midlands North West East London Regional cluster structure South West 2 1 Lead Practitioner + own school 1 Lead School Partner School 1 Partner School 2 School 1 School 3 School 1 School 3 School 1 School 3 School 1 School 3 School 2 School 2 School 2 School 2 Dissemination stage 120+ schools

Raising Achievement for G+T Learners at Key Stage Four – SSAT and DCSF collaboration Focussed on raising achievement for our most able students in a range of subjects Looked at subject teaching and learning to tackle G+T underachievement Trialling of subject methodology and materials Fed back into the development of the National Classroom Quality Standards Disseminated findings and resources on a local, regional and national scale

The Classroom Quality Standards The programme was based on the 5 Classroom Quality Standards strands: Development of Learning Conditions for Learning Knowledge of Subjects and Themes Understanding Learners’ Needs Planning

How it worked – the stages Phase One To investigate what makes excellent practice in G+T teaching and learning in a specific subject area, supported by overarching G+T practice Phase Two To compare and develop practice against the CQS Phase Three To disseminate practice and methodology with a wider network – 10 regional hubs

Dissemination beyond the network Reports on practitioner-identified excellent practice in G+T teaching and learning in Maths, English, Science and a sample of ‘specialisms’ Availability of case studies and resources produced through Lead Practitioner and cluster activity for both SSAT affiliated and other schools A publication based on the practice developed and trialled through the programme and the CQS, due this Spring

Pilot for National Institutional Quality Standards SSAT and DCSF – a collaboration In partnership with the DCSF, raising awareness of IQS in the secondary sector Equip schools to meet the needs of their most able students at whole school level and gain recognition Creation of school-based regional support networks for IQS implementation

Programme Activities and Outcomes Workshops, seminars Shared materials Additional opportunities for students CPD for teachers Raised awareness for Headteachers Liaison with Local Authorities and Cluster Groups New links with local (and not so local!) schools

Personalising Participation for Gifted and Talented Students Aimed at students with potential abilities and talents but from low aspiration, socially deprived backgrounds Schools were given a small sponsorship grant to give opportunities that would be: - at no cost to families - sustainable - relevant to the community context Outcomes will be shared on a local and national scale, with key educational partners in Gifted and Talented education. Dissemination of ideas that will help to make our most able learners excited the opportunities available to them, regardless of background or circumstances.

Inspiring Participation Literacy: ICT Programme – using i-Books to encourage reading for gifted boys Aspiration: Learn Latin, Go to Rome – classes with HE partner, fundraising with families and community Communication: Mandarin Chinese – Saturday morning and family learning Developing Talent: Advanced Stage Lighting – for the artistic but shy (and developing Maths and Physics) Diversity: EAL Film Project – making a film about school and home life to share with peers and families

Inspiring Participation Sharing Progress: Personalised Learning Plans – using the Virtual Learning Environments and home languages Participation: Asian-background Girls and Higher Education – offering distance modules in school, taking parents on open days Leadership: Sports Leadership and Coaching – qualifications for students with sports talent Social Skills: Podcasts for Primaries – creating, teaching, sharing learning Community: The Garden Project – students growing produce and creating a business in the community

The Future – Specialist G+T Schools? Pilot currently being run by SSAT on behalf of the DCSF as part of the Leading Edge Partnership Programme. 20 schools have formed a ‘National Collaborative’ to trial a systematic approach to providing an exceptional education for our most able students. Ministerial interest in finding ways for High Performing Specialist Schools (HPSS) to generate innovation and high impact sharing of practice for Gifted and Talented (G+T) provision. The pilot will explore how this strand could become an HPSS option for schools obtaining this status. Possible model of ‘hub’ schools creating and serving local and national networks for excellence and innovation

Keeping Networks Alive Facilitation of networks Quality Assurance of Lead Schools and Practitioners Availability of free online resources and networking Collaboration with national bodies to add to system leadership and the national agenda for G+T Offering schools G+T ‘best and next practice’ events led by practitioners Creating a culture of ‘by schools for schools’ that can create and maintain capacity

For more information Our website: www.schoolsnetwork.org.uk