How we meet the needs of more able children

“The school provides well for more able, gifted and talented pupils...” Inspection report, November 2012

Classes are limited in size to 15 in Reception to Year 2, 18 in Year 3 and 20 in Years 4, 5 and 6.Teaching assistants feature throughout, particularly in Reception to Year 3. Setting for mathematics starts in Year 5.

• Identification: More able pupils are identified by class/subject teachers or assessment via the admission process. Pupils are referred to a ‘More Able’ register, which is distributed to staff.  This register is updated as required.

• Differentiated class work and prep: This may be differentiated in terms of difficulty and degree of challenge.  For example:
  • In Maths lessons the pupils may be working towards a higher National Curriculum level and so appropriate work will be set.
  • In science, a pupil may be able to access more complex concepts and processes.
  • A Year 1 advanced readers may join Year 2 for some reading sessions. Advanced readers are also given extension sessions with staff.

• Success Criteria: Pupils are working on the same task.  The teacher uses the success criteria to show pupils what they expect them to achieve in the work.  For more able pupils the success criteria will reflect a teacher’s expectations and encourage/guide the pupil to work towards this achievement independently.

• Questions/Thinking Skills:
  • During class, more able pupils will have the opportunity to answer extension questions.
  • In thinking activities, pupils are encouraged to apply higher order thinking skills.
  • In topic work, pupils are encouraged to think of their own questions to investigate.

• Research/Topic work: Pupils may be given a research task, some of which require a greater level of reading or research skills, with some pupils being expected to handle more complex information and concepts. In some instances, research may be set for prep.  Here pupils may work on a task for which there is no particular right answer or outcome and each is then free to explore different approaches and levels of complexity.

• Reading/Comprehension: Sharing of texts with pupils.  Pupils are encouraged to show a greater understanding e.g. complex inference and author’s techniques, by appropriate questioning.

• 11+ Sunflower Club: Pupils who are identified to prepare for the 11+ examinations attend this extension club during the Autumn term. Every year those Moyles Court pupils who have the ability, gain places at grammar school.

• After School Clubs: Many clubs are offered covering a whole host of activities including French, Chinese Mandarin, Drama, Music, Creative and Sports activities. Most of these are at no extra cost (click here for the current list).