Schools and learning

Gifted and talented children

What do we mean by gifted and talented?

Gifted and talented children are those who have developed their abilities to a level beyond that of others in their year group. It also refers to children who have the potential to develop their abilities. The term ‘gifted’ refers to children who excel or who are capable of excelling academically whereas ‘talented’ refers to children who excel or who are capable of excelling in creative and sporting activities.

What do schools provide?

Every teacher plans appropriate lessons for the ability of his or her classes on a daily basis. If gifted and talented children are present in the class then work is differentiated in order to challenge and stimulate these children. Each school also has a designated teacher who is responsible for the provision of extra activities and classes for the gifted and talented children in the school. They will know who has been identified as gifted and talented and they will also monitor their progress.

What happens if your child has been identified as gifted and talented?

If your child’s school has identified your child as gifted and talented, then your child will be receiving extra support in class and they will also have the opportunity to attend extra classes and special activities intended to help them reach their potential. Support from home is also essential for your child’s development so try to get involved as much as possible.

A new government initiative

There is a new government scheme that has just been launched which specifically targets provision for gifted and talented children in all schools. The scheme revolves around e-credits; each child will receive a certain amount of e-credits which will be used to buy equipment that will help them to achieve their potential.

More information

Follow the links on this page to find out about provision for Gifted and Talented pupils in Hertfordshire Schools. Details about strategies, definitions, characteristics of gifted and talented children and information for parents can be found on the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning website. Useful information about the national picture can be found on the NAGC and DfES websites, just use the links on the right of this page.