Both the Department for Education defines ‘more able’ pupils as those whose progress significantly exceeds age related expectations. We aim to ensure that our more able pupils are sufficiently challenged and have the very highest aspirations from the start.
We use data to identify pupils achieving at a level beyond their peers and make appropriate provision which stretches them in areas of strength and develops them in areas of relative weakness.
We provide an appropriately challenging curriculum for more able and potentially more able children, through extension within the curriculum, and through enrichment/study support beyond it. More able pupils will study with an older age group, if appropriate, and in the case of Years 5 and 6 will study core subjects with Year 7 students.
At Newquay Primary Academy we use the following teaching and learning strategies:
- Varied and flexible groupings within a year group.
- Vertical grouping across year groups when appropriate.
- Withdrawal of more able pupils for higher level work within small groups.
- Upwards differentiation/extension in schemes of work.
- Teaching thinking, critical skills and attitudes in a subject context e.g. Problem solving, decision making, creativity, inter-personal skills.
- Asking higher order questions which encourage investigation and enquiry.
- Setting clear and challenging targets.
- Enabling pupils to be involved in assessment for learning to evaluate their own work.