Schools that successfully develop and maintain a broad, challenging and opportunity-rich curricular and extracurricular offer recognise the benefits this brings for all learners – not just those designated “more able”. The examples of such successful schools reflect NACE’s own focus on provision for more able learners as part of a much broader context of challenge for all and whole-school improvement. The NACE Challenge Development Programme offers a framework and support to help schools review and improve more able provision, driving improvements in provision and outcomes for all.
 
In this context, and amidst lively national debate about the purpose and content of the curriculum – including questions raised by and impacting on proposed changes to the Ofsted inspection framework – this year’s NACE National Conference will explore the theme: “How to lead a curriculum of opportunity and challenge: provision for more able learners that supports high achievement for all”. The event will draw on NACE’s own research and work in this field, alongside examples of effective practice from NACE Leading Schools and insights from experts in pedagogy, curriculum, and school review and improvement. Ahead of the day’s discussions, we’ve picked out five key factors to consider – drawing on the work of educationalist and author Martin Robinson, who will deliver the conference’s opening keynote.

1. Get clear on the terminology  

Much of the terminology currently used in discussions about the curriculum is, when probed, somewhat vague. As Robinson points out, few would object to epithets such as “knowledge-rich” or the ubiquitous “broad and balanced” – but on further investigation such terms raise many more questions than they address, particularly when it comes to implementation on the ground. For discussions to progress meaningfully, clarity is important.

2. Involve everyone in curriculum design   

The curriculum needs to work for everyone in school – and that means staff as well as learners. Curriculum coherence – an overriding structure that can be perceived and understood by all, with each teacher and learner understanding their current position and next steps – will remain a pipe dream if not built on genuine opportunities for collaborative curriculum design, delivery and review. This collaborative approach should be extended not only to staff members, but also – as NACE trustee Liz Allen CBE argues – to learners.

3. Put pedagogy in the picture  

While no longer the buzzword du jour, pedagogy remains an essential concern and – as Robinson argues – should be considered at all stages of curriculum design. Sequencing (more on this below) is but one aspect of a repertoire of approaches which will lead to deep and sustained learning. Of these NACE frequently highlights:

• Content and related skills and concepts pitched at the right level of difficulty and complexity;
• Skilful and judicious explanation, modelling and feedback;
• Opportunities for deliberate practice;
• The development of metacognition and independence in learning;
• Tasks and activities designed to elicit higher-order and critical thinking processes;
• The management of differentiation which keeps all routes open for learners to achieve and progress.

Alongside these approaches, one of the biggest impacts on learner outcomes and engagement is what is often referred to as a positive and demanding classroom climate, coupled with teachers’ high expectations of all learners. 

4. Get the timing right 

Alongside the “what” and “how” of the curriculum, the “when” is also important. While “blocking” can seem the most efficient way to cover all the required content within the time available, Robinson makes the case for “spacing” – building in deliberate periods of delay in the coverage of a topic, to improve retention rates and curb last-minute cramming come exam time. This approach can be envisaged as a “spiral curriculum” – in which teaching and learning spiral back to revisit and build upon the “basic ideas” at the core of a subject, supporting overall coherence, joined-upness and progression.

5. Join the national debate 

This is an exciting time for school leaders and educators – not without its challenges, but also rich in opportunity. Amidst a growing body of research on what works for more able and for all learners, including the impact of pedagogical approaches such as “teaching to the top”, we’ve seen a renaissance of evidence-rich debates about curriculum development and delivery. At its best, the debate has gone beyond old dichotomies, producing fresh approaches and working towards secure foundations and principles on which to build a curriculum fit for today and for the future.

Join us at the NACE National Conference in London on 20 June to be part of the debate!

Ems Lord, Director of the University of Cambridge-based NRICH project, shares five key factors to consider when planning collaborative problem-solving (CPS) sessions using low-threshold, high-ceiling maths resources.

Have you ever attempted assembling flat-pack furniture with a friend or family member? How did it go? And are you still talking to one another?

Being able to work with others is a key life skill, but not always as straightforward as we might like. Whether we’re assembling furniture, putting up an extension or navigating our way to a holiday rental, we need to be able to work together towards a common goal and recognise our own responsibilities in achieving that goal. Moreover, developments such as driverless cars and drones signpost an increasingly automated environment in which those with strong group-working and problem-solving skills will thrive.

It is essential that we understand how to help learners develop collaborative problem-solving (CPS) skills alongside a sufficient level of challenge – planning lessons that will stretch more able learners while being accessible to all.

To this end, NRICH worked with 10 Cambridgeshire schools and the Cambridgeshire Maths Team in a project sponsored by Nesta. We shared existing low-threshold, high-ceiling NRICH resources with participants, who then adapted these to develop CPS in their own classes. After visiting each school, talking with teachers and running focus groups with learners, we identified five key aspects of CPS to consider when planning maths lessons:

1. Use low-threshold, high-ceiling activities

First and foremost is the importance of low-threshold, high-ceiling (LTHC) activities and resources. These enable all learners to get started on a problem while also offering sufficient challenge. One of NRICH’s most popular LTHC activities is the Factors and Multiples Game, which challenges learners to work together to build as long a chain as possible. Be warned: it’s hopelessly addictive for adults too!

When choosing LTHC tasks, explore our free curriculum mapping documents for primary, secondary and post-16 provision.

2. Get learners hooked

Engaging tasks are key for CPS sessions; learners must want to solve the problem. At NRICH, we aim to engage learners by designing activities which have a clear “hook” – such as the interactive challenge Got It! and the sports-themed activity Olympic Records.

Got It! requires learners to pit themselves against the NRICH computer to be the first to reach 23. This challenging activity draws learners in and they often make multiple attempts at the problem. Several of our focus group participants said they later taught the game to older siblings and family members because they thought they could outwit them.

The group activity Olympic Records is particularly appealing to learners with an interest in sports, who can draw on their knowledge to support others to match sports to their graphs. It demands effective group work and a willingness to adjust initial responses once learners realise that gender is also an important factor.

3. Model individual roles and responsibilities

A group is only as good as its individual members. Every member of the group must know what is expected of them during the task, and which roles belong to others. Individual learners should not dominate the session but should focus on filling their own roles while supporting others.

Card activities often work well in developing these skills; for example Shape Draw. Be clear about roles; which individual is responsible for recording the activity, suggesting the next shape or rolling the die? Make sure everyone knows their role and consider rotating different roles around the group. Teachers participating in our CPS project stressed the importance of modelling different roles for group members before embarking on the actual group work.

4. Develop skills for group communication

While knowing their own role is important, learners also need to be aware of the overall aims of the group. This changes the level of challenge for any task from merely cooperating to fully collaborating. In particular, all learners should be prepared to feedback to the wider class about their task.

Useful activities which offer a high level of challenge for older learners and the opportunity to feedback and explore different approaches include Steel Cables and Kite in a Square. Younger learners might enjoy the challenge of Jig Shapes and Quad Match.

5. Build in time for reflection

CPS skills need time to develop. Timetables should allow for regular CPS teaching sessions, including time allocated for reflection. Building in this reflection time can be a challenge, as time is also needed to focus on developing the required mathematics and group-working skills – but the teachers in our project stressed that it was highly worthwhile.

Ask learners about how well they worked in a group. If they awarded themselves a score from 1 to 5, what would it be and why? Which areas of their group work do they need to develop further? From a teaching perspective, when will they get their next opportunity to work on those areas?

And for your own reflection… If your class attempted one of our tasks, how do you think they might cope? Which aspects do you anticipate offering the most challenges? More importantly, when are you planning to lead the next CPS session with your class?

Further reading

• Luckin, R., Baines, E., Cukurova, M., Holmes, W., & Mann, M. (2017). Solved! Making the case for collaborative problem-solving.
• Cuoco, A., Goldenberg, E. P., & Mark, J. (1996). Habits of mind: An organizing principle for mathematics curricula. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 15(4), 375-402.
• McClure, L., Woodham, E., & Borthwick, A. (2017). Using Low Threshold High Ceiling Tasks.

Ems Lord has been Director of NRICH since 2015, following a previous role leading one of the country's largest Mathematics Specialist Teacher Programmes. Ems has taught mathematics across the key stages, from early years to A-level Further Mathematics, and has worked in a variety of settings, including a hospital school. She’s supported schools as a leading mathematics teacher, local authority consultant and Chartered Mathematics Teacher, and has taught mathematics education on both BEd and PGCE teacher programmes. She is currently working on her PhD thesis, which explores approaches to improve support for those learning calculation skills, and is President-Elect of the Mathematical Association for 2019-2020.

In December 2018, Chesterfield High School was accredited with the NACE Challenge Award, in recognition of school-wide high-quality provision for more able learners within a context of challenge for all. Gemma Quinn, Director of Learning for MFL and Challenge Lead, explains why the school decided to focus on raising aspirations, and key steps taken in achieving this.
 
At Chesterfield High School, our students and staff have wholeheartedly benefited from using the NACE Challenge Framework and from NACE visits to school. We fully understand that the majority of a learner’s time in school is spent in the classroom, and therefore it is essential that our provision provides all learners with opportunities for challenge.
 
However, we identified an area beyond the classroom as a key area for development. We wanted to ensure learners go outside their comfort zone, build resilience and take intellectual risks to fully prepare them for life after school. We carried out pupil voice, analysed our data, and we determined that not only did we want students to be inspired to learn in school, but we also wanted to raise aspirations to enable greater transition into the sixth form and beyond.
 
Using the six key elements of the NACE Challenge Framework, we identified three areas – curriculum, teaching and support; communication and partnership; and monitoring and evaluation – as key to developing our provision for, and raising the aspirations of, our learners.
 
For other schools seeking to raise aspirations, we would recommend the following steps:

1. Listen to learners

We collected pupil voice through anonymous questionnaires and pupil interviews. This highlighted some great strengths, such as our ability to listen and take account of the views of our more able learners within a wider context and our ability to increase parental responsibility in supporting their child’s learning outside of school.
 
We are passionate about celebrating all learners’ achievements and strengths in an environment where both staff and learners have high expectations of themselves and of one another. However, by listening to learner feedback we recognised that we needed to provide our learners with greater opportunities to experience the world beyond the classroom to support further success.

2. Embed a whole-school approach

We set actions in place to develop our curriculum to offer breadth, depth and flexibility. We increased our enrichment resources and wider learning opportunities for all, with a focus on raising the aspirations of our learners.
 
In working towards the NACE Challenge Award, our fundamental aim was to ensure that the school’s vision and ethos are at the heart of everything that happens – to ensure “for everyone the best”. To ensure this was implemented across the school, we identified a Challenge Lead Representative. It was envisaged that the Challenge initiative would strengthen the school community’s drive to promote, actively witness and celebrate the progress and achievement of more able learners. As a result, highly able pupils (HAPs) will be motivated to succeed and to participate in all learning opportunities that will positively nurture their academic and personal growth.

3. Involve staff at faculty level

We also identified a HAP Representative in each faculty area, who reported to the whole-school Challenge Lead Representative. The key objectives of the HAP Representatives are to ensure that the achievement and progress of HAPs are consistently monitored and celebrated within their faculty area. Representatives also help to develop their faculty’s approach to HAP teaching and learning in line with whole-school teaching and learning initiatives, thus leading to improved progress and attainment.
 
We created a subject attributes document which included three key strands for each individual subject area. These included characteristics of a HAP, activities that HAPs should do, and how parents can support HAPs.*

4. Provide inspiring examples and role models

We invited an ex-student who is now studying at Cambridge University into school. She was able to give staff a greater understanding of her school experience and how we guided and prepared her for university life. Through discussions, she inspired current learners to think beyond their original choices and to aim for Russell Group universities and Oxbridge. She was also open to keeping in touch with students to mentor and address any questions they had.
 
In addition, we allocated learners with an aspirations mentor who was able to advise them on the application process and subject choices at A-level to maximise their chances of getting a university place. Learners also took part in mock interviews with volunteers in the community in their chosen field of work or study, which increased their confidence and helped to develop their oracy skills.
 
Visits out to universities, including trips to open days’ and residential trips were promoted through our Challenge Lead Representative. Students visited universities around the country and applied for the prestigious Cambridge Shadowing Scheme.

We are proud…

Using the Challenge Framework helped us to identify our strengths and areas for development in more able provision. Through the action plan created as part of our work with the framework, we highlighted actions and the intended impact of these on target groups of learners. We are extremely proud of the steps we have taken to ensure our more able provision allows all our learners to have the best possible life chances.
 
Gemma Quinn is the Director of Learning for MFL and the Challenge Lead at Chesterfield High School. She is an experienced teacher of French and Spanish to KS5 and a skilled coach and mentor. Gemma enjoys working with various subject leaders across the school to improve learner outcomes and looks forward to continuing to support them in the future.

*To view Chesterfield High School's HAPs subject attributes document, log in to our members' resource library and go to the "Identification & transition" section.

NACE member and Challenge Award holder Llanfoist Fawr Primary School has developed a whole-school approach to character education, drawing on its use of the NACE Challenge Framework alongside the SkillForce Prince William Award. Headteacher Jon Murphy explains why the school believes so strongly in character education as a prerequisite for both wellbeing and academic success.

Why focus on character education?

Character education is not an add-on: it is essential for all young people, and the remit of all educators. Schools have a crucial role in preparing young people to withstand the pressures that life presents, to respond resiliently to setbacks and challenges, and to make informed decisions to shape their future lives. Character education provides the toolbox that will allow them to do so.

At Llanfoist Fawr Primary School, we also firmly believe that nurturing non-academic attributes such as resilience, determination and teamwork is a prerequisite to sound learning. Learning only takes place if the conditions are right and children can cope with the pressures and challenges thrown up by school and life beyond school. And until an individual knows themselves and feels happy in their own skin, they cannot fully realise what they are capable of.

Developing a whole-school approach to character education has unequivocally proved to us that this kind of holistic development is essential in preparing children to become effective learners in all areas, be it academic, sporting, artistic, cultural, spiritual, musical or social. 

This goes hand in hand with our use of the NACE Challenge Framework – recognising the importance of character education as a foundation for all learners to develop and achieve at the highest levels of which they are capable.

What does character education look like at Llanfoist Fawr?

There is no single method for developing character-based curriculum provision. At Llanfoist we have aligned our character education work with the NACE Challenge Framework and with the SkillForce Prince William Award (PWA), for which we were selected as a pilot school. The PWA and NACE Challenge Framework complement and enhance each other perfectly, ensuring challenge for all.

External PWA instructors provide whole-class sessions, each exploring a character attribute or “guiding principle” such as reliance, courage or passion. The PWA explores 28 guiding principles through five key themes – personal development, relationships, working, community and environment – using experiential learning. Children engage in practical skills-based activities and are encouraged to review their actions and behaviour in accordance with the guiding principles.

How is this integrated with other areas of learning?

Character development is not a standalone programme and will not succeed as such; it will only succeed in developing productive character traits if it is an integral part of everything we do and everything we believe in. 

Once a guiding principle and its associated behaviours have been taught in a PWA session, children are encouraged to use and apply that character skill across the curriculum. At every opportunity the class teacher reinforces the principles and applies them to other areas of learning. 

The impact can be seen in every lesson; we see children become more resilient, self-regulating and develop self-belief. The guiding principles and associated behaviours become second nature as learners assimilate, value and live them.

What has been the impact for more able learners, and all learners?

Developing character has transformed the life chances of many of our pupils, including the more able, helping to equip them with the social, emotional and academic skills needed to succeed.

As with many of the most effective influencers in education, the impact cannot be measured in a number or score. The results have been seen in the children’s improved emotional health, wellbeing and view of themselves; the happiness they gain through productive learning; the self-belief and confidence that positively radiates from young people who are comfortable in their own skins and daring to be their “best selves”. 

Character development allows learners to discover previously untapped inner strength, skills, talents and self-belief. It has empowered children in our school to understand how best to lead their own learning, to make strong moral choices and to be confident, independent decision makers. Our more able realise what potential they have and are enthusiastic engaged leaders and learners who thrive on the challenges and opportunities afforded them.

As a school we seek innovative, creative and fun approaches to curriculum delivery with guaranteed high-impact learner outcomes. Developing character education has delivered on all fronts. 

You’ve probably heard of cultural capital, but what about science capital? In this blog post, Science Museum Group (SMG) Academy Manager Beth Hawkins outlines recent research on young people’s engagement with and attitudes to science – and how understanding this can help schools increase take-up of STEM education and career paths.

At the Science Museum, engaging people from all backgrounds with science, engineering, technology and maths is at the heart of what we do. Over the past six years, we’ve been working with academic researchers on a project called Enterprising Science, using the concept of science capital to better understand how young people from all backgrounds engage with science and how engagement can be increased through different science-related experiences.

Recent research conducted by University College London with over 40,000 young people across the UK found that while many find science interesting, few are choosing to study science post-16, or consider pursuing a career in science. This is because they struggle to see that science is “for them” or relevant to their lives.

Why should we care?

In one way or another, science is continually changing and improving the way we live. It makes and sustains our society and will help us understand and solve the big questions our world faces. It is a creative and imaginative human endeavour, a way of thinking, asking questions and observing the world around us.

As such, science can open doors and can be invaluable in almost any job, across any sector. It is predicted that by 2030 the UK will have over 7 million jobs that need STEM skills, and it has been recognised that science can help broaden young people’s life choices and opportunities by keeping their future options open, especially among lower socioeconomic groups.

What is “science capital”?

Science capital is a measure of your attitude to and relationship with science. It is not just about how much science you “know”; it also considers how much you value science and whether you feel it is “for you” and connected to your life.

Imagine a bag or holdall that carries all the science-related experiences you have had. This includes what you have learned about science; all the different STEM-related activities you have done, such as watching science TV programmes or visiting science museums; all the people you know who use and talk about science; and whether science is something you enjoy and feel confident about.

How can science capital research be used?

At the Science Museum, we’ve been using science capital research to reflect on how we develop and shape our learning programmes and resources for schools and families. The research also underpins the training we deliver for teacher and science professionals through our new Academy.

For schools, the researchers have developed a science capital teaching approach that can be used with any curriculum.

The research suggests a science capital-informed approach can have the following benefits for learners:

• Improved understanding and recall of science content
• Recognising the personal relevance, value and meaning of STEM
• A deeper appreciation of science
• Increased interest in/pursuit of STEM subjects and careers post-16
  
• Improved behaviour
  
• Increased participation in out-of-school science activities
  

Ready to get started? Discover five ways to help young people develop science capital.

Additional reading and resources:

• The science capital teaching approach: Engaging students with science, promoting social justice
• Science Museum Group Academy – training and resources for teachers

Beth Hawkins is the Science Museum Group (SMG) Academy Manager. She has been working in formal and informal science education for over 22 years, including roles as head of science in two London schools. Since joining the Science Museum, she has developed and delivered training to teachers and STEM professionals nationally and internationally, and led many of the SMG’s learning research to practice projects. The Science Museum Group Academy offers inspirational research-informed science engagement training and resources for teachers, museum and STEM professionals, and others involved in STEM communication and learning.