Gifted & Talented
Vision and Mission
At The Charles Dickens School we wish to nurture and develop all students and to provide an environment rich in opportunities for learning and for the development of individual gifts and talents.
We aim to inspire our students to be global citizens prepared for the exciting opportunities and challenges of today’s world. They will be encouraged to develop thinking skills that can be applied across disciplines, to learn languages which will allow them to communicate with confidence, and to develop the skills of leadership, collaboration and self-knowledge essential for happiness and personal fulfilment.
Each student at The Charles Dickens School is unique and our programmes are designed to support the developing needs of our students. The Gifted and Talented programmes are created to ensure the very best success for those students identified as having a particular gift or talent but are also open to all students who wish to aim high and achieve the very best in their academic and personal development.
Our partnership with Barton Court Grammar School will allow us to share ideas, resources and best practice to ensure all students have access to opportunities to stretch and challenge in all subjects to encourage academic excellence, and with individual talents in Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Sport and Design Technology.
Curriculum
In Years 7 and 8, almost all students to follow an academic pathway.
Students study an academic curriculum making sure they are stretched and challenged across a wide range of traditional subjects, which includes a Modern Foreign language. This programme provides ideal preparation for the EBacc programme at KS4.
In Years 9 – 11, all students start their GCSE courses and there is an opportunity for students to study the traditional EBacc programme. This is the most prestigious learning pathway offered and will lead to the English Baccalaureate qualification. The EBacc provides students with a broad range of academic subjects upon which to build any future career options. It is expected by this Government that all students, at KS4, follow this pathway and it is recognised as a highly prestigious pathway by school Sixth Forms, Colleges, Universities and employers and is ideal preparation for Post-16 study.
To achieve the EBacc, students must gain a GSCE grade 9-5 in six subjects. These subjects must include:
- Mathematics
- English Language
- 2 Sciences (2 from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Combined Science (2 GCSEs))
- 1 Humanity (1 from History or Geography)
- 1 MFL (French)
Talents – Art, Music, Drama, Dance, Sport, Design Technology
Students talented in a specific field, such as Performing Arts, Sport or Technology are provided with opportunities within and beyond the classroom to achieve their own personal excellence.
Extra-curricular opportunities, competitions, exhibitions, events, concerts, productions, are widely available and students are encouraged to take part with as many as possible to extend their skills further and to broaden their learning.
