The National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth
Wallington County Grammar School has a growing number of pupils who are members of NAGTY. Well over half the school population are registered and have benefited from the ‘on line’ learning activities, weekend lectures and amazing summer schools. They have had opportunities to enter competitions and participate in events like ‘The Paper Clip Challenge’. The Gifted and Talented students at Wallington are also proficient debators and are members of the Public Speaking Team.
NAGTY's remit is to support gifted and talented children, between the ages of 11 and 19, at the top end of the ability range (the top 5%).
The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) was established by government in 2002. Its role is to drive forward improvements in gifted and talented education by developing a national, government supported, catalyst that can provide leadership and support for professionals working in this field. To achieve this NAGTY works with students, parents, teachers, education professionals, specialist providers, universities and business.
Children and young people are at the heart of the Academy’s mission. NAGTY aims to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of background, have access to the formal and informal learning opportunities they need to help them convert their potential into high achievement.
Gifted education in England is an integral part of the overall education system. The English Model, is a description of this approach and the rationale for it. Provision is rooted in day-to-day classroom provision and enhanced by additional, more advanced opportunities offered both within school and outside of it. Evidence shows that where schools integrate provision for the gifted as part of their overall provision, general educational standards rise.
NAGTY’s mission is:
- To dedicate its energies, skills and expertise to ensure that gifted and talented children in England are given the opportunity and support to maximise their potential
- To ensure that teachers and members of the education profession have the knowledge, skills and support to meet the needs of gifted and talented children
- To develop and enhance its unique national role to become the leading world centre of integrated research, innovation and practical implementation in the field of gifted and talented education
NAGTY's principal supporting aims are:
- To identify gifted and talented pupils throughout England and to ensure provision of a range of in and out of school opportunities, guidance and support which will boost their attainment, aspiration, motivation and self-confidence
- To apply expertise to national policy issues and contribute significantly to the government’s strategy for gifted and talented children
- To extend and deepen the knowledge and professional skills of all involved in the planning and delivery of gifted and talented education
Through the Student Academy, members become part of a gifted community and can take part in:
- A year-round programme of short courses delivered by experts at locations across the country
- Summer Schools providing a lengthier, in-depth focus on one subject in a university environment
- Online Study Groups, offering Internet-based learning guided by academic specialists
- Discussion forums where members discuss wide-ranging topics
Specialist resources for members include:
- Aspire - the members' magazine, spotlighting forthcoming events and current hot topics
- ACHIEVE - careers information to help gifted students, in particular, make informed decisions about their future
The Student Council represents the views of members and is an important channel of communication between them and the Academy.
