Institutional Quality Standards, published in 2005 and now widely in use, provide Headteachers/Principals, senior leaders and those responsible for gifted and talented provision with a framework that can be used to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the support available for gifted and talented learners across the school/college. They provide a sound basis for an action plan which can form part of the institution's wider improvement plan.
Framed around the 5 components of personalised learning, they can also be used to support the introduction of personalised education across the whole school or college. They may be used in discussion with SIPs, and to contribute evidence to the SEF within schools.
Work will continue to develop a resource bank of support and exemplar materials. As a starting point this will include materials from a range of testbed schools - 'early adopters' of the Quality Standards representative of a variety of phases and contexts across all Regional Partnerships.
An online version together with further information about the Institutional Quality Standards is available on the G&T WISE website on teachernet.
Classroom Quality Standards are also being developed for classroom teachers, working both individually and within teams/departments. These will focus upon the development of effective teaching and learning strategies, both within the classroom and in other settings.
They are designed to provide:
- an accessible tool to support teachers in reflection upon their current classroom practice and how they might improve it, starting from a consensus about the provision of challenge for all learners
- information about what this means in terms of outcomes and behaviours that might be expected from gifted and talented learners
- information about the sorts of activities, opportunities and support which should be available to meet the needs of these learners
- access to exemplar materials, models and action research
- a link to some subject-specific Quality Standards
We anticipate that these will be available from April 2007. Quality Standards in PE are already available from the Youth Sport Trust.
Links
On-line Institutional Quality Standards Tool, user guide, tutorial and further links to resources and support
http://www2.teachernet.gov.uk/gat/QSTool/default.aspx
Quality Standards in PE
http://inclusion.youthsporttrust.org/subpage/quality-standards/index.html
