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

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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. Our network of schools An independent, not for profit organisation
Affiliated Membership of 4861 educational establishments
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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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’

10. 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)

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. For more information
Our website: