What does the term Gifted and Able mean to us?
There are gifted and able students in every year group and in every school. Gifted and Able refers to students who need to be given an extra challenge in their lessons and who are exceeding compared to their peers. The government defines gifted and able pupils as, “those children who are achieving, or who have the potential to achieve, at a level substantially beyond the rest of their peer group.
Our Vision
At Burnley High School, we are committed to providing every student with opportunities to develop his or her maximum potential and to provide high quality learning. All of our students are entitled to a curriculum and environment which meets their needs and enables them to flourish both academically and in terms of developing their character. We feel provision will be most effective when it is made within the classroom through a stimulating adaptive curriculum. With the use of adaptive lessons, we can challenge and enhance learning and performance. At Burnley High School, we are committed to creating a culture where we celebrate effort, progress and achievement.
What does Burnley High School do to drive our most able cohort?
We recognise that working with external partners can offer a different kind of challenge to our gifted and able students. Here are some of our plans for the next academic year:
- Opportunities to participate in gifted and ablechallenge days
- Years 9 and 10 taking part in the Brilliant Club, where they meet with a world class researcher, doing challenging courses on subjects beyond the curriculum. Our students get experience of university style learning in small group tutorials and benefit from two visits to the most competitive universities.
- UKMT challenge days
- Change of resources, support, questioning, outcome and role within lessons.
- Providing appropriate, challenging teacher feedback.
- Opportunities to investigate real life situations, to solve real problems and produce real solutions.
- Regular monitoring and reporting of individual student performance.
- Opportunities for more able students to work together.
- Being part of the Boat Race Challenge where students get the opportunity to visiting Oxford and Cambridge University in Year 10
- Offering after school support every week
- Tailored Careers advice at A-Level taster days
- Weekly Maths Club
- Visiting speakers
- Subject focused trips to allow for mastery
How can I help my child at home to reach their full potential?
- Encourage your child to read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books as this will broaden their vocabulary and strengthen their core knowledge
- Encourage your child to watch the news/documentaries as it is important for them to have a broad range of knowledge of current events.
- Talk more about their future with them, ask them if they want to attend college and university and encourage them to have aspirations and to talk about them.
- Give your child more information about the different options they have after school. Talk more about university as they may not know much about what they plan to pursuein the future. Consider visiting university campuses and research these online with your child.
- Encourage your child to take part in extracurricular activities offered at school to build their skills
- Contact their teachers to see how your child is doing or ask subject specific teachers what you can do to support your child at home.
