Gifted and Talented

A collection of poems on a range of topics including ‘Heroes’ (Year 7), ‘Emotions’ (Year 8 and 9), ‘Senses’ (Year 5 from local schools) and in the form of dramatic monologues from Able, Gifted and Talented learners

Neal Zetter visited Harrow High School on Monday 7th March 2011. The Heroes and Emotions poems were created by learners who participated in his workshops. Visiting Year 5 learners who attended an English lesson as part of a Gifted and Talented masterclass in March wrote the Senses poems.

Year 8 and 9 learners who visited the Wallace Collection in London in April responded to works of art, including those shown, by producing short dramatic monologues, a selection of which is included in the booklet.  

We hope you enjoy the learners’ creative responses and give each of them a huge pat on the back. In addition I am very grateful to Miss Best for designing this anthology.

 

Ms Ferry

 

A Gifted learner is one who shows exceptional ability in a specific subject like Maths, Science or English. A Talented learner is one who is exceptionally skillful in, for example, Art and Sport or Drama. The school maintains a register of gifted and talented learners in each year group.  A learner is identified initially in Year 8 through information sent from middle schools and KS2 SATS results.  Following this, identification of gifts/talents by teaching staff and additional information supplied by parents/carers enables Harrow High School to update the register regularly.  Being on the register not only enables us to monitor the learners’ progress closely but also to provide a range of enrichment/extension activities as and when these become available.

 

As you are already aware, one of our aims at Harrow High School is to encourage all of our learners, including our Gifted and Talented learners, to reach their full potential. Fulfilling this aim requires a two pronged approach: high quality classroom teaching, ‘Ofsted commended’, coupled with the provision of extra curriculum activities, whenever this proves possible. Recent such “G and T” events include the December 2009 trip to see ‘Nation’ at the National Theatre which involved Year 8, 9, and 10 ‘G and T’ learners. In addition, both Year 10 and 11 learners have attended the City Gates Progression Academy Days. In March 2010, some of our learners will be attending a workshop on Dramatic Monologues at the Wallace Collection in London. Please be assured we will continue to provide such opportunities as and when they arise.

Currently we have 173 Gifted and Talented learners and this will increase as the assessment continues.

A.Ferry - Director: Gifted and Talented Programme

 

A selection of work produced by some of our Gifted and Talented learners:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpts from Friday letter dated 16th December