Zoe Morgan, Director of Marketing and Communications, The Brilliant Club

The Brilliant Club has been working with students aged 8-18 across the UK on our programmes for over a decade. Our mission is to increase the number of less advantaged students progressing to and succeeding at the most competitive universities. We do this through two core programmes: 

• The Scholars Programme inspires a love of learning and raises attainment in students, provides practical experience of higher education and helps develop the skills needed to thrive in academia and careers.

• Join the Dots is a university transition programme designed to support students facing the greatest challenges in making a successful transition to university. Year 12 and 13 students have access to UniPrep, a series of live webinars run in collaboration with other organisations in the industry designed to break down the barriers of life at university. Recent webinars have been run with BlackBullion, UpReach and Bloomsbury. 

Our experience has shown that there are several important ways in which you can support your students to apply, progress to and succeed at the most competitive universities. 

1. Establish positive transitions from primary to secondary

It’s important to start early, as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely than their more advantaged peers to start thinking about higher education in primary school. Developing important skills, like critical thinking and independent learning, will support positive transitions to secondary school. Learning about university can open pupils’ minds to a love of learning, inspire them with the knowledge of the opportunities available to them, and promote curiosity about the wider world. 

2. Offer attainment-raising activities outside the classroom

GCSE attainment is the biggest predictor of progression to university. Data from the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) has shown a positive association between The Scholars Programme and better scores in GCSE maths and English, showing that learning outside the classroom can have a positive impact on core curriculum attainment too. 

3. Create a pathway of possibility

By exposing students to higher education throughout their school journey, you can ignite a fire that fuels their efforts in the classroom. Paul Bhatia is Executive Headteacher at Wembley High Technology College, which has been running The Scholars Programme since 2013. He told us: 

“I’ve seen children who, when I’ve spoken to them and said ‘what do you want to be?’ and they’ve said ‘I want to be a footballer’. Five years later you speak to them, and you ask them what they’re doing and they’re applying for a career as a researcher in a university, they’re going to study history at Warwick, or they’re on a medicine course, or they’ve just got their interview at Oxford. You see that transformation happening with [the programme].”

4. Foster the development of important skills

Alongside academic attainment, there are certain essential skills which support progression to the most competitive universities. The Office for Students references these skills in their Equality of Opportunity Risk Register, comprising 12 sector-wide risks that may affect less advantaged students in accessing and succeeding in higher education. Last year, Scholars Programme students progressed significantly in written communication (+24%), subject knowledge (+25%), and critical thinking (+26%), on assessment before and after the programme.   

5. Facilitate visits to universities

A visit to a university offers students the chance to imagine what life might be like for them at university, and fuels their burgeoning ambition yet further. By hearing from current undergraduate students, pupils can understand the process of choosing which university might be right for them, as well as the application process. University trips are engaging, offer practical experience and contribute to a wider world perspective for students. 

6. Build “university self-efficacy”

University self-efficacy is a student’s belief in their ability to succeed in higher education. Put simply, students need to know that university is a viable option for their future. Through The Scholars Programme, we build academic skills, university knowledge and sense of belonging in students. We monitor progress pre- and post-programme, and Scholars Programme students increase their self-efficacy score by 7%. Why not start the discussion with your students by creating a display about the university journeys of school staff?

7. Provide access to information, advice and guidance 

To help students make an informed decision about their future and understand whether higher education is the right choice for them, it is important to present them with a range of resources explaining the application process, university finances and university-style learning. Recent Join the Dots webinars for Year 12 and 13 students have focused on mental wellbeing at university, learning strategies and preparing for results day. 

Get involved… Join the Dots is free to schools, colleges and students. You can register your school here. If you’d like to learn more about partnering with us on The Scholars Programme, complete our short enquiry form. 

King Richard School is a secondary school in Cyprus, which in 2019 became one of the first schools outside the UK to attain the NACE Challenge Award. The school’s More Able Coordinator, Stephen Hill, explains how the use of the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ) has helped to ensure more able learners are challenged and supported throughout the KS2-3 transition.

In June 2019 King Richard School (KRS) successfully attained the NACE Challenge Award. As part of the process of working towards the Award, our more able learners at Key Stage 3 identified the Foundation Project Qualification (FPQ) and Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) as projects they found most challenging, were extremely proud to have achieved, and in which they enjoyed working hard to pursue a “passion” of their choice as well as developing research and critical thinking skills.

We introduced the FPQ and HPQ in 2016, following advice and inspiration from Ian Silverton at Tendring Technology College in Essex. We decided to introduce the initiative as it was a fantastic opportunity to create stronger links with our feeder primary schools, provide new students with skills in independent academic work, inspire interest and set high standards for more able learners at Key Stage 2, before their arrival at KRS.

To implement this project, we work closely with our two principal feeder primary schools. Students are selected to participate in the FPQ based on their KS2 data and the recommendation of their Year 6 teacher. Having completed the FPQ, they can opt to take the HPQ. We invite selected students to a more able day at KRS during the summer term. We use this day to focus on higher thinking skills, more advanced academic standards and to introduce the FPQ. Students then have the summer holidays to consider their question and conduct initial research.

What?

The key focus of the FPQ project is to provide opportunities for learners to reveal their abilities. It is designed to allow more able learners to be challenged and enriched; to encourage depth, breadth, self-direction and independence; to inspire high-level knowledge and skills; provide opportunities for learners to be challenged at the highest levels in and beyond the classroom; and stimulate creative and critical thinking.

The project develops and extends from one or more of the student’s study areas and/or from an area of personal interest or activity outside their main programme of study. It involves extended autonomous work, requiring learners to apply organisational skills, use resources and review project outcomes.

Why?

• The initiative provides the starting point for effective provision at KS3 through visiting feeder primary schools to gather information about individual learners. The project allows the more able coordinator to get to know the range of abilities of children joining in September.
• The FPQ challenges learners to research and write an essay independently, therefore developing their ability to conduct and synthesise research, manage their own time, and take on feedback from school subject leaders as their project supervisors.
• It inspires interest and independence. Learners are expected to be self-motivated and self-directed, seeking support when they need it.
• It sets and maintains high expectations for learners. In turn more able learners gain increased confidence and positivity about moving to a new school.
• Thinking skills sessions aim to develop learners’ inference, deduction, analysis and communication skills, as well as building confidence, resilience and understanding. Sessions have a strong focus on questioning and metacognition.
• It engages parents and carers during the transition period.
• It encourages personal aspirations for further study and career development.

How?

The FPQ requires teaching of the necessary skills. It is expected that up to half of the 60 guided learning hours will be spent on this taught element. The remaining 30 hours are allocated for the student’s independent work and for individual supervision and guidance.

Taught sessions cover topics such as creative and critical thinking, note-taking for research, time and project management, public speaking, ICT skills, academic referencing and ethical issues such as plagiarism. Students also attend four meetings with their supervisor in order to review progress made, explore new options and discuss problems. Credit is given for the process of developing as a learner.

Key takeaways for effective implementation:

• Ensure there is a clear structure to the overall process.
• The planning phase is essential. Work with each learner to develop a strong project question.
• Give prominence to meetings with the student’s allocated supervisor to discuss the project process and issues.
• Focus attention on planning and research within the production log. Give an emphasis to the evaluation of the project process.
• Maintain clear communication with staff, students and parents. Google Classroom can be a very useful tool for this.

 

Read more: 10 ways to support more able learners in KS2-3 transition

At our summer term NACE member meetup, primary and secondary members convened to share strategies to improve support for more able learners during KS2-3 transition. Canons High School’s Laura Markey and Athena Pitsillis opened the discussion with a presentation based on their NACE Essentials case study (available in our members’ area), followed by a “speed-sharing” session and networking lunch.

Here are 10 approaches to try…

1. More able workshops

Several members shared examples in which more able learners are selected during KS2 to attend workshops in a particular subject at their prospective secondary school. One example came from Basildon Lower Academy, which runs challenge-based workshops for more able learners in Years 5 and 6. Assistant Headteacher Sharon Rayner explains some of the benefits: “Students are identified early by primary schools, and we are able to work closely with students and parents to ensure work is set at the appropriate level when they join us. This has led to greater progress between entry and first assessment point.”

Bexleyheath Academy also runs workshops in core subjects, bringing together KS2 and 3 students to work collaboratively. Ayfer Mack-Poole, the school’s More Able Lead, recommends selecting KS3 students to help run the workshops to further develop their skills and confidence.

For tips on how to create an impactful more able workshop, read this blog post from Osborne Cooperative Academy Trust’s Philippa Buckingham.

2. Extended collaborative projects

Building on the idea of collaborative workshops, Mission Grove Primary School shared details of an extended collaborative project for learners in Years 6, 7 and 8. Working together over six weeks, learners produced a short film. Year 6 learners then used the skills and knowledge acquired to help others in their school produce their own films.

“The project allows secondary staff to get to know the range of abilities of children who will be joining in September – this includes academic abilities but also skills around teamworking, collaboration and creative abilities,” says Assistant Headteacher Ed Fincham. “Learners gain increased confidence and positivity about moving to a new school, and are able to immediately apply their new skills and take on leading roles in the follow-up project.”

3. Student learning passports

Many members emphasised the importance of sharing information about learners across phases, to ensure appropriate levels of challenge and support. At Sarah Bonnell School, this is supported by detailed “student learning passports”. These include SATs and CATs data, alongside teacher observations about how the student prefers to learn, and strategies to provide stretch and challenge.

The passports are shared with all teaching staff and are used to inform more able twilight sessions, teaching and learning briefings, and peer lesson observations. “Triangulate the data early on and then interview students to get a good picture of their feelings,” Assistant Headteacher Joe Begley recommends. “Share with teachers on a number of occasions to ensure the profile is kept high, and see if you can build it into an observation cycle or area of action research or performance management.”

4. Sharing KS2 work with KS3 teachers

This was another common idea shared at the meetup, aiming to help secondary teachers understand the quality of work being completed by incoming students, in order to sustain attainment and progress from the start of KS3. At La Sainte Union School, new Year 7 students are asked to bring in a piece of work they’re proud of, while their Year 6 teachers also select a piece which shows their abilities.

“Pupils like to ‘show off’ their work – it gives them a sense of confidence and pride,” says Head of Year 7 Hayley Boyd. “We hope this encourages them to maintain this sense of excellence as they start secondary school.” She recommends encouraging all secondary teaching staff to look at and refer to the work during the first few lessons of term, even if outside their subject area.

5. Independent essay-writing at KS2

To help learners prepare for the increased independence of KS3, several members mentioned The Brilliant Club’s Scholars Programme, which runs university-style tutorials and university visits for learners from Years 5 to 12. Based on this initiative, St Andrew’s CE Primary School challenges learners to research and write an essay independently, developing their ability to conduct and synthesise research, manage their own time, and take on feedback from school subject leaders.

“The project inspires interest and independence, without the oversight or micromanagement of classwork,” explains Year 6 Teacher and Creative Curriculum Lead Sam Penberthy. “Learners are expected to self-motivate and self-direct, seeking support when they need it.” To ensure the project is successful, he recommends prioritising the planning phase, working with each learner to develop a project question.

6. Year 7 reading journals

At Little Ilford School, incoming students are encouraged to keep a reading journal, used alongside general and subject-based curriculum-linked reading lists. The idea, explains MFL Lead Practitioner Beth Hickling-Moore, is to “instil or maintain a love of reading for pleasure, often fostered at primary school, while stretching learners to extend their knowledge in different subject areas.”

While the impact has yet to be fully evaluated, she adds, “We hope that students develop a drive to explore subjects beyond lessons through literature, and in turn develop a love for reading.” She recommends starting by introducing reading lists for a few subject areas, noting that lists linked to the history and MFL curricula have so far worked well, featuring texts such as Twelve Years a Slave, Manolita Gafotas and Le Petit Nicholas.

7. Cross-curricular projects

Cross-curricular projects were another recurrent theme of the meetup, aiming to provide a challenging, creative and collaborative start to KS3 that sets and maintains high expectations for both learners and staff. At Canons High School, for example, all incoming Year 6 students are given a copy of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas to read and work on during the summer break. During the first two weeks of term, the novel provides the basis for a series of projects spanning all subjects, with a selection of work showcased at an event for parents.

At Capital City Academy, summarised curriculum maps are shared across all departments to encourage teachers to highlight links across subjects, prompting learners to make their own connections. For optimal impact, G&T Lead Rachel Belfield recommends using this approach alongside SOLO Taxonomy (log in to our members’ area for our NACE Essentials case study and accompanying webinar on SOLO).

8. Year 7 thinking skills group

At Burton Borough School, learners are encouraged to join the recently launched Year 7 thinking skills group. Drawing on a diverse range of texts and films, thinking skills sessions aim to develop learners’ inference, deduction, analysis and communication skills, as well as building confidence, resilience and understanding. Sessions have a strong focus on questioning and metacognition.

While the initiative is still in its early days, More Able Coordinator Tom Allen says it is already having a positive impact: “It has been great for getting students from different primary schools to share ideas and recognise their own and each other’s abilities.” He recommends using participants as peer advocates for the group, and offering training in questioning for staff members involved in delivering sessions.

9. Staff visits to feeder schools

Many members highlighted the importance of secondary staff visits to feeder primary schools – allowing secondary staff to see the level at which students are working, and to gather detailed information about individual learners as the starting point for effective provision at KS3.

Donna Wenden, Headteacher of Lawford C of E Primary School, also highlighted the benefits of having primary school representatives on the governing body of the secondary school. Through such ongoing involvement, primary staff can help to sustain progress and challenge by participating in work scrutiny and observations, sharing examples of work across the key stages, and ensuring high expectations are maintained.

10. Engaging parents and carers

Last but not least, members agreed on the importance of engaging parents and carers during the transition period. Secondary members often do this by inviting parents to events at regular intervals before and during their child’s first year of KS3, offering opportunities to ask questions, meet pastoral and teaching staff, and see first-hand what and how their child is learning.

Several members also shared examples of student-led approaches to parental engagement – allowing learners to share their work through exhibitions, presentations, performances or discussions. At Sarah Bonnell School, staff and students receive training in “learning conversations”, in which learners and their parents meet with a member of staff for a learner-led discussion. Sam Walsh, Head of Year 7 and Transition, explains: “This approach gives ownership of assessment and progress to students. They need to understand what they can do well and where they need to develop. It shows students what they are capable of, develops their capacity for self-reflection, and also allows for a direct comparison between subjects.”

Becky Catlin is the More Able Coordinator at NACE member and Challenge Award-accredited Sir Christopher Hatton Academy. In this blog post, she shares examples of practical initiatives to smooth the transition from KS2 to KS3 for all involved – including Family Challenge Evenings, interventions for underachieving students, combined training days for primary and secondary staff, and a new award celebrating extracurricular academic achievement.

At Sir Christopher Hatton Academy (SCHA), and across the Hatton Academies Trust, we carefully tailor the transition period between KS2 and KS3 to support our more able learners, working together across primary and secondary academies to ensure that transition is a positive, smooth experience.

We believe that the ability and resilience we may often see more able learners demonstrate cannot be taken for granted during this period. Transition must be seen as an opportunity for learners to grow in confidence as they overcome new challenges, guarding against the risk that missing links will impact negatively on learners’ confidence or progress.

As well as prioritising good communication between schools regarding identification and specific details of learners’ abilities and skills, SCHA stages a series of events across the year to ensure more able learners from our 10 feeder primary schools across Wellingborough feel confident and prepared for their transition to secondary school. We also run events for parents of more able learners, and bring together primary and secondary practitioners to collaborate for continuous improvements to provision both before and after transition to KS3.

More Able Taster Day

At our More Able Taster Day in October, a group of 20-30 Year 6 students join us for a full secondary school-style day of lessons and critical thinking challenges. The format enables them to experience and start preparing for the differences they will encounter when they make the transition to secondary school, as well as offering the opportunity to make new friends and work in different teams. Students finish the day with an increased awareness of the new setting they will face, experience of the differences in lesson structure, and the style of academic challenge that will be expected of them.

Family Challenge Evenings

Priority is given to parental communication and involvement leading up to and following the transition to KS3. We stage Family Challenge Evenings for more able learners in Year 5 from across our catchment and again for more able learners in Year 7. These evenings give parents an opportunity to work alongside their child and experience for themselves the kind of challenges their child will experience during a school day at SCHA. This is also an opportunity to meet with key staff involved in our More Able Programme and hear about the opportunities that will be available to more able learners throughout their time at the academy.

More Able Welcome Assembly

The More Able Welcome Assembly for Year 7 offers learners an opportunity to reflect on their identification as “more able”, and the skills and motivation they will need to apply to succeed at the challenges ahead. The assembly gives an introduction to mindset theory and metacognition, which we value highly as tools for nurturing independent, confident learners. Establishing expectations and attitudes to learning has led to an excellent first year of academic success and progress for our Year 7 students.

Challenge Training Days

As a Teaching School and an NFER-accredited Research School, sharing good practice and learning from one another is at the core of what we do. Last year, the academy launched a first annual Challenge Training Day, bringing together staff and learners from across the primary and secondary academies in our multi-academy trust. Primary school students spent the morning participating in challenging KS3 lessons across a variety of subject areas, which all staff observed. In the afternoon, learners were treated to some fun team challenges and quizzes, while staff shared their observations from the morning and discussed methods for improving transition in both primary and secondary settings. Later this year, the Challenge Training Day will offer secondary staff the opportunity to observe and learn from colleagues in primary settings.

Identifying areas for improvement

As a result of the Challenge Training Day, we identified several focus areas to improve provision at both KS2 and KS3. Increased independence across the school day was identified as a focus for primaries, while our secondary academy identified increased opportunities for project-based learning and cross-curricular links as effective in encouraging original, innovative thinking and pursuing supra-curricular knowledge for our more able. This generated the idea for project-based critical thinking interventions for more able underachievers at KS3, which have proved both engaging and effective at developing learners’ skills and boosting their progress.

Keeping the momentum going…

The academy has also introduced the Hatton Baccalaureate Award for our Year 8 students as an opportunity for extracurricular academic challenge, and a method of avoiding a potential dip in motivation in the middle of KS3. The Baccalaureate offer students the chance to win awards for their curricular and extracurricular achievements, as well as awards for attendance, behaviour, contribution to the community and events or activities that demonstrate an interest in building towards a future career. The programme culminates in a self-directed individual project and a graduation ceremony with gowns.

The measures detailed here enable students to recognise the culture of aspiration, pride in high achievement and challenge for all that Sir Christopher Hatton Academy values very highly. These initiatives set high expectations, but also ensure that learners feel safe, supported and happy as they begin the next stage of their journey through education.

Becky Catlin is a teacher of English and Drama, and the More Able Coordinator at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy. Previously a theatre director and creative learning artist for Edinburgh theatres, Becky loves working with young people, creating environments that challenge them constructively and in which they can thrive. 

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is an outstanding lead academy in a multi-academy trust in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. The academy achieved its second accreditation with the NACE Challenge Award in 2015, and is working towards its third.

For additional guidance and practical ideas to support more able learners during transition from KS2 to 3, log in to our members’ site to access the NACE Essentials guide on this topic.

Becky Catlin, gifted and talented coordinator at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, explains how a school policy for the identification of more able learners can become a guide to profiling for provision across the curriculum. 

When taking on the role of gifted and talented coordinator at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy, and beginning my research into the needs of gifted children, the initial and ultimately the broadest debate I encountered was the problem of how to define and identify giftedness.

Working with an established and highly developed policy on identification at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy provides a solid foundation for the provision we have in place for our more able learners. So much so, it is now far more than just a method of recognising students with ability. It has become a system of profiling for provision: inextricably linked to the personalised practice we have in place for these students across the curriculum.

Through sharing our approach to profiling (in a full case study to be shared with NACE members later this term), I hope to capture the intention we have for profiling our students in detail, and explore how this can enable good provision for the highest-potential students in our classrooms – with the overall goal of raising attainment and aspiration for all.

The importance of a multi-faceted approach

Current examples of best practice encourage us to approach the notion of intelligence, giftedness and potential from a variety of angles. Our school policies for the identification of gifted, talented and more able students must recognise that these qualities manifest themselves uniquely in all students, and will not necessarily emerge through the same identification processes for all.

The notion of what it means to be highly able, or to demonstrate potential, is the first element for schools to understand. In my case study, I start by sharing the theoretical background and context that our understanding is derived from, and looking at how this context provides a framework for our own methods of identification, or more multifaceted profiling in our schools.

Profiling of more able learners at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy takes on a multi-layered approach to provision for each student, as it moves towards a holistic, variable view of high ability, which can be seen in different types of ability and different situations. The school now holds a database of student profiles, which defines not only each individual’s ability in particular subjects, but their skillset and optimum methods for working with them in the classroom. I have aimed to present this as a model, and to analyse how it operates in practice as a case study of the Academy, and some selected students.

Moving beyond identification to focus on provision

I hope my study will emphasise that there is, increasingly, an argument for moving beyond simply “identifying” our more able students, towards a more robust notion of what defines a student as more able, in order to define the provision that can be offered to facilitate the activation of their skills across the curriculum.

Ultimately, I believe that a clear and detailed understanding of what identifying high ability means can upgrade a more able register to a document that indicates not only how to differentiate for more able learners, but how to provide the best resources and environment for developing high achievement and potential in other students around them.

Becky Catlin is a teacher of English and drama, and the gifted and talented coordinator at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy. Previously a theatre director and creative learning artist for Edinburgh theatres, Becky loves working with young people, creating environments that challenge them constructively and in which they can thrive. 

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is an outstanding lead academy in a multi-academy trust in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. The academy achieved its second accreditation with the NACE Challenge Award in 2015, and is working towards its third.

This blog post is a preview of Becky Catlin’s forthcoming case study of profiling for provision at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy. The full study will be available as part of the NACE Essentials range.