Gifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented girls are identified according to teacher nominations and baseline data and a list of names is distributed to all members of staff. Tasks with significant stretch and challenge are then delivered across the curriculum to meet the needs of our most able students.

There are a number of extra-curricular activities that supplement the timetables of the girls, including the after school Gifted and Talented club T+, for Years 6 through to Year 9. This club is run by both staff and the most able students in Year 10. Sessions have included learning Mandarin, the works of Jane Austin, how to carry out a successful advertising campaign, Chess master-classes, language games and many more fun, stimulating and thought provoking areas.

The Extended Project Qualification was set up for the most able Year 12 students. This is where girls are given the opportunity to become independent learners and research a topic of personal interest, culminating with a 5,000 word essay documenting their findings. Examples of recent research projects have included the work of Charles Darwin, Dental Anxiety and the Arab – Israeli conflict to name but a few.

The most able Year 12 students are also encouraged to participate in the YASS scheme. This allows girls the opportunity to study undergraduate modules with the Open University in a degree of their choice, alongside studying for their A Levels.

Individual and personalised gifted and talented plans are set up for all students who have been identified, in order to maximise their individual strengths. These girls are targeted to further their knowledge and are encouraged to host lunch-time presentations followed by question and answer sessions, to members of the Leadership team and staff. Recent topics have included talks on Gravity, Four Fundamental Forces, Black Holes and the Large Hadron Collider.

The 'Mayou Lecture Series' was set up as for additional enrichment in order to welcome inspirational speakers to the College to deliver special lectures for all girls in the lunchtime break. Last term, we had a deeply inspiring talk from Sally Kettle, who rowed 5,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean! Many more interesting and motivating speakers have been lined up for future lectures. We also take girls on cultural trips to the Royal Opera House, National Ballet and attend the National Gifted and Talented Conference in Oxford.

At Northwood College, we feel that there are many alternative ways to add stretch and challenge for our most able and we will provide an appropriate curriculum for individuals. Whilst we prefer to not accelerate students through the curriculum, as many schools do, we will always assess the individual needs of our girls and act accordingly. We have found it far more engaging to complement the curriculum, rather than accelerate and consequently offer our most able the opportunity to study for additional GCSEs such as Statistics, Astronomy or other qualifications that do not make up the more traditional subjects on offer.