Cockle Bay School

All schools have the obligation to recognise and respond to the diverse needs of their students. This includes students who are not achieving, students who are at risk of not achieving and those who have special education needs. Schools must also develop and implement teaching and learning strategies to address these needs.

This applies just as much to students who struggle to read as it does to those with obvious disabilities or who are gifted and talented.

An inclusive school is one in which all students are valued and their needs recognised and met.
( Min Ed “ About Dyslexia” Publication. Dec 2008)

Class Organisation

The 2008 School ERO Report
As is required in all current ERO reports, there is a section reporting on the Provision for gifted and talented students.  The following is the statement in the 2008 ERO Review of Cockle Bay School.

Good provision is made for students who are gifted and talented.  A wide range of high quality withdrawal programmes and extension groups are offered across all levels of the school, using the skills of teachers, external tutors and parents.  Clustering students of high academic ability in classes at each year level of the school, and providing teachers with ongoing professional learning and development to cater for the different needs of gifted and talented students are further strategies that provide for these students.  The school is part of an Auckland University research programme that includes feedback on and reviews of the strategies the school employs to cater for gifted and talented students.

2008 Summary ERO Report

2008 Full ERO Report

Research Conducted At Cockle Bay School 2007/2008
For the past two years Gay Gallagher from Auckland University has been conducting research into the provision for the Gifted and Talented children at Cockle Bay School. She has met with, and surveyed, teachers, management, BOT, students and parents.

The following excerpts are taken, with permission, from the final report prepared by Gay Gallagher entitled :

“Have we go it right this time?” Catering for gifted and talented learners by using cluster grouping.   READ REPORT HERE
Gay Gallagher
School of Teaching, Learning and Development
Faculty of Education
University of Auckland
2008/2009 The School Context

There has been considerable discussion and action taken in the school over the last two years, particularly in clarifying the use of cluster groupings in classes.

Following the findings from the Interim Report December, 2007, the school has undertaken the following

➢    A presentation of the research findings to the Board of Trustees
➢    A presentation of the findings to a parent night
➢    Two staff professional development sessions: the first on identification and characteristics of gifted and talented students – How do we recognise the gifted and talented students?  The second focused on Differentiation for Gifted and Talented Learners
➢    A dedicated professional development goal was specified for all teaching staff in the 2008 appraisal cycle.
➢    Focus on planning for differentiated learning in syndicate meetings.
➢    Focus on differentiated learning tasks during lesson time.
➢    Provision of further differentiation in Mathematics using the Mathletics computer based programme for the high achieving and low achieving students from Year 3 - 6. In 2009 all children at Cockle Bay School will ha e access to Mathletics.

Updating the literature review:
Cluster grouping for Gifted and Talented Students
Cluster grouping can be an effective organisational strategy that helps schools address the needs of their gifted learners, and allows teachers to differentiate for their gifted and talented students.  The use of cluster grouping is shown to raise the level of teaching and also can have significant impact on the achievement level of the students (Brulles, Saunders & Cohn, in press).

The clusters would be at least 5 children. It is suggested that the clusters should be organised in areas of strength, where children can work at a pace more conducive to individual rates of learning.   In addition the cluster teacher needs to give proportionate amount of time to the planning and teaching of the cluster group students.  Improvement gains are attributed to more complex instruction, in curriculum designed to deepen and broaden their learning, based on sound assessment of their level of knowledge and understanding.

For effective cluster group teaching, staff development in gifted education is required. Support for the teachers would include training in key areas: how to differentiate the programme for gifted learners, how to compact the curriculum to avoid repetition and wasted time, understanding the behaviours and social/emotional needs of the gifted students, and finally how to monitor progress through assessments (Winebrenner & Brulles, 2008b).

Conclusions from the research, 2008

Organisation of classes using Cluster Grouping has been a positive move in terms of social and emotional development for the children and their relationships within the school. It has also been a positive move for relationships of the school community. This was verified by children, their parents, the staff and senior management team alike.

Recommendations and Implications from this Research

For cluster groups to be effective there needs to be careful selection of the members of the cluster, who are placed with teachers trained in gifted education and with a disposition to working with gifted learners. Their programme needs to be differentiated to a level matched to the ability and pace of learning of the children in the group. The teacher needs to be able to apportion equitable time to the gifted cluster group.

It is clear that the philosophy behind cluster grouping is acceptable to the school community.  It is also clear from parent and student comment that the teachers in Cockle Bay School maintain positive relationships for the learners and have dispositions to address the needs, both academic and emotional, of their students.

It would appear that refining and strengthening the present teaching practices would be beneficial.  Particular attention to differentiation of the programme for the cluster group members, managing the teacher time for the gifted cluster children and the assurance of the academic rigour of the learning would be the special points of focus.

Areas for consideration:

➢    Careful selection of clusters of gifted learners.  The definition and identification of the gifted and talented learners needs to be transparent to the school community with clear updating of the organisation, rationale and procedures available on the website.

➢    Identification to be continued to be based on a variety of methods (already outline in the school policy), including observational data and assessment records.  Considering nomination by parents and using information they have about the children would be beneficial.  Similarly working with the contributing ECE centres to ascertain information prior to school would be useful.

➢    Staff discussion around the placement of gifted clusters in all classes, and the placement of students with additional learning needs to ensure teachers are not overloaded in catering for too diverse range of student needs.

➢    Consideration of the use of support staff and teacher aides, as well as the possible use of adult mentors in class programmes is important.  Additional support in classes would ensure the teachers can manage the groups in their classes equitably.   A register of possible school community expert personnel would be useful.  Possible use of parent help or even retired community members might also be valuable.

➢    Appropriate differentiated planning needs to be based on sound knowledge of individual learners.  It is imperative that discussion is continued around the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) in reference to Personalising Learning (Ministry of Education, 2007b) as the infusion learning and class programmes are developed.  Establishing prior knowledge and understanding prior to planning will ensure a more appropriate match in the learning activities to children’s learning needs.

➢    For additional extension clusters provided, the possible introduction of  self nomination by students with provided criteria may prove insightful.  Once again the rationale and selection for these withdrawal enrichment clusters should be communicated to the children and the school community

➢    Develop strategies which encourage students to give feedback to staff on the level of challenge they are experiencing in their work.  This would be particularly useful for high ability students.  This is a form of ‘practice-based evidence’ which can inform teachers of their effectiveness, and encourage students to advocate for their own learning needs.

➢    Ongoing staff professional development which encompasses discussion on giftedness and on differentiation within the classroom would continue to be beneficial   for all teachers and subsequently the children. As stated in the previous report, this may take many forms and focus on areas identified by the teaching staff
 e.g.
    * Sharing of effective practice within the school, and celebrating these as a staff.  There is considerable expertise already on the staff and their modelling and role modelling for other staff would help build the culture of participation in developing expertise across all staff.

    * Meetings for gifted cluster group teachers specifically  to discuss ideas and strategies across the school to ensure continuity, and to build on the work of other teachers at different levels

    * Focused planning in syndicates for differentiation within classes, based on consideration of knowledge of individual learners

    * Continued use of Advisers, or  educators experienced in working with Gifted Education and in differentiation principles and strategies

    * School support for teachers to complete papers in Gifted Education offered through tertiary institutions.

    * Continued staff meeting discussion centred on core readings presented by staff, which would encourage teachers to experiment with ideas in their classes and share to their meeting forum. 

Historical Class Organisation