Primary Teacher Resource Centre - Forum

Craig · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject: Any G&T Coordinators out there?

I have been given this area to lead at school and having decided not to go for the Year 1 teaching job I would like to get my teeth stuck into it.

Is there anyone out there who is leading this area? What are you doing that is exciting and interesting?

I will be looking at the normal stuff including aspects of challenge into their plans (little bit lacking at the moment) and monitoring this. However I wanted to try and do something a bit more interesting, maybe with a focus group of G&T children. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance...

trinity0097 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:

Have you thought about going for the NACE Challenge Award? Going towards getting this would focus you on what needs to be done for G&T pupils.
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bscaca · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject:

Are there other schools nearby? We 're a small school but by joining together with other small schools we were able to offer a wider variety of opportunities to our G & T children EG producing a newspaper; a short film and contributing to a local radio programme.

stevarnam · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 99 Location: Chesterfield

We started a bright sparks club run by a TA. G&T children in small groups pick their own topic and end product and use the TASC wheel to plan and carry out the project. So they might pick to research ghosts and produce a newspaper or documentary. The children then plan using the TASC wheel how to complete the project.

We did it with infants and they chose topics like colour, chocolate, toys etc.
In the chocolate topic they chose they chose an end product of a new chocoalte bar. They then planned using TASC wheel, looked at labels, recipes, existing bars etc and finished by making their own, which i believe we then sold at school for last years children in need.

The kids love it as they have complete control! Smile

Craig · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:48 pm Post subject:

Great, thank you... I have just looked at the NACE challenge award and think I will order the pack, looks like a good evaluative tool.

I like the idea of children using the TASC wheel to be creative and lead something on their own, maybe we could tie it in with our radio station broadcast or create a short film or Vox Pox.

I quite like the idea of reflective journals, where the G&T pupils reflect on their learning and set targets.
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talulabell · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 913

I have also just taken this over and will be looking at similar things. I am interested in a club or group. Like the idea of task whell, how often to the group meet?

Craig · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:51 pm Post subject:

I reckon weekly at least if I can get the time...
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squiggle7 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

I have recently written about this on my blog as we had a meeting to discuss G&T provision last week. The ideas we came up with are here:

http://challengethat.blogspot.com/2009/10/way-forward.html

Also like the idea of a NACE challengge award though so might look that up.
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trinity0097 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:59 pm Post subject:

A lot of the ideas you are listing are only any good for the 'academic' G&T, especially those good at English, but miss out entirely those G&T at sport, music, DT, Maths who may be average/poor at English/text based subjects.

Some of our very SEN children English wise are on our G&T register for PE for example
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Craig · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject:

Fantastic blog, so many good ideas - well done! I really like the creative challenge 4!
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Craig · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject:

Yes trinity, I plan to work closely with our EAL coordinator to identify those groups of children...I have one in my class actually who is potentially quite talented academically.
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squiggle7 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:10 pm Post subject:

I totally agree with you trinity but how do you provide for pupils like that? Many of ours will be on the register for PE/music etc but in reality we cannot provide (especially in primaries where the expertise is not there) for these children like out of school clubs and sports teams can. Therefore, the main focus in school tends to be on pushing the academically gifted children as these are the children that require stretching every day within normal curriculum time so that they don't underperform. For those talented children we make parents aware of activities that happen outside of school but how do you do anything more than that? Also, and I know it's not right and it doesn't mean we should forget about groups of children, but Ofsted only really focus on the provision you provide for those gifted at literacy and numeracy.
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trinity0097 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject:

I would disagree that OFSTED are only concerned with G&T pupils in core subjects - after all every child matters!

Just as G&T pupils can be stretched in core subjects during curriculum time, as well as extra-curricular/additional events, so can those gifted in the sporty/musical etc activities. In PE for example it could be that a G&T pupil could lead the warm-ups as part of a leadership type role in the older year groups, or help run an activity for younger pupils, e.g. our Yr 7/8s run PE events for our first schools - no reason why with a bit more support Yr 5/6 pupils couldn't do this within a primary school, or perhaps with the support of a couple of older children from a linked secondary school.
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stevarnam · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 99 Location: Chesterfield

The benefit of using the bright sparks club is that it actually encompasses all AG&T. The gifted can work on the text based/ numerical or planning aspects more easily, where the creative kids make posters, designs, making, baking etc. The more bodily learners can also do the acting for projects or showcase skills in assembly. The tasc wheel way of planning a AG&T group ensures use of multiple intelligences throughout and therefore caters for all, NOT just the academic!

squiggle7 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject:

Of course provision needs to be made within lessons to stretch G&T for all subjects, but this falls under curriculum time and there just isn't as much curriculum time for the non-core subjects and therefore not as much provision can be made in the same way as it can be for English and Numeracy. We try our best in terms of encouraging talented children and musical children help out with the KS1 guitar club and sporty children in year 6 become sports ambassadors for the school but much of the provision for the talented children has to happen out of school because there isn't the expertise available within primary schools.
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squiggle7 · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject:

Knightrider · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject:

My G&T Music provision is the choir and orchestra. Fortunately I have people who do both for me. An ex parent who is a singing teacher does the choir and our visiting piano teacher does the orchestra in exchange for using a room for lessons all day.

emadam · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 388

We liaise with other schools in our cluster and each school holds a 'G&T' day for whatever their strenght is. Eg: sport, music, art, ICT, humanities... it isn't much, but it is a start. Also, I am trying to establish links with the secondary school whereby I take a group of G&T writers up to work with a group of Year 7 G&T writers.
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stevarnam · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Posts: 99 Location: Chesterfield

Yeah! Each year group does it (inc Foundation, but with lots of support from TA) and all children from that year group who are on AG&T register attend. I suppose we use it just as you would an intervention programme for SEN, but at the other end of the spectrum! It's always the middlies i feel for. They never have anything special just for them!

bluerose · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 2675

There are some great ideas on here and shall be taking a few. Have to say though this is one of those areas where i feel the world has gone mad. I come back to a point made early especially about talents primaries really lack capacity and in a small school stuggling to raise standards to then have to worry is the talented dancer having her dance needs met whilst at same time meeting needs of that talented cyclist etc its all overkill.
What happens to child whose on register in one school and moves to another and relatively suddenly is normal- how is that for self esteem.