Gifted and Talented education: Guidance on preventing underachievement – A focus on dual or multiple exceptionality (DME)

What is it?

This booklet is the first of a series addressing support and provision for gifted and talented pupils who are either underachieving or at risk of underachieving. The focus of this guidance is the discussion of underachievement due to dual or multiple exceptionalities. Pupils with gifts or talents exist within all groups of pupils. This includes those pupils who have been identified as having additional learning needs. Pupils from this group are to be considered when the gifted and talented cohort is being identified. Underrepresentation of this group within the gifted and talented population may result in considerable underachievement by pupils whose learning needs are not met.

The intention here is to raise awareness of the issues and invite responses from schools and settings to contribute to the developing body of knowledge, understanding and effective practice in relation to pupils with dual or multiple exceptionalities.