At Northgate we are committed to achieving high quality learning and equality of opportunity and believe that all pupils should be encouraged to maximise their potential. Through quality teaching, we aim to challenge and inspire pupils, extending and enriching their thinking, understanding, knowledge and skills.
We use the term “most-able” to mean those pupils who are capable of excelling academically in one or more subjects, such as English, Science or Maths. It also refers to those pupils who may excel in practical skills, such as sports, leadership, artistic performance.
Provision
Class provision includes:
All teachers ensure that there are a variety of in class strategies to stretch and challenge the most-able pupils and that these pupils have suitably challenging targets. Strategies include:
- Differentiation which can be achieved in the classroom by; outcome, resource, task, dialogue, support, layered questioning or pace and at home with differentiated homework, amongst others.
- The development of independent learning by allowing pupils to organise their own work, to carry out tasks unaided, evaluate their work and become self-critical
- A variety of groupings, used effectively e.g. ability grouping, mixed ability, learning partners etc.
Provision beyond the classroom
Within the school:
- Specialist teachers, who ensure a wide range of high quality opportunities in both music and sport within the curriculum and beyond the classroom
- Wide range of lunchtime and after school clubs eg orchestra
- Opportunities for performance, including at the Rhodes Theatre
- Shared celebrations of success both in and out of school in achievement assemblies.
- School enrichment mornings for more able, eg Art morning
Links with other schools:
- Enrichment and extension classes at secondary schools when available eg Birchwood maths.
- Regular enrichment days run by the local ‘Stage’ consortium.
- Local primary consortium events eg Y6 Carol Concert that offers opportunities for soloists.
The wider community:
- Encouraging participation in local events eg.Rotary music and art competition
- Entering local and National competitions e.g. the Hertfordshire Maths Challenge
- Encouraging the use of parental expertise
- Informing parents of appropriate events eg Bishop’s Stortford Literature Festival