Gifted, Outstanding, and Talented: 'Making the difference for all our students'

As a comprehensive boys’ school, our students share a wonderful and broad mix of skills, interests and talents taken from a rich and varied range of cultures, faiths and backgrounds. As a consequence, we make it a priority for each and every student to receive the care and support they need to do their very best. After all, our school purpose is ‘To make the different for ALL our students’

Getting to really know our students is key. Right from the outset, we closely assess and monitor our boys so we truly understand their core educational needs. Sometimes this takes the form of identifying the ‘gaps’ in a student’s knowledge and putting together a robust and appropriate support framework to allow them to better progress. Other times, it can be identifying those students who have a special affinity for their learning and who would benefit immensely from being appropriately ‘stretched’ and challenged more than usual to maximise their individual potential. 

We call the latter, collective group of students our G.O.T. group, or ‘Gifted, Outstanding and Talented’ group of learners.  Here at Southborough, we have many students who fall into this category - and we do everything we can to ensure that they are given the appropriate opportunities to excel in their abilities and learning.

G.O.T learners are added to a special register and are encouraged to take part in a robust programme of masterclasses across all disciplines (whichever are appropriate) which sit alongside our already challenging curriculum programme. It’s important to understand that this ‘list’ is organic; students can be added at any time during a child’s time here at Southborough. This is because we recognise that some students can be ‘late developers’ and begin to excel later on in their secondary educational journey.

Underpinning these masterclasses are a number of strategies that are designed to broaden horizons, open up the wider world, encourage and explore subject passion, embrace creative questioning and encourage self-directed learning amongst students. This approach gives our students the chance to engage in a wide range of activities, trips, clubs and competitions, including: Rowing Club, CCF (Combined Cadet Force), Chess Club, LAMDA Public Speaking exams, Wimbledon Ball Boys, Bletchley Park Codebreaking Workshops, UK-wide Maths and Science & Technology competitions and visits to France, Spain, London Museums, The Globe, Forest of Dean, Haworth House, Sky Media, The British Library, Music concerts, Theatre Trips and Geography Field Trips, Westminster Abbey – to name but a few.

You can see some of our boys in action in the photo gallery below.