THE Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) launched a new resource this week that will help teachers to identify those children whose abilities may be exceptional, but are not always easily recognised.

The Gifted and Talented Pupils resource is a set of guidelines that was developed in partnership with CCEA's southern counterparts, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). It is non-statutory guidance that fits across all areas of the revised curriculum.

After the joint CCEA and NCCA Conference in at the Manor House Hotel, Co. Fermanag, CCEA's officer in charge of Special Educational Needs, Helen Miskelly, said, "Gifted and talented students can excel in a number of areas, but their abilities are not always easy to see.

"This resource provides guidelines to help teachers initially identify these students so that they can be encouraged to achieve their full potential and be rewarded for it. Working towards developing a school ethos that raises awareness can ensure that no learner goes unnoticed.

"Working with our colleagues at NCCA has been very beneficial in developing this resource and we hope to continue this relationship long into the future."

Susan Dennison of NCCA said, "The NCCA's Exceptionally Able Students: Draft Guidelines for Teachers, is designed to raise awareness of the social, emotional and academic needs of exceptionally able students and to assist teachers in planning their teaching and learning. It also presents a rich real-life context in case studies, which consider the issues around exceptionality through the eyes of teachers, parents and students.

"Working in collaboration with CCEA was a great opportunity to share experiences and expertise in this common area of interest."

The Gifted and Talented resource is available to download from the Northern Ireland Curriculum website now at www.nicurriculum.org.uk