Rarity

In order to be labelled as gifted or talented, a pupil must possess a level of ability in some area that is rare relative to peers. The guidance suggests that schools select a cohort comprising between 5 and 10 per cent of pupils in each year group within Key Stages 3 and 4, and sixth form, if one is present (DfES, 2002), and good practice dictates that a similar figure is identified in primary schools, too. It is acknowledged that there is no scientific reason for this figure; it merely ‘represents a manageable target population for provision, monitoring and evaluation purposes’ (DfES, 2002).

The constitution of the gifted and talented cohort in terms of areas of ability is at the discretion of schools, however, it is significant that schools are directed that those with ability in so-called ‘academic’ areas (English, Mathematics, Science, History, etc.) ‘should form at least two-thirds of the cohort in each year group’, and may make up the total cohort (DfES, 2002). In practice, this means that the number of pupils identified as gifted or talented in any area of the curriculum will inevitably be very small (certainly smaller than the number of pupils identified as having special educational needs), and this has led many schools and authorities to plan their provision for gifted and talented pupils across clusters of schools or authority-wide.