CREDIT: This story was first seen in BBC News
The education secretary has announced £3m to improve support for young high achievers, BBC News reports.
Dan said he was not worried about being labelled as able and talented.
“You get more opportunities, you get to go on trips you wouldn’t otherwise have gone on, you get to do activities you wouldn’t otherwise have done,” he said.
Amelia, 12, is interested in art and biology. “I think the teachers here are good at understanding everyone’s level of learning,” she said. “If some pupils finish their work, they’re good at getting more work for them.”
The school said it continued to look at how pupils progress and that includes identifying “late bloomers”.
Assistant head Lucy Bunce said: “We look for those pupils showing that extra spark in any subject.
“So while we might have a set criteria for teachers to look at what makes a more able and talented physicist, mathematician or artist, we’ll also ask them to look at anything over or above, any keen interest, it doesn’t always have to be purely based on ability.”
The funding announced on Tuesday will look to ensure that support for more able and talented pupils is more consistent across schools in Wales.
Why does that matter?
School inspection body Estyn back in 2012 expressed concern that more able and talented pupils in Wales did less well than in England.
It also showed up in the international Pisa tests, when the results of the top 10% of achievers at 15-year-olds were compared.
Wales performed particularly poorly, with only the highest achievers in Chile, Turkey and Mexico getting lower scores in reading and maths.
An independent review was ordered and found “considerable variation” in what was provided to able and talented students in schools and colleges in Wales.
Education secretary Kirsty Williams said it was clear from the evidence that Wales must do more to “identify, support and stretch” able learners, as well as deliver more consistency.
She also wants to expand the successful Seren network, which helps Wales’ brightest sixth-formers gain access to top universities.
From September, a pilot Seren project will start connecting younger, able pupils – before they take their GCSEs – with those from other schools and to link up with universities.
Ms Williams said: “The investment I’m announcing today means that we will be able to reach these learners at a much earlier stage, ensuring they have the support and opportunities to reach their full potential.”
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