Practical strategies for raising the achievement of able pupils - Belle Wallace

Schools everywhere are concerned with raising standards according to government requirements, particularly for those pupils who could be termed 'more able'. The key challenges revolve around government initiatives such as Every Child Matters, independent learning, inclusion and differentiation, thus making learning effective and successful for all pupils.

The authors of this highly engaging book carried out extensive analysis of 12 key schools, selected for their representation of common challenging educational circumstances including working with children from:

• Multi-lingual and multi-ethnic communities
• Low socio-economic and disadvantaged communities
• Small rural schools and big inner city communities
• Schools with high levels of special educational needs

All the case-study schools subscribe to the educational ethos of creating an environment for all pupils to discover their gifts and talents, and the authors show clearly how these findings can be applied in any school.

Raising the Achievement of All Pupils Within an Inclusive Setting describes the strategies that have been developed to provide equal opportunities for all pupils, whilst accommodating different individual needs and rates of development. A major focus is on identifying and resolving underachievement in schools.

Drawing upon intensive interviews with staff, pupils, parents and governors, the authors provide practical guidance for successfully raising motivation, achievement and educational standards in any school environment.

Teachers, Gifted and Talented Co-ordinators and school leaders seeking guidance and inspiration from real-life schools will benefit from the down-to-earth, achievable advice offered in this book.

Belle Wallace works as a consultant on the Education of Gifted and Talented Pupils, both nationally and internationally. She is also Director of TASC International and immediate past president of NACE.

Sue Leydenis an independent educational consultant and a chartered educational psychologist.

Diane Montgomery is Emeritus Professor in Education at Middlesex University, London. She is a qualified teacher and chartered psychologist specialising in research on giftedness and learning difficulties.

Carrie Winstanley currently works with undergraduate and postgraduate education students, specifically concerning inclusion and able children with specific learning needs.

Michael Pomerantz is an Associate Tutor to the DEdCPsy Course (initial training for Educational Psychologists) and the EdD Programme (research training for practising EPs) at the University of Sheffield. He is also a Senior Educational Psychologist in Derbyshire.

Sally Fittonis a Secondary School Improvement Adviser for Derbyshire local authority working in partnership with a range of schools in raising achievement.

'Some big names in theworld of G&T education have come together with practitioners to write this gem of a book...This book is engaging, practical, well-referenced and research-based - go and buy it!' - G&T Update