The programme is developed term by term. Details are sent into Bath and North East Somerset schools, including academies, a couple of weeks before the end of term ready for the following term. Details of the programme can be found on the Living Learning site and Merlin.
Places are usually allocated about 10 days prior to the event. Schools are notified of places allocated and inform parents. Parents of pupils in academies and other schools not maintained by Bath and North East Somerset who are interested in finding out more about the possibility of their son or daughter joining a workshop can contact us through apex@bathnes.gov.uk We will be pleased to talk to them about the cost and how to apply.
The workshops are often oversubscribed and in that case places are allocated to those identified by the school as being eligible for a priority place according to a number of indicators. If they will only come with a friend then the friend will be given a priority place as well, provided they have applied. If the child has not been to an APEX workshop we try to give them a place but we also try to have a balance of genders and a spread of schools. We try to be even handed but inevitably some children do not get as many places as they would like while others are lucky more often. We are continually trying to improve our system with the minimum of bureaucracy and administration.
Applications are through school in the usual manner.
Bath and North East Somerset is developing inclusive gifted and talented educational practice and provision. It is doing this in line with its policy, which acknowledges the unique contribution that we can each make as a member of a humane and sustainable world, to our own and other peoples learning and lives. We recognise that children and young people are developing and enhancing their particular constellation of abilities as talents in one or more areas of valued endeavour, such as:
- Academic and intellectual
- Expressive and performing arts
- Social, leadership and organisation
- Visual, spatial and mechanical
- Design and technology
- Sport and physical
APEX Saturday Workshops are run to give pupils, from Bath and North East Somerset maintained schools, developing and enhancing diverse talents an opportunity to:
- meet and work with others from beyond their local school community with similar interests and abilities;
- extend their skills and understandings;
- find out about learning beyond schoolwork;
- meet enthusiastic, experienced adults who have a range of skills and expertise;
- venture somewhere new cognitively, physically, personaly, socially and emotionally;
- recognise, value and offer their developing talents as gifts to enhance their own learning and life and that of others.
APEX contributes to the schools’ and the authority’s efforts to develop a culture where learning and extending abilities in and beyond school is seen as ‘cool’. So no matter which workshop you take part in we think it is important that everyone who attends should go away feeling they have taken part in a stimulating, exciting and enjoyable experience and have ideas to follow up afterwards
More schools than ever before are using the APEX Saturday and Summer Programme as an integral part of the implementation of their inclusion, personalisation of learning and extended schools agendas.
We are very keen children and young people who are at risk of marginalisation participate in the programme so they are allocated a priority place. They may need particular attention from influential adults such as teachers to help them recognise, value and develop their aptitudes and talents, and to offer them as gifts to enhance their own learning and life and that of others.