More-Able Learners

At Saint Michael Catholic Primary School & Nursery, we believe that all children are created in the image of God. All children are valued for their unique, individual strengths, talents and special abilities, whether this is in a core curriculum subject such as Maths, English or Science or in any other area of the curriculum, such as History or Art. All children are celebrated and supported to make progress relevant to their ability. Through sharing these abilities together all children are enriched and benefit.

We understand that all children, including the more able pupils, require support and challenge with their learning in order to make progress and reach their full potential. At Saint Michael's we celebrate achievement and use the term ‘more able’ to refer to pupils who demonstrate or have the potential to work at a standard well above their peers; this means they are exceeding the National Curriculum expectations for their age. This may be in one or more areas of learning. The DfE and Ofsted definition of a ‘more able’ are pupils who achieve or have the ability to achieve at a level significantly in advance of the average for their year group in their school.

The NACE challenge framework and award

St Michaels Primary School and Nursery is a NACE Challenge Award accredited school. NACE is an independent charity founded almost 40 years ago, the National Association for Able Children in Education works with member schools, educational leaders and practitioners to improve provision for more able learners, driving whole - school improvement and raising achievement for all. As a NACE Challenge Award accredited school, St Michaels has adopted the philosophy of having high expectations of all learners, providing choice and challenge and follows the NACE framework guidance on how best to identify and teach more able pupils. The school draws on a wealth of resources including bespoke NACE consultancy. We are also very excited to announce that the school has achieved the NACE Challenge Award displaying a clear commitment to providing outstanding provision to more able pupils and thereby raising expectations and standards for all pupils.  

For our More Able Policy please see the policies web page.

Provision for more-able pupils

We endeavour to meet the needs of more able children through careful identification, monitoring strategies and by providing access to a curriculum, which will not only support the development of the whole child intellectually, socially and emotionally, but will enable them to show aptitudes and higher order thinking. Emphasis is placed on the importance to develop a supportive and constructive working relationship with the parents or carers of a more able child with the child always held at the centre of everything we do.

At Saint Michael's, we strongly believe that engaging teaching and learning for all, and teaching to the top, is the key to securing achievement for every child. By providing a broad and balanced curriculum, more-able pupils are given a wide variety of engaging challenges and experiences, developing the ability to question, explain, persevere, communicate their thoughts and take risks in their learning whilst building relationships.

We support our more able pupils by giving them opportunities for open ended tasks, higher order thinking challenges and extension activities. In class, children work in a range of ways; ability groups, mixed ability, paired work and independent work. We use a variety of teaching styles and a range of higher order thinking questions to stimulate critical thinking.

What Can I Do For My Child At Home?

If you believe your child to be more able, then there are many ways that parents and carers can support their child. Here are just a few ideas that you may like to try:

• Encourage them to take up a hobby.
• Encourage independent research (Use local libraries or the school library which has a range of materials for the more able children)
• Encourage them to read national newspapers or to watch the news on television, to help their knowledge of current affairs.
• Talk to them about what they have learnt in school during the day and what has particularly interested them.
• Support home learning activities by ensuring that the work is completed to a high standard.
• Encourage creative and independent interests using resources either from local libraries, the internet or the school.
• Help to develop team skills including cooperation and leadership by encouraging your child to take part in team games and sports.
• Encourage your child’s work in school, providing rewards for good work, to stimulate an environment of positive achievement.
• Talk to them about their thinking skills and encourage them to do lateral thinking puzzles etc., to increase and develop these skills

Visit the following websites for resources and ideas to extend your child’s development:

http://www.londongt.org
http://nrich.maths.org.uk
http://www.worldclassarena.org
http://www.funbrain.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools
https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-parents 
http://www.emilygravett.com/
http://www.beam.co.uk/
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/foundation/foundation.htm

To find out more about more-able provision at Saint Michaels, please read the school’s More Able policy below or feel welcome to ask our More Able Champion, Mrs Tillotson, any further questions. rtillotson@st-michaels.surrey.sch.uk