ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to assist schools in establishing appropriate school-based identification systems. The most important prerequisite of such systems is that they should fit neatly with the existing structures and systems so that the identification of ability and talent can be an integral part of the school’s activities. Experience with Oxfordshire schools would indicate that it is only in schools where the identification is embedded in school-based systems that it has significant impact on classroom practice. Otherwise, the link between identification and provision is tenuous: although certain pupils may have been identified, this process has not led to a change in classroom provision for those children. This chapter demonstrates how the identification of able pupils can be built into existing school systems and suggests methods for implementation, coordination and monitoring.
