Professor Deborah Eyre University of Warwick Curriculum based gifted education: The English Model

Effective education systems should meet the needs of all pupils, including the most able Today’s gifted pupils are tomorrows social, intellectual, economic and cultural leaders. Work on school improvement suggests that a focus on the gifted can help a school raise overall standards Why Gifted Education?

Students with special talents/ outstanding academic results Students with outstanding performance In specific domains Exceptionally gifted students Three-tier Implementation Mode and our Target Students Student Category Mode Level Three: Off-site support Level Two: School-based pullout programmes Level One: School-based whole-class approach Curriculum Content Specialized (Subject/Domain) General Enrichment All students Students with special talents/ outstanding academic results Students with outstanding performance in specific domains Students with outstanding performance in academic subjects Exceptionally gifted students

What is the English Model Looking to Achieve? High performance and achievement Development of expertise Social, moral and emotional development, including persistence, high aspirations, confidence and collaboration

A Whole School Approach to Gifted Education General rationale Objectives: What the school aims to provide through gifted education Overall school approach Teaching and Learning approaches, School-wide opportunities Beyond the school

Knowledge, skills and concepts Domain valued behaviours (eg thinking like a ….) Intellectual playfulness (eg breaking the domain rules) Self-regulation and self-direction Discussion, debate and argument around key ideas Exposure to those with high levels of expertise in relation to existing level Expertise development

 Breadth  Depth  Pace How is expertise developed? Enhancing the core educational offer by adding:

Creating challenge in the primary classroom Background theory higher order thinking critical thinking reflective practice expert practice Lesson structure learning objectives lesson structure task setting questionning Strategies - tool kit eg concept mapping hot seating bright ideas time thinking hats plan/do/review Adapted from Wilson, H (2003)

DO: think carefully about the purpose of the task encourage children to suggest ways to extend their work make sure extension conforms to the principles of good provision try to make it manageable and interesting include extension in your short - term planning sheets make sure you have suitable resources Don’t: make extension just more practice of the same concept make extension extra to normal class work make extension tasks include excessive writing use extension as away to occupy those who work quickly

Work from a difficult text or use a variety of text Enquiry based learning using a plan/do/review approach Record in an unusual way using eg using graphics Use role play to enable students to act as experts Create tasks that require investigation, problem solving, decision making Provide choice in how to handle content (or multiple pathways) Design tasks with no single correct answer Introduce technical language and advanced ideas Start with an answer and ask them to set the questions Use Bloom's top three: analysis, evaluation, synthesis Time restricted or word limited activities Creating Challenging Tasks

Goldilocks and the Three Bears 1. KnowledgeWhat happened in the story? What did Goldilocks do in the Bear's home? 2. ComprehensionWhy did it happen that way? Why did Goldilocks like the little Bear's bed best? 3. ApplicationWhat would you have done? What would have happened if Goldilocks had come to your house? 4. AnalysisWhich parts did you like best? Which parts could not be true? 5. EvaluationWhat did you think of the story? Was Goldilocks good or bad? Why? 6. SynthesisCan you think of a different ending? Create you own Goldilocks story

Golden rules for gifted education Create a classroom climate that supports the development of high achievement - risk taking, high flying Approach lessons as part of apprenticeship in a subject not just learning to the knowledge and skills needed to pass the exam - a community of learners Focus on the needs of individuals, make use of their strengths and recognise their weaknesses - empowered learners Design tasks that ensure intellectual challenge - higher order thinking Focus on high quality teacher/pupil interaction with both teacher and pupils playing a range of roles - questioning, explaining, challenging

Precocious ability - outperforming others of similar age Potential to climb higher than others - keeping pace with top set but will go on to achieve more highly than others Highly conceptual, moderate skills - begins to show ability when the curriculum becomes more conceptual Able underachievers - potentially able but underachieving 4 types of children to find …..

Particularly in early years, children who are interested in an area and actively seek to pursue it, enjoying it for its own sake (playful) Pupils who appear to master the rules of a domain easily and can transfer their insights to new problems (precision) Pupils who observe their own behaviour and hence utilise a greater variety of learning strategies than others (self regulation) Pupils who exhibit any of the characteristics above plus a tendency towards non-conformity in the given domain (originality) …. and how to spot ability through provision

Gifted Education Traditional Models  Exclusive  Identification led  Ability theory  Bolt-on to general education  Single programme  ‘Either or’ provision  Concern of few teachers  Provision for individuals The English Model  Inclusive  Opportunity led  Expertise theory  Aspect of general education  Multiple elements  Complementary provision  Concern of all teachers  System provision