Ahead of her workshop on this topic, NACE Associate and Head of English Tracy Goodyear shares three key considerations when planning a challenging KS3 English curriculum.

After getting the ‘new’ GCSEs firmly under our belts, schools and departments across the country are now being given the space to carefully consider the quality of the diet that all students receive in their secondary years.

For any department, reviewing the curriculum is an ongoing process. There’s no quick win or easy fix: it takes vision, clarity of thought and careful consideration – all whilst trying to navigate an educational, social and political landscape that is constantly shifting.

There’s an imperative to provide students with a curriculum that is enlightening, challenging and enriching. As emphasised in the current Ofsted education inspection framework, the curriculum should be ambitious and appropriate for all students. It’s vital that complex concepts or ideas are not ignored or brushed over, and that the expectation for success and high achievement is clear. A rising tide lifts all boats, after all.

Here are some key considerations, which we’ll explore in more detail during November’s workshop.

1. Start with the end in mind

When planning a new/revised curriculum, it’s imperative to consider what the end ‘product’ is likely to look like. In other words, ask yourselves: “At the end of Year 9, if we had given the students what they really need in our subject, what sort of behaviours, skills and attributes would our students display? How will we know we have been successful?”

This goes much further than hitting target grades; we have to think beyond that. As Christine Counsell has written, “If the curriculum itself is the progression model, then the numbers change their meaning.”

During a department meeting a couple of years ago, we brainstormed some ideas about our ‘finished article’ and came up with the following statements. These are core departmental values that drive our curriculum design and delivery.

As a result of learning in our department, students will:

• Be creative, articulate, imaginative learners, who are confident and secure in their opinions and thoughts;
• Be adaptable and flexible communicators in spoken and written word;
• Be unafraid to challenge complex ideas and material.

Our students will develop these dispositions and habits:

• Having a critical eye, so that they do not blindly accept things;
• They will openly welcome feedback, criticism and differing views and interpretations and not feel threatened by these;
• They will be skilled in planning, showing evidence of deep thinking;
• They will take risks, knowing that the learning they will experience is more valuable than the fear of failure;
• They will actively listen to and reason with the ideas and expertise of others;
• They will construct meaningful arguments, supporting their ideas with confidence and conviction.

They will experience learning activities that:

• Have pace, choice and challenge;
• Provide a healthy combination of independent and collaborative work;
• Give them ample opportunity to speak in front of others;
• Give them the time and space to write independently;
• Offer the choice and autonomy to self-select activities that best challenge their thinking and ability;
• Are well-planned by the teacher/ department, where activities have clear direction and purpose;
• Enable them to build a sophisticated vocabulary, consistently;
• Are academically rigorous and personally challenging.

2. Why this? Why now?

Once you have firm statements in place and a clear vision, you can start to consider the content and the validity of current content being delivered.

There are a whole host of questions to consider. Here are just a few:

• Is it important to you that students know the origins of stories/ origins of language?
• Is it important that students understand how or why contextual factors may influence our reception of a text?
• Is it important that they understand the five act structure of a Shakespeare play?
• Is it important that they are able to speak knowledgeably in a debate or a group discussion?
• Is it important to you that they can write with originality and flair?

Sitting as a team and deciding the answers to these sorts of questions is hugely valuable. It encourages teachers to share their particular passions and interests and leads to purposeful discussion about your curriculum offer. It’s important that you consider your own school’s context too – what is important here? What is it vital that we equip our students with? Vocabulary instruction? Cultural capital?

3. Timing is everything!

When planning a challenging curriculum, there is a temptation to hurtle through centuries of literature at a pace; the temptation to move on and cover as much content as possible seems attractive when teaching able young people. However, any successful curriculum needs to build in purposeful time to reflect – to recognise how concepts fit together as part of a much wider picture. All students require time to reflect on feedback (and time to act on it!), time for repetition, recall and a deeper investigation into a topic or idea.

Time is crucial in the breaking down of complex tasks, too. The EEF’s recent report Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools stresses the importance of modelling and scaffolding at all levels and dedicating curriculum time to this. Breaking tasks down (rather than simplifying them!) helps students to navigate their way through challenging tasks more effectively.

Consider the various demands on a student’s working memory when asked to write. How can teachers intervene to break down some of these processes to ensure working memories are not overwhelmed? How can we ensure that our curriculum plan incorporates the time and space to enable us to do this?

It’s not just the timing of what is being taught that’s key. Timely reflection for you and your team is also crucial. Wherever possible, make reviewing aspects of your curriculum part of your weekly/ fortnightly meetings. Speak about how students are progressing, where misunderstandings have arisen, how a scheme or unit of work needs to be adapted to suit the changing needs of the students. If all curriculum review does not take place while it’s still fresh, many of those smaller, nuanced observations about learning could be lost.

Enjoy the challenge!

Recommended reading:

• Turner, S. (2016), Secondary Curriculum and Assessment Design, Bloomsbury
• Myatt, M. (2018), The Curriculum: Gallimaufry to Coherence, John Catt

Ready to review your KS3 curriculum?

Join Tracy Goodyear’s workshop on 28 November: Leading curriculum change for more able learners in KS3 English

Cathy Metcalf, Year 5 teacher and expressive arts lead at St Mary's RC Primary School, shares four approaches to help learners move beyond the search for a single right answer.

For many of our more able learners, much of their education is spent seeking (and usually finding) answers. Correct answers. They are the children in our class who ‘know’ they have the answer we are looking for, and frequently the learners who struggle when they get an answer wrong. But how do these learners cope when there is no ‘right’ answer? When everyone’s ideas and opinions are valued and acceptable, and right and wrong are no longer the outcomes or intentions of the lesson?

Element 3c of the NACE Challenge Framework reminds us of our responsibility to consider “social and emotional support” as well as academic provision for the more able. Similarly, the updated education inspection framework (EIF) calls for schools to develop “pupils’ character… so that they reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well” and “pupils’ confidence, resilience and knowledge so that they can keep themselves mentally healthy”. In Wales too, wellbeing has a significantly raised profile in the context of ongoing curriculum reform.

Learners who are not used to the feeling of struggle and failure are likely to crumble when faced with a task or approach that does not entail a straightforward correct answer. As practitioners, we have a responsibility to ensure that our more able learners are regularly exposed to a high-enough level of challenge to experience the feeling of struggle, in an environment where they feel part of a supportive learning community. 

In my ‘other life’ (beyond teaching) I have worked as a musical director in theatre for nearly 15 years, and I feel that the expressive arts provide so many opportunities for this kind of development. I am always looking for ways to explore and use the arts in my pedagogical approach, and have found the following approaches to be particularly successful for more able learners: 

1. Draw on creative role models to develop growth mindset

Carol Dweck’s theory of growth mindset is important to helping learners understand the benefits of ‘staying with’ a task or problem, even when it feels beyond their ability – and here, there is much to be learned from the world of expressive arts.

Many artists and musicians spend weeks, months, even years perfecting a work. Even the process of rehearsing for a performance (be it a school concert, instrumental examination or West End production) requires dedication and resilience, calling for repetition after repetition to ensure consistency.

For learners it can be powerful to take inspiration from an artist or other celebrity and to understand how they approach their craft. The NACE Essentials guide to learning mindset suggests encouraging learners to “research individuals they admire who have achieved something great and explore what these people have in common.”

In my school, figures such as Walt Disney and J. K. Rowling are year-group models, and pupils learn about how they have created their masterpieces through teamwork, setbacks and extensive editing. Developing a growth mindset permeates our whole school culture and reinforces the idea that “the most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time” (Thomas Edison).

2.  Set creative open-ended tasks

The guidance for more able learners from the regional consortia within which I work suggests “setting creative open-ended tasks” within our everyday practice. I recently used a task which involved playing short excerpts of music and asking children (and staff) to choose the colour they felt the music was describing.

Of course, with this type of task there is no ‘right’ answer, yet the lesson serves many purposes: to encourage reasoning and justification for any answer, to develop child talk in a low-stake environment, and as an introduction to the technical vocabulary required for describing music.

It was particularly interesting to note how many of my more able learners were fixated upon ‘Yes, but who is right Miss?’ and I am already planning further activities using paintings, sculpture and digital art to try and change this mindset.

3. Provide regular mental workouts

In its recent thematic review of provision for more able learners, Estyn recognises a problem in many schools of simply setting more work in terms of quantity, rather than extensions which require deeper thinking.

I try to provide my class with opportunities to think deeply about their academic work, but also to think deeply in an altogether more abstract, creative way. The use of ‘thunk’ questions and ‘cognitive wobble’ are particularly strong ways of encouraging learners to question their own perceptions of the world, and even to challenge information that is presented to them by teachers and parents.

Some of my favourite ‘thunks’ are excellent warm-ups for art, drama and literacy lessons… e.g. If I drop a bucket of paint on a canvas, is it art? What if I drop the bucket deliberately? What colour is Tuesday? If I compose a piece of music, but it is never played, is it still music?

Character studies during drama or literacy lessons also provide opportunities for ‘cognitive wobble’ – the result of conflicting information clashing when we need to form an opinion about something. e.g. We know thieves are villains, and yet Robin Hood is a hero... 

My class last year also took part in a project with a visiting neurologist, who taught the pupils about the brain, and how it works in the same way as any other well-exercised muscle. They learnt about different parts of the brain and how it functions, and many were able to make links with the ongoing work we had done on mindset.

4. Challenge parents to change their perspectives

Finally, I am reminded of a conversation with a parent who had been flicking through a maths book before a parent-teacher consultation. The parent commented on the number of mistakes in the book and expressed concern over their child’s lack of mathematical understanding. The child in question was, in fact, a strong mathematician who really thrived when challenged and was learning to articulate her mistakes and what she had learnt from them.

If we want to reframe the concept of success for our learners, we also need to challenge the perception of ‘right’ answers held by parents – which in many cases is passed on to their children. Ensuring that parents are well informed of the learning culture in a school, particularly that of mindset and deep learning/challenge is crucial in supporting this change.

We have recently introduced Individualised Achievement Plans for our most able learners, which involve a target-/project-setting meeting between learner, teacher and parent, and already we are seeing the benefits of parents’ support when more open-ended tasks are introduced and continued at home.

I was particularly struck by a comment in the NACE Essentials guide to learning mindset: “the risk with more able learners can be that teachers do not sufficiently reward effort, due to success being perceived as a ‘given’ [… A]ll learners need ‘process praise’ to build or reinforce that all-important growth mindset.” This is of course true, and not just of learners at school age. We all need to feel as though our efforts, whether at work or elsewhere, are appreciated, and we are all likely to perform better when praised.

For our young learners, receiving support, praise and encouragement not only at school but also at home can have a huge impact. Engaging with parents to ensure a consistent approach is key.

I recently read an NCETM article titled “The answer is only the beginning”. It seems to me that the more we are able to instil this mindset in our more able learners, the better we equip them for whatever challenges they may face, both academically and throughout their lives.

References and further reading

·         Healthy and happy – school impact on pupils’ health and wellbeing (Estyn, 2019)

·         How best to challenge and nurture more able and talented pupils: Key stages 2 to 4 (Estyn, 2018)

·         Regional Strategy and Guidance for More Able Learners (Education Achievement Services for South Wales, 2018)

·         NACE Essentials: Using mindset theory to drive success (NACE, 2018; login required)

·         The Learning Challenge (James Nottingham, 2017)

·         The Little Book of Thunks (Ian Gilbert, 2007)

NACE member offers: for details of current discounts available from our partner organisations, including education publishers such as Crown House, Hodder, SAGE, Rising Stars and Routledge, log in to our members’ site.

Naomi Parkhill leads on provision for more able learners at Challenge Award-accredited Mulberry House School. Here she shares five key steps in the school’s successful focus on developing intellectual and emotional resilience – coined the “Mulberry mindset”.

The Mulberry House School is a co-ed, independent pre-prep school in North London with 211 students aged 2-7 years old. We aim to develop a love of learning within each child, encouraging them to reach high to be the people they want to be, to be respectful learners and to enjoy every challenge they face.

We have been working with the NACE Challenge Framework since 2013, having successfully completed our second cycle in June 2019. During this we embarked on a more research-based approach through undertaking case studies. One of these, focusing on strategies to improve the resilience of more able learners, had an extremely positive impact. We noticed that not only our more able, but all learners, now have increased levels of confidence in problem-solving and attainment. There has been a strong focus on intellectual character in the context of personal and academic development. The overall impact on children’s mindsets has been measured both through staff observations and using our annual wellbeing questionnaires.

Following on from the success of this work, here are my top five tips for improving emotional and intellectual resilience:

1. Understand the importance of resilience

The first step of any element of school improvement is to understand its importance. Look at how improved resilience will impact your school. For us, the impact was just as important for the children’s personal development as for their academic achievement. With regards to our more able learners we recognised that they were naturally able to shine academically when faced with written work and extensions tasks, but when it came to problem-solving and stretching themselves to apply critical thinking and look outside the box, they panicked and became very self-critical. We recognised that by improving resilience in this group and for all learners, we would notice a significant improvement in this area.

2. Introduce opportunities for risk-taking

Although the word “risk” often triggers an immediate connection with danger and caution, providing opportunities to take risks is an integral part of supporting learners to develop resilience. Without facing and taking risks, they will not learn how to manage them, work through them and overcome any barriers. This process alone lends itself automatically to increased resilience. Ways in which we have increased opportunities for risk-taking include developing our outdoor learning provision, collapsed timetable weeks which include lots of problem-solving, and peer-peer learning throughout the school.

3. Celebrate mistakes

Introducing the celebration of mistakes within the work already being done on growth mindset was one of the biggest steps we took towards improving the resilience of our learners. Using strategies such as “my favourite mistake” within maths lessons has proved extremely successful. By using this as a formative assessment tool we have been able to allow the children to unpick their mistakes, analyse where they went wrong and provide them with the skills to learn from this, correcting their errors. This works well as the children work together to correct the mistake and it is a great recap of the strategy. The children now know that a mistake is something to celebrate, offering an opportunity for learning and improving.

4. Embed these values in the wider school culture

For work to be successful across the school, our management team understood the importance of embedding these, and other values of importance to us, within the wider school culture. Coined the “Mulberry Mindset”, we introduced this ethos throughout the entire school. Following training from C.J. Simister, an expert in the subject of independent learning, staff became even more invested in developing this side of our curriculum.

5. Share the approach with parents

We pride ourselves on strong parent partnerships. Our open door policy allows us to give daily feedback to parents and carers, and the impact this has on the children’s personal and academic progress is invaluable. For learners to truly build resilience, they need to be able to apply this in every area of their lives. By sharing our approach with parents, they can continue to support this outside of school.

Far from being “soft” or “easy” options, the creative arts, design and physical education have an essential part to play in delivering a broad, challenging and opportunity-rich curriculum. NACE trustee Liz Allen CBE explores the current status of these subjects in UK schools, and shares next steps for school leaders…

“In whatever way you construct your list of 21st century skills, you will always come across creativity – creating new value… bringing together the processes of creating, of making, of bringing into being and formulating and looking for outcomes that are fresh and original… This is all about imagination, inquisitiveness, collaboration, self-discipline.” - Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills and Special Adviser on Education Policy, OECD

Why prioritise creative arts, design and physical education?

If one of the purposes of education is to prepare young people for their working lives, we need to ensure they are equipped with the creative, imaginative, problem-solving skills that will enhance their economic future. The growing opportunities in creative businesses, science, technology and the media offer them a bright future: those who have experienced a rich, creative curriculum will have a head start and their quality of life will be enhanced in many ways.

Social impact

The social value of creative arts and design education is widely evidenced. Schools with a strong academic and enrichment offer in the arts, design technology and physical education create a culture of citizenship, service and tolerance. Young people who engage in creative activities are more likely to feel socially confident, to take on roles of responsibility and to be active members of their community.

Most significantly, there is a growing body of evidence that participation can improve social mobility. The Cultural Learning Alliance (CLA)’s 2018 briefing on arts in schools found that students from low-income backgrounds are three times more likely to get a degree. They benefit most from access to their cultural heritage and the opportunity to develop their creative thinking and the perseverance and self-discipline to succeed.

Cross-curricular benefits

The educational value goes beyond the creative arts, DT and PE curriculum. Studying these subjects improves young people’s cognitive abilities and enhances their performance in English and mathematics, especially for young people from low-income backgrounds. The CLA paper argues that “they are as essential as literacy and numeracy in equipping children with the skills for life and the creativity to contribute to the building of a successful nation.”

Wellbeing and personal development

The personal value of creative arts, design and PE may have been grossly underestimated. It is possible there is a causal link between the decline in the arts, technology and PE curriculum and enrichment provision and the worrying rise in young people’s mental health issues, feelings of low self-esteem and lack of self-regulation.

There is no doubt that participation in the creative arts, design and sport make us happier and healthier. The Time To Listen research articulates the value that both young people and their teachers place on their relationships: “…teachers approached students as ‘artists’… (working) to encourage intellectual and disciplinary skills development… to take risks, to be responsible for deadlines… to engage in critical interpretation of their own and others’ work.”

The high levels of trust and respect between teachers and students allow young people to build both the empathy and resilience to succeed in collaborative and challenging environments. The experience of being part of a team – preparing for a production, performance, competition, exhibition – may not eliminate the pressures young people face but it can give them a strong sense of self-worth and the socio-emotional confidence and skills to overcome them and thrive.

The decline in arts, design and PE provision in our schools

Despite all the well-documented evidence, arts and design provision continues to decline; the CLA paper cites a 2017 ASCL/BBC survey which found 90% of school leaders had reduced arts provision in their schools over the past two years. A number of factors are pushing them further out of reach:

Misguided perceptions

For many years, the prevailing view in the state sector has been that the arts, design and sport are a pleasant diversion from academic rigour for the more able and good choices for students who are less academic and more practically inclined – all far from the truth, as the independent sector has demonstrated.

To excel in music, art, dance, design technology or sport, young people develop high levels of critical analysis and creative thinking, the rigour of listening, sharing expertise and collaborating, the self-discipline to practise and persevere. Far from being “soft” options, they help to build the character and competencies that lead to success in the core and foundation subjects.

School performance measures

Recent national strategies and their accountability systems have had unintended consequences, making it increasingly difficult for subjects to survive if they don’t count in performance measures. I recall the introduction of the EBacc as a concept, even before it became a formal measure: many school leaders rushed to re-configure their GCSE option choices, anxious for students to choose subjects that would count the most.

The introduction of new GCSE specifications prompted a move in many schools to start GCSE courses in Year 9; the opportunity for young people to study creative subjects in depth were drastically reduced and it became increasingly difficult for schools to sustain specialist teaching. Primary schools faced similar challenges from the change in Key Stage 2 performance measures.

Financial pressures

Significant ongoing reductions in school funding make curriculum design and delivery increasingly challenging. The fear is that, once the specialist teaching and resources are lost it will be hard to reinstate them.

Reasons to be optimistic

There are the early signs of positive change that should fuel our optimism.

The Russell Group’s recent decision to remove its list of “facilitating subjects” for A-level choices is a welcome start.

The new Ofsted inspection framework (2019), “will move Ofsted’s focus away from headline data to look at how schools are achieving these results and whether they are offering a curriculum that is broad, rich and deep… Those who are bold and ambitious and run their schools with integrity will be rewarded.” (Amanda Spielman, press release)

And – as we see from our own community of NACE Challenge Award-accredited schools – there are many examples of schools which offer a broad, rich and deep curriculum and which show integrity by putting the life chances of their students first when making curriculum and staffing decisions. As a consequence, their students and staff thrive in a school that is alive with creative energy.

Case study: Greenbank High School

At Greenbank High School, teachers’ deep subject knowledge and expert questioning lead to high levels of discourse: students are articulate, critical, creative thinkers and confident, resilient learners. The broad, rich curriculum runs from Year 7 through to 11, with opportunities for students to specialise (e.g. in languages, the arts) from Year 9.

Strong collaborative working relationships with primary, FE and HE providers and excellent in-house careers advice and guidance create a culture of deep learning and high aspiration. The school buzzes with activity: students enjoy the range of academic, physical and creative challenges and the leadership opportunities they bring; they are socially aware and active in supporting each other, both academically and emotionally and see themselves as global citizens.

Case study: Oaksey C of E Primary School

At Oaksey C of E Primary School pupils experience a rich, deep subject curriculum aimed at developing “lively, enquiring minds with the ability to question and argue rationally. We aim to enable our children to be well motivated both mentally and physically for success in the wider world.” As well as academic rigour, there is a focus on values: “valuing human achievement and aspirations; developing spirituality, creativity and aesthetic awareness; finding pleasure in learning and success.”

IT and computing have a high profile: “to enrich and extend learning; to find, check and share information; to create presentations and analyse data; to use IT in real contexts and appreciate e-safety and global applications.” The school grounds are a rich learning environment, with spaces for performance, meditation and reflection designed and constructed by the pupils, as well as places for horticulture and play. Music provision is strong: a specialist part-time teacher and a richly equipped music room (funded by the children’s fund-raising efforts in the community), give every child the opportunity to learn and perform.

What steps can school leaders take?

Taking courage from the Russell Group’s decision, Ofsted’s messaging and the examples of schools which have succeeded in maintaining a flourishing and broad curriculum, school leaders can consider the following:

• Recognise and celebrate the value of creativity and critical thinking across the curriculum.
• See the creative subjects, PE and design technology as essential to the development of high cognitive performance, self-discipline and collaborative practice, well-deserving of their place in the curriculum.
• Employ specialist teachers and encourage them to engage with professional organisations and the creative industries, so they can continue to see themselves as artists.
• Be adventurous with Pupil Premium funding, to make cultural and creative learning opportunities accessible.
• Manage teachers’ workload so they can focus on rich extracurricular provision. Value and acknowledge the impact enrichment makes on young people’s life chances.
• Engage with national champions in the arts and creative industries. Artsmark, Youth Sports Trust, DATA, the RSC, Get Creative (BBC Arts), the Cultural Learning Alliance and local organisations are among many who can give advice and guidance.

“We owe it to future generations to ensure they experience an education that offers them the whole of life and culture: head, heart and soul.” – Cultural Learning Alliance

Which of the steps above has your school already taken? What would you add to this list? Share your views: communications@nace.co.uk

References:

• Cultural Learning Alliance, Briefing Paper No. 4 2018: “The Arts in Schools”
• Royal Shakespeare Company, Tate, University of Nottingham 2018: “Time to Listen”
• PTI, Children and The Arts 2018: “The Creative, Arts and Design Technology Subjects in Schools”
• Ofsted and HMCI commentary September 2018: “Curriculum and the New Inspection Framework”
• House of Commons, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee 2019: “Changing Lives: The Social Impact of Participation in Culture and Sport”

At our spring term meetup, hosted by Jesus College Oxford, NACE members from all phases and sectors joined to discuss and share approaches to developing independent learning skills. Read on for a selection of ideas to try out in your own school…

1. Extended research projects

Extended research projects are widely used across the NACE community, including Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs) as well as a range of other initiatives. At Birchensale Middle School, for example, Year 8 students undertake an independent research project in which points are collected by completing different tasks – the more challenging the task, the more points available. Learners have a choice of topics, presentation methods and supporting materials of different levels.

Meanwhile at Impington Village College, groups of more able learners in Years 8 to 10 from each faculty area meet fortnightly to support each other on an independent research project of their choice. With support from peers and their “faculty champion”, they develop higher-level research skills based on IB coursework models and the A-level EPQ.  

2. Flipped learning

Alongside extended projects, members highlighted flipped learning as effective in developing independence. At Sarah Bonnell School (KS3-4) learners are provided with a bank of resources and reading for each topic, to work through independently ahead of lessons. Students’ response to this approach has been very positive, says the school’s Sabrina Sahebdin. “It allows them to come to the lesson prepared with questions and a chance to query areas where they need further clarification. Time is not wasted in fact finding during lessons; instead we apply knowledge, analyse and evaluate. It has stretched and challenged them further in aiding them with further research for peer teaching.”

3. Presenting to peers

Building on independent learning and research tasks, members highlighted the benefits of asking learners to present their findings to peers – digesting and sharing information in an accessible, engaging and/or persuasive way. Jamie Kisiel, Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Langley School (KS2-5), shared her use of a “knockout debate” competition, which she says has led to students providing more in-depth evaluation in essays and developing more thought-provoking questions, while also ensuring they have a strong foundation in the subject.

At Pangbourne College (KS3-5), learners are challenged to present as experts on a topic they have researched independently. G&T Coordinator Ellie Calver explains that while the whole class explores the same general topic, more able learners are tasked with presenting on the more open-ended and challenging aspects. She comments, “There is a sense of pride in being able to pull others forwards, a real interest in making the material interactive, and a drive to find out more in order to work out what is most significant.”

4. TIF tasks

At Caludon Castle School (KS3-5), each lesson and home-learning task includes a Take It Further or TIF activity – an opportunity to go deeper through independent learning. Assistant Headteacher Steff Hutchison explains, “The TIFs are usually fun, challenging, quirky, a little bit off the wall, so students want to engage with them.” Having come to expect and enjoy these tasks, more able learners now ask for additional TIFs or – even better – devise their own. Steff adds, “Doing the TIF is considered to be cool, so the majority of students of all abilities strive to complete at least one TIF in an average week.”

5. Student-run revision quizzes

At The Commonweal School (KS3-5), students take a leading role by running their own maths revision quizzes. Work in pairs or small groups, they develop questions on the topic being revisited, create a PowerPoint presentation and decide how points will be awarded. “The competitive element is a cause for great excitement – it’s good to see them having so much fun,” says G&T Coordinator Genny Williams. She adds that the initiative has helped learners develop a deeper understanding through working at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy, given them a strong motivation to take learning further, and has contributed to improved attainment in termly tests.

6. Super-curricular activities

At Hydesville Tower School, learners in Years 3 to 6 are invited to join the Problem-Solving Club – offering opportunities to work with peers on practical and engaging problem-solving activities. Assistant Headteacher Manjit Chand says participants are more inclined to take risks and use metacognitive strategies, and have developed their self-confidence, independence and resilience.

Shrewsbury High School’s Super Curriculum features a range of opportunities for stretch and challenge, including an Art Scholars club and Sixth Form Feminist Society. Each brings together students and staff with a shared interest, providing opportunities to engage with external partners (such as Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, which hosted an exhibition of students’ work) and to explore the subject from multiple perspectives – including relevant research and personal experiences. “Ultimately,” says the school’s Natalie Thomas, “these initiatives work as a result of inspiring a love of learning.”

Learners at Malvern St James (EYFS-KS5) also benefit from opportunities to think and discuss ideas beyond the curriculum, at “discussion suppers” – small-group events at which selected students and staff discuss a topic over supper. Participants are asked to research the theme of the evening beforehand and to come prepared to share their ideas, listen to others, challenge and be challenged in turn. Learning Support and Enrichment Coordinator Rebecca Jones comments, “Pupils admit that it is quite a daunting experience, but feel pleased that they have taken part afterwards.”

7. Building blocks for discussion

While food helps to fuel debate at Malvern St James, at Shipston High School structure is provided with the help of Duplo or Lego bricks. Working in small groups, learners take turns to contribute to the conversation, adding a brick to a shared construction each time they speak. The colour of brick determines the nature of their contribution – for example, red bricks to accept, yellow to build, blue to challenge. Jordan Whitworth, Head of Religion, Ethics and Philosophy and the school’s lead NACE coordinator, says this simple activity has helped learners develop a range of skills for critical and independent thinking.

8. Access to other students’ solutions

At King Edwin Primary School, pupils have opportunities to learn from peers not just within their own school, but across the country. Having participated in the NACE/NRICH ambassadors scheme, Assistant Headteacher Anthony Bandy shared his experience of using the low-threshold, high-ceiling maths resources provided by Cambridge University’s NRICH. In particular, he highlighted the impact of sharing the solutions published on the NRICH website – which allow learners to see how other students, from different phases and schools, have solved each problem. This can inspire more able learners to seek out different approaches, to grasp new strategies and skills independently – including those covered at later key stages – and to apply this learning in different contexts.

Find out more…

For additional ideas and guidance to help your more able students develop as independent learners, join our upcoming members’ webinar on this topic. The webinar will take place on 25 April 2019, led by Dr Matthew Williams, Access Fellow at Jesus College Oxford.

For full details and to reserve your place, log in to our members’ site.