Gifted & Talented Education: Guidance for Parents
This guidance is for those parents and carers who feel that their son or daughter may have additional needs related to an exceptional ability or talent. It aims to direct them to sources of advice and support.
What does a gifted & talented learner look like?
There is no universally agreed definition of learners who are Gifted and Talented. For the purpose of our guidance, CCEA has used the term Gifted and Talented to describe those learners who are achieving or who have the potential to achieve a level substantially beyond the rest of their peer group inside their particular school (or other educational setting).
Those learners who demonstrate or have the potential to demonstrate extremely high levels of ability, compared to their peers across the entire population, will be referred to by the term Exceptionally Able.
The terms ‘Gifted and Talented’ or ‘Exceptionally Able’ cover learners who are able across the curriculum as well as those who show talent in one or more specific areas. All talents and gifts are equally valued and should be allocated equal time and resources.
In the absence of an agreed definition of the terms ‘Gifted and Talented’ and ‘Exceptionally Able’, we have assumed that the learner’s abilities will be in one or more of the following areas:
- general intellectual ability or talent;
- specific academic aptitude or talent;
- visual and performing arts and sports;
- leadership ability;
- creative and productive thinking;
- mechanical ingenuity; and
- special abilities in empathy, understanding
- and negotiation.
What to do if you have queries about your child
Parents/carers know their children and can be a very useful source of information in identifying a Gifted and Talented learner.
The Department of Education has given CCEA’s Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting team the remit to provide support and guidance for teachers and schools. Parents may wish to read CCEA’s guidance on Gifted & Talented education in full. It can be found on our website – please click here. Schools and their employing authorities, the education and library boards,are responsible for all matters directly related to the education of learners.
Other sources of advice and support are:
· Mensa Gifted & Talented
· Warwick University: International Gateway for Gifted Youth (IGGY)
· Dublin City University: Centre for Talented Youth
· Sport NI
· Youth Music