Lady Bankes Primary School
Ambition, Togetherness, Opportunity, Respect, Curiosity, Happiness
More able and talented pupils
More Able and Talented
At Lady Bankes we have a ‘More Able and Talented’ (MA&T) policy to ensure that those who fall on our MA&T register are having their needs met in terms of being challenged in the classroom, ensuring that work is differentiated, as well as providing opportunities to participate in extra learning opportunities both during and outside of school hours.
How do we implement this within the school?
At Lady Bankes we adopt the following strategies and interventions to provide challenge and additional opportunities for our more able and talented pupils:
High Quality Teaching:
In class, work is differentiated for pupils meaning that different levels of challenge are provided in class. Children can opt for more difficult work if they feel confident enough to do this. Teachers can extend work for the more able pupils through the use of higher level questioning and activities that are aimed at the top level of Bloom’s taxonomy model (see image below). Additionally, pupils who are more able may be able to tutor and help others in class once completing work, as well as getting on with work as soon as it is set rather than listening to teacher instruction.
Latest News: LBP Has Talent! (Years 2-6)
LBP will be holding its annual Talent show: Can you sing, dance, act, tell jokes, perform magic tricks or amazing sport skills? Auditions will take place in Year groups. With the Grand Final taking place on 5th July!
Targeted Support:
If a child needs extending over and above the support given in everyday high-quality teaching, then group intervention support can be offered. Examples of groups we run for our more able pupils include:
Workshops:
Half or full day workshops are run in school or at another local school/venue for pupils with guests and teachers that specialise in particular areas e.g. science, maths, authors etc.
Photography Workshop:
In November 2022 we ran a photography workshop for all the children. Have a look at the winners attached. Selected children also got the chance to take part in the photography workshop with a professional photographer!
This was organised by one of our fabulous Art co-ordinators: Mrs Sathyarooban
Competitions/New initiatives:
Children from across the school have the opportunity to compete in a range of competitions designed to display different skills and talents such as the Talent Show, Spelling Bees, Time Tables Rockstars finals, Art and Design competitions etc. These are all arranged to showcase children’s different and various abilities. Annually, children in Y6 have the chance to take part in enterprise activities where they set up ‘mini businesses’ in groups in order to raise money for school events. To increase aspirations, a ‘careers’ event is also organised on alternate years to enable children to understand the nature of different jobs and employment in the local community.
Sports Coaching:
At Lady Bankes we have specialist sports provision which provides after-school sports clubs throughout the year. Some of our pupils who are more able or have a skill in a particular sport can help out at these after-school clubs and teach/coach other pupils alongside the teacher. Children also have access to a range of different sports, which include cross-country, lacrosse, kurling, seated volleyball and many more.
Art Development:
When artistically talented pupils have been identified, we have offered art events (local exhibitions) and competitions. Pupils who have participated in competitions have created a number of resources such as ‘Thank you cards’, ‘Christmas cards’ etc that we are able to send out to external professionals who have supported our school or the local community.
Individualised Support:
Some pupils will need more personalised and individual plans/programmes to ensure that they are being encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability in school. We like to recognise talent individuals and encourage them to express themselves in and out of school. As an example of this: please see this fabulous art work from Thomas (Year 2)
Tips & Suggestions
If you believe that your child may have a particular talent or skill in a subject, then please contact the school office about this, as we would love to know what your child might do outside school. Please contact this email address (moreable@ladybankes.school) and include the full name of your child and their class.
If you have been informed by the school that your child is deemed more able in a particular subject you can support them by:
- Encouraging them to attend an after-school club;
- Help them to use study skills to organise information (e.g. using mind maps);
- Encourage them to take part in extra-curricular activities related to the area they are more able in;
- Take children on educational visits e.g. to galleries, museums, workshops.
Useful Links:
The Let’s Think approach develops the intelligence of pupils by improving their thinking processes. We have been employing these strategies in our English lessons and have had staff training on this approach.
National Association for Able Children in Education
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/education/why-study-education-at-brunel/talent-development-programmes
Brunel Talent Development Programmes for Education (read about research in more able children).
https://www.familyeducation.com/school-learning/gifted-education
Family Education (information for parents as well as games and activities to challange your child).
https://www.potentialplusuk.org/
Potential Plus (Information for schools, parents/carers including advice sheets and resources).
https://www.hoagiesgifted.org/
Hoagies - Links for both parents and children with activities and reading.