The roles and responsibilities of all staff involved in teaching a particular subject should be clearly defined in the whole-institution or subject policy for gifted and talented. This includes the roles of:

• all those teaching the subject, including newly qualified teachers;
• the subject coordinator, subject leader or head of department;
• other professionals, for example artists-in-residence, managers of school projects, employers and professionals supporting vocational learning;
• teaching and learning support assistants;
• learning mentors;
• supply teachers.

As well as formulating a subject policy, the teaching team needs to decide how to:

• liaise with colleagues who have institution-wide responsibilities, such as the gifted and talented coordinator, assessment coordinator and CPD coordinator;
• disseminate information within the institution and with partners, as appropriate;
• review the scheme of work to ensure that the needs of gifted and talented learners are met through classroom management (including pupil/student grouping and other differentiation strategies), materials and other resources, activities, assessment, and homework, self-study and out-of-hours learning;
• make decisions about entries for end of key stage national curriculum tests and national qualifications;
• help support staff meet the needs of gifted and talented learners through collaborative team preparation and discussion, team teaching, the appropriate use of ICT and other resources, familiarity with library literature, and involvement in professional development sessions on working with gifted and talented learners;
• identify, plan and deliver professional developments and evaluate its impact on learning and teaching;
• establish procedures for monitoring and evaluating the identification of, and provision for, the gifted and talented, including feedback from the young people themselves;
• liaise with advisory colleagues;
• liaise with the Connexions Service to ensure that, from year nine gifted and talented learners receive appropriate advice and guidance about education and training options.

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The 14 to 19 context

The diversity of the 14 to 19 phase, its link to national qualifications and the focus on securing young people's commitment to, and progression in, learning at key transition points, raise particular questions for subject teachers and coordinators in relation to gifted and talented students. For example:

To what extent does the curriculum prepare all young people for all progression routes in terms of their awareness, their relevant skills and understanding, and the extent to which they are challenged to question and explore alternatives?

How can you balance aspirations for high attainment in qualifications with the need to provide opportunities for independent study and the challenge that can result from it?

To what extent are students introduced to ideas and challenges from 'real world' issues, problems and applications, enabling them to look beyond their subject learning and make connections?

How does the qualifications entry policy reflect individuals' needs and avoid assumptions that link gifted and talented students with, for example, general qualifications, or a high volume of qualifications?

For an example of this, see Case study 25: John's story.

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