From The TES, 30th October 2009
London’s leading official for ‘gifted and talented’ children stated that state school teachers can offer a lot to their independent counterparts, as bright pupils are often better catered for by them. The Gifted and Talented project was set up with the aim of tackling social disadvantage through aspirational lessons, helping pupils become more academic, motivated and encouraged to progress on to further education. Ian Warwick, director of the capitals ‘gifted and talented’ scheme explained how state teachers have taught independent school peers to help pupils become more open minded, without spoon feeding pupils facts.
The organisation brings together staff from fee-paying, selective and comprehensive secondaries to increase the amount of children achieving the highest grades. Mr Warwick said the partnership, which oversees gifted activities in London, has excellence in the curriculum in many state schools, for example new laboratories and primary-style lessons to help year 7 pupils integrate. Mr Warwick also thinks it has helped independent schools stop spoon feeding pupils, “Teachers now give their pupils bigger chunks of knowledge so they can develop their academic chewing muscles.”
The focus on teachers is said to be the key to the projects success, involving them in around 15-20 new curriculum activities every term. “It has been successful due to the way schools have bonded together and shared ideas and expertise. Our role has been to act as broker.”
Richard Thompson, a languages teacher at Haberdasher’ Askes’ Boys’ School states he admires the risks state school teachers were willing to take with the curriculum. “We are certainly learning from each other, and it’s a chance to destroy any preconceptions or prejudices on both sides. Successful independent schools like ours need to keep an eye on what’s happening in the state sector to prevent stagnation. We’re certainly not smug.” Other teachers, such as David Murphy from Lampton School in Hounslow, agrees. “We’ve learnt alot from each other, it’s a real partnership. It’s clear the private schools are keen to move away from an assesment culture too. We wanted to move away from the trivial and tedious content of some language courses and beef it up so they see it as a useful subject, taking it at key stage 4 and 5.
The project not only aims to improve exam results, but also encourage more pupils to study declining subjects at A level. Collaborating in activities such as modern foreign languages, science and maths, traditionally subjects seen as independent school strong holds, have often included academics, film directors, scientists, and linguists.
For many independent schools, participation in such schemes may also fulfil requirements of their charitable status. Sharing facilities and knowledge with maintained schools is one of the commissions key concerns, second to offering bursary support. However, recruiting pupils for bursaries is often more challenging than expected.
Dick Davison, Head of Educational Research and Strategy at leading schools consultancy mtmconsulting, says “Analysing bursary provision is an expanding part of our business. Using our Mandarin catchment area research, combined with parental research, we are able to profile current bursary recipients and highlight high achieving schools in poorer areas. However, we regularly find that over 50% of pupils receiving fee assistance come from areas which represent the heartland of fee paying recruitment. Many schools simply do not reach out beyond their middle class client base. Marketing for schools’ provision of bursary assistance is key, but coherent outreach programmes take time to establish.”
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