Devizes School AGAT Frequently Asked Questions & Information for Parents

AGAT Introduction to Parents & Students We at Devizes School passionately believe that Able, Gifted & Talented students require specialised support in order to meet their full potential. All students are entitled to a personalised curriculum, therefore students who are able or have a gift or talent should have their learning needs met as part of an entitlement curriculum. ‘

AGAT GCSE Results, August 2013, Devizes School Our AGAT core cohort of 13 students achieved at least 5 A*-C grades in their examinations. 12 of them received at least 5 A*-C including Maths, English and Science. 12 out of 13 achieved at least 8 A*-C grades in total, with 7 of them achieving at least 8 A*-A grades. AN EXCELLENT YEAR OF RESULTS OVERALL!

AGAT Q.My son/daughter is on the AGAT register at their primary school, does this mean they will be on the AGAT register at Devizes School? A. Not necessarily, it will depend if they meet the criteria that Devizes School uses for identification.

AGAT Q.What does AGAT stand for? A.AGAT students are approximately the top 10% of a year group. A stands for ‘Able’ G will represent a smaller group of students who are ‘Gifted’ in academic subjects. T stands for ‘Talented’ which is those students excelling in practical subjects, i.e. PE, Drama and DT.

AGAT Q.What does Devizes School do to support students who are Able, Gifted & Talented? A.More challenge in the classroom and appropriate differentiation to extend and facilitate the learning of our higher achieving students. See what Ofsted said about our teaching …

AGAT “In a … lesson students were empowered by the teacher to take command of their own learning and confidently articulate aspects of collision theory and activation energy whilst exploring the relationship between dependent variables and independent variables. Learning is strongest where teachers use learning activities to identify gaps in knowledge and then address any misconceptions through high-quality questioning, precise feedback, greater challenge and frequent opportunities for students to shape lines of enquiry.” Ofsted Inspection, Feb. 2012

AGAT (1)Enrichment activities are offered by Faculties throughout the year such as KS3 Science AGAT Day, Year 7 Maths Problem Solving Activities, News Report Day, Poetry by Heart and the recent Year 5 WOW Days which involved a number of our feeder primary schools, as well as some of our own AGAT students.

AGAT (2)External AGAT Courses - Students are nominated to attend specific AGAT Courses for which a fee is usually payable. Over the last few years, students have attended such courses as Geography AGAT Day at Bath University, Language Enrichment Courses at Bath Spa University as well as a variety of courses at Kilve Court in Somerset, Braeside and Oxenwood.

AGAT Q.How does Devizes School identify students for the AGAT register? (1)The school has a Core Register which contains students who achieve particular levels in CATs (Cognitive Ability Tests) and SATs. These students will remain on the Core Register throughout KS 3 & 4 and their progress will be monitored.

AGAT (2) The school has Subject Registers which contain students who are identified as gifted or talented in specific subjects for each academic year. The Subject Register is revised annually to ensure that students who meet the subject-specific criteria are always included.

AGAT Q.My child doesn’t feel challenged. What can I do? A.Contact the school. You can either contact specific staff for advice or the AGAT Co-ordinator, Becky Windridge

AGAT Q.My child has been identified as Gifted & Talented. How can I support them? (1)Encourage your Able & Talented child to develop good study skills and advanced reading skills (skimming and scanning) so that time is used to its best value and time gained can be given over to exciting and challenging tasks.

AGAT (2)Try to encourage your child to use thinking skills as often as possible, and to value the more complex working involved. This takes more attention at first but it is crucial to success in the long term, i.e. tackling puzzles, asking challenging questions and talking through problem solving activities.

AGAT Q.I think my child is gifted or talented, what should I do? A.If you feel that your son/daughter is gifted or talented in a particular area then speak to their subject teacher. If not contact the AGAT Co-ordinator.

AGAT Contact Details AGAT Co-ordinator Mrs. R. Windridge Tel: (01380) ext. 291