GSA Extended Suipport Programme report

Laura Mazzoli Smith

Gifted Students Academy

Extended Support Programme - Radclyffe School Evaluation Report

September 2011 – July 2012

www.giftedstudents.co.uk 2

Introduction

This independent evaluation of the Gifted Students Academy workshops over one academic year takes a mixed methods approach, drawing on quantitative student data, student and teacher questionnaires and qualitative data from student focus groups. As the evaluator I have also been present in the school for the start and end days of the project.

The aim of the evaluation is to assess the intervention according to learner engagement and outcomes, to include specifically impact on goals and aspirations, motivation and self-concept. The evaluation also looks at teacher development and the potential for whole school impact. The data collected were as follows:

Phase 1 – Baseline

a. Baseline data from school on student attainment b. Student workshop 1 questionnaires c. Teacher ELAT questionnaires d. First teacher evaluations of students e. 1 student focus group

Phase 2 – Midpoint

a. Student narrative workshop questionnaires

Phase 3 – Project Endpoint

a. Updated student attainment data from school b. Student workshop 4 questionnaires c. Second teacher evaluations of students d. 3 student focus groups

The data will be presented in 2 parts; student impact and teacher impact/assessment of the project.


Contents

Executive Summary 4

Background 5

Part 1: Student Impact/Feedback

Students’ Quantitative Responses 6

Students’ Qualitative Responses 15

Student Focus Groups 20

Student Narrative Feedback 22

Part 2: Teacher Impact/Feedback

Quantitative and Qualitative Feedback 24

Teacher Evaluations of the Students 29

Concluding Comments 30


Executive Summary Headline data in relation to the project aims are outlined below:

85% of students said they enjoyed their schoolwork but 12% of students were less happy with it at the end of the year suggesting their expectations were higher

10% more students thought about going to university at the end of the year

97% of students said they were proud of their achievements at school, but 12% were less positive about this at the end of the year

15% of students found their schoolwork less easy at the end of the year, demonstrating their increased awareness of ‘the learning zone’ and the importance of challenge

91% of students said they had a good level of self-awareness both at the start and end of the year, but were more articulate about themselves at the end

15% of students were less slightly less satisfied with the support that they could get at school at the end of the year, but overall there were high levels of satisfaction

15% of students were slightly less positive at the end of the year about what their goals were and how to achieve them and the support they could get at school, suggesting increased analysis of the steps and hurdles involved

10 students made outstanding academic progress during the year and all these students rated the GSA workshops highly

Students mainly felt very positive about being viewed as gifted, with some concerns raised about high expectations and pressure

Almost all of the students’ own expectations of the workshops were met, particularly in the areas of confidence, setting goals, self-knowledge and communication skills

There is evidence to suggest that just having been picked to attend the GSA workshops was motivating

Both students and teachers stated a desire to see parents more involved

Students would like follow-up activities, specifically to do with their goal planners

Both students and teachers would like to see more in-school celebrations of giftedness

95% of teachers stated that CPD related to gifted students is important

73% of teachers thought there was a positive attitude to giftedness amongst staff and parents, but wanted more internal knowledge sharing

32% of teachers did not think that there was a positive attitude towards giftedness amongst students, citing disruption in class and negative attitudes to achievement

Three quarters of staff felt confident in supporting gifted students and in influencing their goals and motivation, but with some room for improvement

47% of students were evaluated by teachers as having improved aspirations, goals, motivation and self-understanding at the end of the year

Overall there is ample evidence to suggest that the aims of the project have been met. Ongoing related activities for the students would build on this initial impact and there is room for further teacher training and support in relation to giftedness and to improve the overall school ethos in relation to high ability.


Background

Within Radclyffe school there is a focus on increasing the numbers of top grades students gain, based on the understanding that gifted students on the whole are not doing as well as they might. In a small staff meeting at the start of the project, staff present agreed that the school could do more in this area. There was a consensus that they wanted their students to be more independent, have more defined aspirations and ambitions, and be more challenged in the classroom. Staff cited a number of initiatives that have recently been brought in to try and achieve these aims and the Gifted Students Academy year-long project is one of these.

There were 100 student participants were from years 8 to year 11, and could be termed ‘gifted underachievers’, the ideal cohort to participate given the aims of the project. Their grades at the start were somewhat lower than their potential would suggest they could achieve. The project aimed to bring as many teachers on board through an all teacher ELAT session and the formation of a staff working group at the start.

Project Aims

The stated aims for the students were as follows:

Understand what it means to be gifted

Develop self-confidence

Begin exploring their goals and raise aspirations

Be introduced to and apply models for achieving their goals

Develop self-awareness and self-identity

Create an awareness of how they are perceived

Understand and appreciate their learning styles and personality types

Learn and practice visualisation techniques

Explore effective community skills and working well in teams

Develop project and time management skills

Create individual ‘personal development plans’

Data Collected

Data collection was both quantitative and qualitative, but since there were inconsistencies in terms of which students were present on different workshop days and the quantitative data which was gathered regarding grades and test scores, there is less statistical analysis of this data than might otherwise have been possible. However this does not significantly detract from analysis of the aims as set out above.


Part 1: Student Impact/Feedback

Students’ Quantitative Responses

Student questionnaires were issued after the workshops, which explored their understanding of their school work and ability, their academic self-concept and aspirations, and how they are supported and perceived by others. This analysis, question by question, draws on a random selection of only those students who were present at all four workshops in order to provide information about changes in their views. As such this section deals with data from 33 students only.

I enjoy school work

There was very little movement in the responses to this question, with 85% of students stating that they did enjoy their schoolwork after both workshops. I find school work easy

Responses to this question showed some variation between workshops 1 and 4 with some students appearing to become less confident about their response to how easy they find the work; there was a 15% swing away from very positive to somewhat less positive responses. This is interesting as it suggests that some students have re-evaluated how easy their work is and this could suggest that they are thinking more about what challenge means for them.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Workshop 1 Workshop 3

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


A central feature of the workshops was their focus on working outside of the ‘comfort zone’ and entering the ‘learning zone’ with the implication that work should not necessarily be easy. The responses to this question after the final workshop are therefore encouraging. Doing well at school is important to me

Responses to this question showed the least movement across the workshops. The responses to this question were also the most positive, with 73% of the students who responded saying after both workshops that doing well at school was important to them. This suggests that this is already a strongly motivated group and that motivation itself might not be the main issue. I can get support with my work at school

Students were initially confident in their responses to this question and then they tended to become less so, with students who had previously strongly agreed, agreeing after the final workshop; again there was a 15% swing. Whilst this does not represent a big difference, it could highlight the fact that once students have had time to focus more closely on their goals and what practical steps are needed to help them, they scrutinize more carefully the support available to them at school to help them in specific areas. Again this can and perhaps should be construed positively. Students who come out of the workshops

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don’t Know

0

5

10

15

20

25

Workshop 1 Workhsop 3

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don’t Know


marginally more critical of support available to them are more likely to seek and want such support. There is then an increased onus on the school to provide adequate levels of support. I am clear about what my goals are and how to achieve them

Responses to this question showed, perhaps surprisingly at first glance, an overall fall in positive responses between the first and third workshops, again of 15%. Many students who had initially stated that they agreed or strongly agreed that they were clear about their goals, provided a less positive response after the final workshop. At first glance, given that workshops focused on goal setting, this may appear problematic, but in fact it is likely that the results indicate that students are thinking about goals in a more focused and realistic way. It is easy for a student to state that they have goals (on the questionnaire prior to the first workshop) if no-one has asked them to define these. But having taken part in four workshops which explicitly asked students to write out goals and focus on how these might be achieved through identifying various steps and hurdles for instance, they would have had to focus in detail on their own goals perhaps for the first time. This means that what might have been a rather uncritical confidence has had to be explored and thought about and a number of students may now feel that the details of their goals are in fact harder to pin down. This interpretation is supported by the qualitative comments provided below, which highlight how goal-setting had been an integral part of the process for the students and that they had gained a lot from this.

0

5

10

15

20

25


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


I can get help with setting goals at school

Overall responses to this question also showed a fall in confidence, this time with a swing of around 18% from very positive to somewhat less positive responses. This again suggests that at the beginning of the year the students may have taken this as more self-evident, but having explored the processes involved in goal-setting and the fact that it is a very active process which needs on-going school support, they are by the end of the year slightly less sure about this. So as with the last question this suggests that students are in need of follow-up time or activities to continue to help them embed the skills that they have begun to learn over the year of GSA activities. I have high aspirations after I leave school

Responses to this question were the second most positive, with 70% of students strongly agreeing that they had high aspirations after the first workshop, and 64% doing so after the second workshop. There was a slight fall in positive responses, with, notably, several students concluding that they didn’t know whether they had high aspirations when previously they had. Again, this can be put down to the different onus which comes with

0

5

10

15

20

25


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

0

5

10

15

20

25


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


having to write down and critically think about aspirations and what they mean. Overall however responses were very positive with 97% of students stating that they did have high aspirations, and the others responding that they did not know. No-one at all disagreed with the question. I have thought about going to university after school

Responses to this question were very positive with 76% of students answering that they agreed after the first workshop, this rising to 85% after the final workshop. There were some negative responses and several who did not yet know, but overall more than three quarters of students have thought about this. I am happy with the support I get in school

Responses to this question were slightly less positive after the final workshop, with 18% of students changing their response, although most students were still answering positively overall. These responses link to the question above asking students whether they can get support with their work at school. After the workshops were completed, it seems that the students became marginally more critical of support available to them at school.

0

5

10

15

20

25


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


I am happy with my school work

Responses here were in the main very positive, but again students were slightly less positive after the final workshop, with a 12% swing towards less positive responses, which could again be due to the fact that they are somewhat more critical about themselves and their work in the light of the workshops. For some students this could have come from the levels of self-scrutiny involved and the overt focus on how their work will enable them to achieve their goals. My teachers think I’m good at school work

The responses to this question remained very similar over the workshops suggesting that the students had a firm idea of what teachers thought about them and that this was not influenced by the content of the workshops. This robust set of responses are in the main positive, with 24% of the students responding strongly that teachers thought they were good at their work across both workshops, and 82% responding that they agreed overall after the final workshop. A significant number of students answered that they did not know

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


to this question, more so than answered in this way to the other questions. Whilst some of the students may be being particularly honest, equally there may be an expectation on them that they should hold an idea of what their teachers think, perhaps pointing to some need for more explicit teacher feedback. I am proud of my achievements at school

Results to this question were the most positive overall, with 97% of students saying that they either agreed very strongly or agreed. Again there was a slight shift downwards of 12% in terms of strength of the responses, which may come from students scrutinising their achievements through the course of the workshops, although within overall positive responses. I feel motivated to do school work

Responses to this question were some of the most negative with 18% of students saying that they disagreed and several others saying that they did not know. However the majority, 76%, still stated positively that they felt motivated. There was very little variation between

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


workshops, with several students switching to say that they did not know, but the swing was very small. I have a good understanding of who I am and what I am good at

Here again most students, 91%, answered positively that they did have a good understanding of themselves. There were a considerable number answering very positively and there was almost no change between the workshops. It might have been expected that after a series of workshops exploring self-perception and personal goals there would be an increase in the occurrence of positive responses. However the fact that there was not could in part be due to the fact that responses were already very positive to begin with so there was very little room for improvement. These responses may also highlight the fact that the students did not necessarily relate the work they did on goals, communication and other related skills directly to a question on self-understanding.

Increasing levels of academic attainment was not a specific aim of the project and as such it is not being formally evaluated, however some data on academic attainment levels of the students was collected to provide background information. However less can be said about the academic development of the students over the period within which the workshops were held than might have been desired at the outset for two reasons. Firstly, data supplied about students’ academic progress was not consistent for all students – largely to do with the fact that students came from across a range of year groups – and so objective judgements cannot be made about their development. However ten of the students participating in the project were deemed to have made outstanding progress throughout the year, and all ten of those students provided very positive feedback about their experiences of the GSA workshops. The second reason that little more can be said about academic achievement in this report is that it is difficult to make causal links or particular claims about the relationship between the workshops and the students’ performance during one academic year, particularly when they come from across a number of year groups. There is evidence of other outcomes, explored throughout this report, which may well

0

5

10

15

20

25

30


Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


include increased levels of achievement for some students, but this is not possible to ascertain from the data available and the time spent in school.


Students’ Qualitative Responses

Qualitative responses on the student questionnaires helped to flesh out what the tick-box responses above were saying. This section provides some commentary after each of the questions that were posed to the students, along with examples of their responses.

What does being gifted mean to you? How does it make you feel?

Most of the students responded very similarly to this question, covering themes which included being clever, special, talented, unique, noticed in lessons, in top sets, having special qualities, being singled out, and being competent and accomplished. About the label they said that it made them feel proud, privileged, happy to be different to others, and that it gave them self-esteem. There were fuller responses with some more ideas after the third workshop, but overall the themes did not differ much. Indicative responses were:

Workshop 1: Being gifted makes me feel special. Knowing that I am gifted makes me more interested in what I want for the future. Workshop 4: Being gifted makes me feel special and helps me to try harder in my school work.

Workshop 1: Being gifted makes me feel happy. It makes me feel that all my learning and hard work haven’t gone to waste and it makes me feel special in a way. Workshop 4: A gifted person is someone who has excellence in a subject area.

Workshop 1: Gifted is like something a friend gives you, like god who gave you a talent for something. I am proud to be one of the gifted. Workshop 4: It means a lot because it says the school thinks of my abilities highly.

However for several students responses were not positive nor did they change markedly over the course of the workshops, for instance:

Workshop 1: Being gifted means a lot. It makes me feel as though I’m finally being accepted and my skills are being recognised. Workshop 4: I don’t really feel gifted to be honest.

Overall however responses were almost universally positive with students appreciating being identified.

How do you think people perceive you? Do you agree with them?

Students responded with interesting, thoughtful and perceptive responses to this question. There was also a marked shift in many of the responses between workshop 1 and workshop 3, suggesting both that the students themselves had matured and changed, but also that the workshops may have facilitated their own self-knowledge. An example of the kind of thoughtful analytical response received was:

Workshop 1: I think people see me as a normal person/student and I agree. Workshop 4: I think people perceive me as an average person and that I am like everyone else, I don’t agree with this because everyone is different.


In some cases there was a marked change in the students’ self-image or behaviour, such as in this example:

Workshop 1: They think I’m quite geeky and boring. I kind of agree. Workshop 4: I think people perceive me as witty and kind of cheeky. I mostly agree but not always.

In some cases there were explicit examples of where the GSA had an impact on how a student described themselves, such as in this example:

Workshop 1: I think people perceive me as a quiet person, and independent. I agree with this because at school I am quiet but at home I’m not. Workshop 4: I think people perceive me as a quiet individual but they see me as talkative when in my comfort zone.

From the shifts in the content of responses from students across the year it is possible to see that the GSA has had an impact on student self-knowledge, although this is of course also connected to many other aspects of their development over an academic year.

What are your goals and ambitions? Do you feel motivated to achieve them?

A remarkable array of career ambitions was generated by these students. So varied were they, and with considerable implications for the school’s careers service, that it is worth listing them here. They included:

criminologist, aeronautical engineer, something in catering, interior design, microbiologist, zoologist, physiotherapist, something in IT, footballer, entrepreneur, vet, nurse, accountant, musician, photographer, beautician, hospital consultant, artist, stage performer, doctor, translator, lawyer, architect, graphic designer, film producer, baker, lighting technician, athlete, solicitor, hairdresser, animator, teacher and social worker.

Having listed all of these, there were also a number of examples of where students had completely changed goals/career ambitions over the course of the workshops, although these were in the minority, for instance:

Workshop 1: My goal’s to become an aeronautical engineer which is fixing and making planes. Workshop 4: The goals that I have are to do something to do with catering.

But almost 75% of respondents who specified career ambitions before workshop 1 were talking about career goals in the same field after workshop 4, which displays a high level of consistency for students, some of who are in their early teens, and who have also been part of an explicit process of analysing their goals, in which less than robust ideas could easily have been changed. In several cases the GSA was specifically mentioned as having helped students feel more directed and motivated, for instance:

Workshop 1: I wish to go to college and university, come out with good grades and good jobs. I am very motivated to do so. Workshop 4: Become a successful businessman/graphic designer. Motivated because I can see how my future looks thanks to GSA.


Several students were open about not having felt motivated in the past and not knowing what their goals and ambitions were, but through the process of attending the workshops they were clearer that they needed to work on this, and that this was undesirable. For instance:

Workshop 1: I don’t really have much of a goal. I certainly don’t have the motivation to achieve nothing, so I’ll have to think of one. I want to be a mathematician or a scientist. Workshop 4: I want to be a scientist in Physics and I do feel motivated.

Do you feel supported in developing your goals and ambitions? Do you know what steps you need to take to make them happen?

All but two students responded completely positively to this question, saying that they had support which they could access both at home and at school. Responses were very similar and varied little between workshops. The following is indicative of them:

Workshop 1: I feel supported by family and friends, but I have a habit of not accepting support and trying to be independent which is something I need to work on. Workshop 4: Yes I feel supported in developing my goals and I have to concentrate in my work and complete all work that is set for me.

Workshop 1: Yes I feel supported to achieve my goals and know my steps. Workshop 4: Yes I know what I need to do and feel supported by parents, teachers and learning mentors. Workshop 1: Yes, my family think it is very important to achieve well in all school work. Workshop 4: I need to be optimistic with everything I do. I have support with my work but sometimes it’s difficult to talk to people about school work.

Students’ statements both before and after the workshops do not suggest that the students lack support to any significant degree.

Are there any pressures associated with being gifted which worry you? The responses to this question were also very similar, varying around the same themes of pressure and keeping up with expectations. However there was some movement between responses at the start of the workshops and after them, with students increasingly tending to identify problems after the workshops, probably as a result of having identified and discussed these during the workshops. For instance:

Workshop 1: I feel pressured to always get good grades. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get good grades. Workshop 4: High expectations which I can’t always live up to.

Workshop 1: A bit pressured to be perfect and everything needs to be correct.


Workshop 4: No apart from some people calling me a nerd or geek but it doesn’t really bother me much.

However having talked through the issues around achievement was helpful for several students and they were less likely to talk about pressure at the end of the workshops:

Workshop 1: There are pressures like when teachers say ‘you’re set 1 you can do it’ and you can’t. It makes you feel like you’re in the wrong sets. Workshop 4: No I don’t feel pressured being labelled as gifted.

The other main concern to have been raised is the fact that students had to miss some of the core curriculum lessons in order to attend the GSA workshops:

Workshop 1: People might expect too much and more than I am actually capable of because I’m ‘gifted’. Workshop 4: I miss lessons and am pressured to catch up.

Workshop 1: Pressure to understand things quicker than I do. Workshop 4: Nothing really, except throughout the process being absent from important classes we are doing coursework in.

What particular skills would you like to develop or things would you like to learn from a workshop for gifted students?

Students had a wide array of expectations from the workshops which included developing skills in:

speaking up and communicating generally; achieving more; meeting new people; being more confident; working harder; being more creative/imaginative; improving on targets and achieving their goals; improving hand-writing; English skills; working with the community and underachieving children; becoming less showy; becoming more independent; time-management; becoming more organised; revision skills; working with others confidently and effectively.

Most of the themes revolved around English skills and communication, confidence and higher achievement. Only one student stated that they did not know what they would like to develop through the workshops.

What particular skills have you developed or learned from this workshop for gifted students? Again there was a comprehensive list of what students had developed throughout the workshops which included developing skills in:

teamwork; communication; confidence; standing in front of a crowd; getting to know others; negotiation; self-awareness; speaking skills; becoming more reliable; social skills; accepting help and feeling more motivated; friendship skills; self-belief; planning their futures; controlling their feelings; becoming more comfortable around strangers; discovering skills they already had.


Most of the aspirations the students had for the workshops were therefore met, and the main responses centred round improved confidence and goal-setting for the future, and improved communication skills, particularly public speaking. Indicative responses included:

I am now more confident and will speak up when I don’t want to and I will try to make uncomfortable situations more comfortable. I have learned that I should ignore any comments and get on with what I do.

I have learned about the comfort zone and how often I am in it.

To always get into my learning zone.

One student said she felt more introverted at the start of the course than she had at the beginning as she had particular concerns around public speaking and team work but other than this student, there were no negative comments of any kind. Overall therefore the workshops certainly appeared to have both lived up the students’ expectations, and delivered a variety of positive outcomes in terms of skills and experiences that the students have taken away with them.


Student Focus Groups The first student focus group was conducted at the beginning of the year with a group of students similar in terms of their profile to those participating in the GSA workshops, but not necessarily exactly the same students as would be participating. Firstly, unlike the students who participated in the workshops, the students in the focus groups had rather more negative characterisations of giftedness. When discussing definitions of giftedness, they were more concerned with issues around fairness and unfairness in terms of who was or was not on the register than the students participating in the workshops. They were also concerned that the register could be quite static, with the same students staying on it year after year. This could partly be to do with internal policy around labelling, and also the fact that students attending the workshops all stated how proud they felt to have been picked and as such there were fewer reasons for individuals to feel aggrieved. Discussing giftedness and pressure, the focus group students raised what has been covered above in the feedback to the workshops, saying that high expectations came both from themselves and others, but they also stated that feeling they had to be role models in terms of behaviour, not only academic achievement, was an added pressure. They queried why high academic achievement should equate to increased expectations about their behaviour. The focus group students failed to provide examples of what academic support for gifted students might look like. They were able to talk about other kinds of support, such as visits and trips, but not in-class support. This may be a feature of the fact that there is little overt reference to differentiation in class in order not to stigmatise children, and if so this is completely understandable. It would only be of concern if it was highlighting the fact that there is little targeted academic support for gifted students in class. They did state that it was very motivating to be in top sets and to get external praise. The focus group generally seemed to express less positive views about their own levels of confidence in their goals and ambitions and also to some extent in the support they had (although acknowledging that this was partly to do with their own lack of confidence in their goals and what they needed to help them achieve). This further highlights how positive responses from the GSA participants were, both at the start of the workshop process and at the end. Given that their peers expressed less confidence generally, perhaps even the fact that the students knew they had been picked to participate in the GSA workshops had given them more confidence and led them to express this after just the first workshop. Students in the first focus group had very clear ideas about what they would want to develop through any targeted interventions:

1) More confidence. 2) Personal development around how individuals in the group could meet their own

needs. One student expressed that they would like someone to sit down with them and help them shape their goals; ‘Offer us different routes with details for everyone so everyone’s happy.’ This included not just A-levels but beyond, through to jobs later in life; ‘workshops that focus on more than just what we want to do for A-levels, but which give you pathways for specific jobs.’ Another student responded to this by saying that to be fair they had received this kind of advice but another said


that it might have been more appropriate in Year 9 when it would have fed directly in to choosing options. Another student then also stated that it was too late in Year 11, and that they had to have this long-term information about where options would lead at the start of Year 9.

So the key concerns of the focus group students around increasing their levels of confidence and goal and career planning were precisely what was delivered by the GSA workshops. This highlights how the central content of the workshops is likely to be of benefit to a wider group of students than just those who participated, if not all students. The second focus groups were less successful, in part because the afternoon consisted of parallel groups playing games, and the students in the focus group were less on-task. It was also the case that they seemed to have less which they wished to contribute and there was little new material which augmented the questionnaires. There were three individual sessions each of around 15 minutes with three groups of students. In the main students discussed their own personal responses to the workshops in relation to their own individual groups, including details about how they responded to the activities, what they enjoyed most, and what they will take away from them. Themes raised were:

Practical support with goals was extremely important to them and something they would want to continue or follow-up next year

Students spoke about revision plans/timetables and how these had been of practical benefit

Some students did say that they had spoken to their parents about GSA activities, but they would also have liked the school to inform their parents further about what they were involved with

Students found the timelines very helpful

Students would like to have more public recognition for gifted students in the school, celebrating excellence and making it cool to do well

Students wanted to continue with their yearly goal planners

Students said they would be happy to help younger students to set their goals and act as mentors, passing on some of the skills they had developed

Students valued public speaking skills and discussed how these might be practised further – for instance in PSHE, Drama and in the mirror. Interview scenarios would be helpful in school someone suggested

Several students expressed reservations about some of the activities in relation to how some of the students who shouted the loudest dominated most

Students liked the dangerous journey game and the crisp game the most

In general students said they would like more of the some kinds of workshop.


Student Narrative Feedback After the second workshop the students were asked to provide their feedback in narrative form, writing something in response to the following questions; what happened?; what was good?; what would you have done differently?; what did you gain?; what might change for you now? Responses were almost universally positive with little the students would change. Responses were all similar, describing some of the activities during the day, saying how enjoyable they had been, and saying in the main that these had impacted on self-awareness, social skills and confidence. These narrative responses are notable for how much the students enjoyed the day, and how positive the feedback was, with statements suggesting real impact. Some of the more descriptive responses are provided here:

‘Personally I felt that the games helped me to mix with others but my favourite thing about today was finding out about myself when we did the ‘me-sheets’. It also felt good when Matt told me about the teachers saying that they felt we had potential. Today I think I gained confidence, the ability to find out who I am, to know what my values are and that I should always push myself and enter the learning zone to maximise what I get out of this programme and to maximise future potential. Thanks!’

‘Today we played some games and done a few activities at first I didn’t want to come out of my comfort zone. Now I have been in the learning zone and the learning zone is now my comfort zone and I’m going to keep pushing myself to learn more and become confident in myself and talk to people I wouldn’t normally speak to.’

‘Excitement bubbling inside – I’m Gifted! Who would have thought it? Me. I was talented, I was unique and I was upper classed: chosen out of 1500 other students…This was different than any other school day, no boring lessons sitting down and copying everything the teacher says. At the end of the day, I have learnt to communicate with others I wouldn’t usually talk to.’

‘I would make the games a bit more our age next time but they were still fun. I gained confidence with talking to people I don’t really know and I learnt how to communicate and not be offensive. Now I have the confidence to speak to others that I don’t know and to speak to the public.’

‘There were not that many things anyone could change because what they were doing was good anyway, everyone was involved, it wasn’t boring and people had fun.’

‘After this experience I believe I know who I am about now which I never really thought about or asked myself before. I feel more confident about voicing my opinion to other people. I have gained a lot more social skills from this experience.’

‘It was very enjoyable and I learned that my personality is very different to everyone else’s. I will try and change my impression of others. I gained life skills that I will have forever.’


‘Everything was good, I had a lot of fun, I wouldn’t change anything because Matt and Josh did a brilliant job! The best thing was the ‘Me-sheet’ because I learnt how much I like a lot of things.’

‘I might give less attitude and work harder in lessons now.’

‘I thought the best activity of the day was when we wrote on the ‘me-sheet’ about ourselves and the games. I would of played a few more games. I now know how to answer who I am more now.’

‘It was a really great day and I’m looking forward to the next workshop.’


Part 2: Teacher Impact/Feedback

At the start of the year of workshops teachers participated in an ELAT session, which included a questionnaire asking for both quantitative and qualitative responses.

Quantitative and Qualitative Feedback

Responses to the 7 questions posed are summarised in the bar chart below and discussed in more detail afterwards, through integrating qualitative comments. Most of the teachers who responded to this questionnaire had either a formal role, which involved dealing with gifted students, or recognised in their roles where support and activities related to challenge and increasing aspirations would play a part. Only in the case of a few teachers could they not identify any role or activity which would involve gifted students or related activities.

1-CPD related to supporting gifted students is important

Responses to this question were the most positive by far, with 57% of teachers strongly agreeing. This is a very positive outcome, suggesting a strong desire amongst staff to better serve gifted students. CPD needs identified included:

How do we identify gifted students in a consistent and clearly identifiable way?

Mentoring/ career education knowledge. Cultural differences in family attitudes to excellence; cultural differences training

Building self-esteem and independence in students

‘Thinking skills’ incorporated into more lessons. Ways to incorporate current affairs into lessons – give lessons ‘real world context’

Opportunities to bring outside speakers for specific subjects to see possible career paths

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6

Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Don't Know


How to bring in more opportunities for progression in industry

Relevant extension activities that target progress and challenge

More knowledge of A/A* requirements/ expectations

Higher level questioning within subject areas

Knowing how far to stretch pupils’ ability

Wider differentiation while keep all students on task; examples of differentiated work

Specific ideas for lesson activities to support G+T. Sample schemes of work for different subject areas

Knowledge and understanding of the support system in place for G+T students.

Such positive views on CPD for gifted students imply a very healthy attitude to gifted students in the school as a whole, which is explored further in the next question.

2-There is a positive attitude towards gifted students in the school, amongst staff and parents Most teachers responded to this question positively as is suggested in question 1, with 73% agreeing. However only 21% strongly agreed and 5 members of staff also disagreed suggesting some room for improvement. Responses which explored what more could be done to improve the overall attitude towards gifted students and the issues involved included:

Working with parents

Broadening of horizons and overcoming obstacles such as cultural stereotypes and low expectations due to under-privileged home background

Parent support evenings/days (workshops)

Liaise with students’ parents on a regular basis

Concern around other pressures from within school.

A key area which arose a number of times and which could undermine overall attitudes to gifted students in the school was that of identification. This is always a difficult area to manage in practice as it draws on the recurrent problems in defining what giftedness is and highlights concerns around equity which some staff share, as is evident from these comments:

Let us know how they are identified. What we are allowed to do at The Radclyffe School

Knowledge of areas they are gifted in and ways these gifts can be honed

It would be very helpful if learning managers were involved a little more in G+T sessions so we have an insight on who the students are and how support is given and what kind of further education is given

Not all students are on the G+T list – some that are should not be on this list

Many of the ideas are suited for all students and the 90% of others should not be excluded

Would other students feel disadvantaged?

Think we should provide all children with opportunities. Need to check all children given chance for trips etc. then less resentment from others.


Overall therefore comments highlighted the desire to share expertise and information as widely as possible throughout the staff body.

3-There is a positive attitude towards gifted students in the school, amongst students

Responses to this question were by far the most negative, with 32% of teachers disagreeing outright, suggesting a need to improve the culture of giftedness amongst the student body itself. Concerns were raised both about the ethos in terms of views on high ability and academic excellence, and on disruption in class impacting upon differentiated work for instance. Suggestions of how this might be improved included the following:

Possible mentor role for gifted students as individual or a small group

Helping students deal with peer/outside pressure

Make it acceptable to be identified as gifted, not something to be scorned

Secure environment – change in perception of G+T from peers and others

Develop whole school culture of celebrating excellence

Peer support – create groups who meet to support each other. Opportunities to celebrate achievement – challenge the ‘geek’ culture

Low level disruption and negative peer pressure meaning G+T students don’t achieve as well as they could in each lesson.

4-I feel confident in supporting gifted students

Whilst 72% of staff responded positively to this question, they agreed, rather than strongly agreed, suggesting some room for improvement, and correlating with responses to question 1 where there was a widespread desire for more relevant CPD. 7 staff disagreed with this statement.

Concerns about time and resources were raised in numerous qualitative statements as practical barriers to supporting gifted students, as well as concerns that were curriculum or expertise based. The statements provided here include both concerns raised about supporting gifted students and solutions offered:

Time to plan curriculum – differentiate specifically for more able/gifted. Opportunities to share strategies

‘Excellence classes’. Small groups of G+T students working together on projects designed to stretch/enrich/inspire. Could be mixed age groups. Should be subject specific or clearly related

A more personalised curriculum and learning plan – identifying them early in Yr 7. Using them as mentors of responsibility. A specific programme in each subject area

Concerns include; large variation of talents and abilities amongst students and lack of consistency amongst staff

Raising aspirations/giving challenge/showing opportunities/making the potential real/mentoring progress and development

More in-depth knowledge of students identified

Knowing that there is specific support available. Knowing a specific link person for G+T in all subject areas.

Planning/revising skills explicitly taught


Training programme, but this linked to classroom teachers so we see their PLP if it affects our subject (almost like an IMP). Handed over to next teacher through school, Yr 7-11.

Some of these solutions link to the responses to question 1 around CPD and others are to do with school processes, structures and ethos as picked up in question 2 as well.

5-I feel able to influence pupils’ goals at school

Responses were very similar to question 5, suggesting that influencing students’ goals is connected to supporting them, and teachers again responded positively, but with room for improvement. Concerns about pupils’ limited goals were raised by some teachers, along with ideas for increasing aspirations:

Too many of our gifted students have very limited horizons

Aspirational career days; activities at University, involvement in outreach activities; aspirational mentoring with a buddy from a University or College

Role models

Inspirational speakers and visits from ex-students

Video conferencing to broaden cultural horizons

Having an action plan for progress in school and beyond.

6-More training and planning is needed to integrate support for gifted students into wider school activities

33% of respondents replied positively to this question, agreeing strongly, however a further 57% agreed, suggesting that many teachers are not strongly convinced of the need to integrate support for gifted students more widely, or do not perceive this as either a particular priority or a particular problem. Nevertheless there was general agreement and concerns about the integration of gifted provision into wider school activities and solutions included:

Removing gifted students from lessons for ‘enrichment’ type activities can cause disruption

The ability to differentiate lessons to an effective degree in the presence of non-cooperative students who are all in class

The logistics of organising workshops and programmes without disturbing the rest of the learning

Gifted children becoming isolated from the whole school population

Constraints of current curriculum provision – e.g. Fixed year groups, fixed courses etc.

Not isolated as a session, but integrated into what can occur at school. These are often separate sessions and staff are not aware of issues discussed or goals identified. PLGs can utilise info and some subject teachers. Unsure of what experiences students are getting – no overview available. Monday briefing to highlight this on a regular basis!

Again issues around the way in which giftedness is integrated into whole school provision include practical and structural issues around identification, differentiation and equity,


which once more touch on definitions of giftedness. These wider concerns also implicate wider limiting factors such as the core curriculum and the logistics of classroom learning.

7-I feel able to influence pupils’ motivation at school

72% of teachers agreed with this statement, with most of the rest strongly agreeing and only several disagreeing. This correlates well with questions 4 and 5, suggesting that around three quarters of the staff present felt positive about their influence on and ability to support their students, but with room for improvement. Responses which may influence student motivation and help teachers in this area included:

Allowing them to take GCSEs early. Introduce AS courses

More information given regarding FE/HE to students at an earlier age

To develop independent learning skills: Fostering independence as we tend to do much teacher led of ‘doing for’ learners

I would have like to see examples of pupils’ journeys through the years and how they have progressed and what career-paths they have chosen and how successful they are now.

The ELAT session brought the whole teaching body together to identify perceived hurdles to support for gifted students. These were:

Difficulties with taking students out of lessons, self-esteem of students, resentment amongst some students, PLG attendance and support, family/cultural background and support, lack of confidence in some students, ownership, supporting students between sessions, self image as a barrier to engagement, peer pressure, staff and student perceptions of what a gifted student is.

All of these issues were explored in the responses that teachers provided in their individual questionnaires and highlight dynamic, creative thinking and no shortage or ideas for improving work in this area. Responses also provided detailed practical suggestions for how some of these hurdles could be negotiated, as outlined above.


Teacher Evaluations of the Students

The final area that this report covers is the evaluations that teachers made of the students taking part. Teachers were asked to evaluate what they thought about each student, using the same target questions that the students had been given at the end of the first and last workshops. These responses cannot be analysed on an individual basis in any great detail as not all the students had teacher evaluation forms, and also there was no certainty that the same teacher had filled out the same student evaluation at the start and end of the year, impacting on how far these can be viewed longitudinally.

However they can be analysed for the overall picture they provide. Responses showed an extremely high degree of congruity between what teachers had put down and what students had ticked, suggesting that teachers know their students’ strengths, academic profiles and self-identities very well, which in turn will help them to feel confident in supporting their students. Only in several cases were their some marked differences, twice where student responses were significantly more positive than their teacher’s, and once where the teacher responses were more positive than the student’s.

Since it is unlikely that a teacher would have remembered what they had put down for each student at the start of the academic year if they were completing the form twice, nor would they know what had been put down had another teacher completed the first evaluation form, improvements in the overall profile of each student’s aspirations and motivation at the end of the year are to be viewed as strong objective evidence of improved attitudes and confidence at school. And indeed this was found to be the case. Of the 30 students where teacher evaluations were provided at the start and end of the year and where the students had also filled in questionnaires, 47% of students had more positive evaluations in at least 3 areas. Another 47% of students had similar evaluations at the start and end of the year and only 2 students showed more negative teacher evaluations at the end of the year. This is a very positive assessment of their development in the areas addressed by the questionnaires.

Teachers were most likely to have improved their evaluation from ‘agree’ to ‘strongly agree’ in response to the following questions; has clear goals and knows how to achieve them, can get help with setting goals at school, has high aspirations, is motivated to do school work, and has a good understanding of themselves and what they are good at. Of the questions posed these were exactly the ones the workshops were designed to address and attest to the impact of the workshops on the students in these areas.


Concluding Comments

This evaluation shows ample evidence of areas where students have been impacted by the workshops, which in the main are viewed wholly positively and which were greatly enjoyed by the students. The data above demonstrates the strongest impact in the following areas:

Students know about the learning zone and how challenging this is – this is linked to their less confident responses around challenge at school as they re-evaluate their engagement with their work and their more evaluative self-statements.

Students feel supported through having become more aware of their goals and the support needs these generate; students have higher expectations of support from their school and hope for follow-up activities.

Teachers know their students well and feel positive towards gifted students, but as with their students, they recognise that peer culture needs to be improved and both teachers and students raise many ideas for further embedding a culture of excellence in the school. The workshops contributed to this agenda.

Teachers identified in many of the participants improved skills to do with goal-setting, challenge, aspirations and motivation. A more positive attitude was apparent in some students even at the start of the first workshop, suggesting that having been picked to participate had itself increased self-esteem.

The workshops demonstrated a high level of congruity between what staff and students identified as important in continuing to support gifted students, such as improved communication with and engagement of parents and increasing the numbers of external speakers in the school.

The workshops allowed time and space to have conversations about identification of and provision for gifted students and whole school impact, which in turn fall back on questions around definitions of giftedness and how well defined and disseminated school policy in this area is. The workshops and ELAT session contributed to this ongoing development.

Specifically in relation to the aims of the project, the data show that students think positively about giftedness, but that the wider school ethos could be more supportive. Many of the students did describe or were recognised as having higher levels of self-awareness, self-confidence and motivation at the end of the year, and are now more skilled in analysing and setting goals for themselves. However as they become more self-aware, they are less confident about the support they have in school to help them meet their goals and their own ability to achieve them. Students are more familiar with what challenging work means for them as learners and how they might develop in relation to setting higher aspirations for themselves. They have developed a range of very useful communication and time management skills. This evaluation provides evidence of how students have become more realistic about planning for their futures and they have a deeper understanding of what this means. In this sense the workshops have played a significant role in their personal development over a year. However the data also suggest that there should be follow-up work carried out in school or through similar workshops to continue to build on what has been achieved this year.

GSA Extended Suipport Programme report

Documents

student workshop

quantitative student

students qualitative

student focus groups

teacher questionnaires

student narrative feedback

parts student impact

student focus group