Course Overview

The course aims to equip primary teachers with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to effectively identify, support, and challenge exceptionally able and gifted learners within primary schools. It will explore best practices in meeting the needs and interests of exceptionally able and gifted learners in mainstream contexts and provide opportunity for participants to deepen their professional knowledge, understanding and skills to create sufficiently challenging learning experiences for these learners. It will include the use of a range of pedagogical approaches and resources that facilitate differentiation, enrichment, and inclusion whilst promoting project-based and interdisciplinary learning. The course will also provide opportunity for participants to critically reflect on whole-school policies and practices that address the holistic needs of all gifted and exceptionally able learners including learners with double/ triple exceptionality with particular emphasis on supporting the development of positive wellbeing and social and emotional needs. The course will also examine ways in which teachers’ individual and collective practice can support parents and gifted and exceptionally able learners during periods of transitions.

Specific skills and practices to be developed include:

• Differentiation Approaches including curriculum compacting, acceleration, enrichment and in-class cluster models
• Universal Design for Learning
• Teacher- Learner interaction techniques to optimise challenge in learning experience
• Using digital technologies as part of a suite of enrichment activities
• Activating agency of exceptionally able and gifted learners
• Reflection on whole-school policies and practices that support holistic development of gifted and exceptionally able learners