Information for schools

Medway Council is committed to supporting individuals to meet their educational needs in the best way possible. This includes pupils who have abilities above those of their chronological peers.

This is done in a number of ways:

• Medway Council’s Education Development Plan (EDP) includes an action plan for pupils with special needs, including those who are gifted and talented.
• Medway Gifted and Talented Action Group meets each term to consider how gifted and talented pupils can best be supported in Medway Council schools. The group includes headteacher and teacher representatives from primary and secondary schools, officers of Medway Council working in relevant fields such as educational psychologists, the Early Years Team, Key Skills Team and the Out of School Hours Learning Officer and representatives from national able pupil groups and parent networks.
• The purpose of the group is to help deliver activities and guidance linked to the Education Development Plan (EDP), co-ordinate networks so that members know about each other’s activities, keep up to date with gifted and talented matters locally and nationally and promote the sharing of good practice in meeting the needs of gifted and talented pupils.
• Medway Council has a general adviser who has particular responsibility for helping schools with matters relating to gifted and talented pupils.
• Teacher training courses regarding whole school and classroom strategies for meeting the needs of gifted and talented pupils are offered through the Medway Professional Development Programme. Schools can also purchase additional adviser time for in-house staff training or for assistance with the review and development of practice. There are many individual teachers working in Medway schools who have expertise in teaching or mentoring gifted and talented pupils of all ages, in many different subjects. Any teachers who feel they have expertise to offer or who are seeking help and advice should contact the adviser with responsibility for gifted and talented pupil matters.
• Each year, Medway Council operates summer schools for gifted and talented pupils. The summer schools are funded by grants from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and are targeted at the top 5-10 per cent of academically able pupils. They offer opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to enrich their educational experience and enable them to engage early with material they would not normally encounter until later.

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