In the early 2000s, every school in England was encouraged to have a coordinator in charge of the government’s national gifted and talented programme. While the programme itself was imperfect, it did mean one teacher had explicit responsibility for stretching the most academically able children. The programme was scrapped in 2010 and has not been replaced. Become a member for unlimited access to Schools Week subscribe Our members enjoy early access to exclusive content and in-depth articles before anyone else. Get expert journalism, experience fewer ads, and unlock a growing range of member benefits.