At Wetherby, our aim is encourage all our boys who excel in one area of, or across the curriculum as a whole.
Class and specialist teachers are responsible for identifying those children with exceptional ability in a particular subject or area or across a range of subjects or areas. We strive to detect exceptionally able children at the earliest possible stage of schooling and to monitor and support their progress and development.
At Wetherby School, we recognise that exceptionally able children may exhibit the following general characteristics:
Personal traits
- Inquisitive, curious, alert and responsive to new ideas
- Quick/agile thinkers
- High self-motivation/initiative; can work well independently
- Socially adept
- Show leadership qualities
- Good/unusual sense of humour
- Sensitive/sensitivity and empathy with others
- Socially immature/isolated; prefer computers to people
Learning ability
- Learn new ideas and concepts quickly/easily/readily
- Good at reasoning/logical/analytical thinking
- Good at dealing with abstractions/abstract thinking
- See relationships between things; can generalise from specific facts
- Good at understanding things/meanings; show unusual insights
- Able to memorise quickly/easily
- Follow complex directions easily
- Keen powers of observation
- Advanced vocabulary/verbally fluent/good self-expression
- Learned to read early, often before school age; rapid readers
- Good attention; concentrate and persevere for long periods if interested
Learning styles
- Dislike repetition of concepts and closed tasks; get bored easily
- Informed/show interest in ideas and concepts beyond their years
- Creative/imaginative; original ideas in problem-solving; may be artistic/musical
- Inclined to choose unusual but effective methods of working, perhaps using a different line of logic or jumping steps
- Many interests/hobbies; read across a wide range of subjects
- Prefer verbal expression
- Resent imposed timetable restrictions if interested in a task
- Perfectionists
(NACE: National Association of Able Children in Education)
These children are challenged and encouraged to go beyond their comfort zone in order to keep them engaged in the learning process. A wide range of extension and enrichment materials and resources are provided to stimulate their interests and enhance their thinking skills. These are regularly updated to ensure that children have the best resources available to them. Additionally, some boys may be encouraged and supported in completing a self-directed project (between home and school) on a topic that is pertinent to their particular talents and interests. The overriding focus is not on providing children with ‘more of the same’, but is firmly on developing lateral thinking and problem solving skills and on encouraging creativity.
