Supporting Our Most Able

We provide a range of opportunities to stretch and challenge our most able students, both inside and outside the classroom:

Super Curricular (Academic) Challenge 

• Higher-order thinking tasks and independent learning projects.
• Setted classes for specific subjects (Maths and Science).
• Access to subject-specific clubs and competitions.
• Participation in national and international competitions such as UKMT Maths Challenges, Science Olympiads, and essay competitions.
• Scholars Club for our most academically gifted students in year 7-9
• Subject reading lists
• Debate Club

​Extracurricular Opportunities

• Wide range of extracurricular clubs, Jack Petchey, Duke of Edinburgh)
• Leadership opportunities (student council, Sports Partnerships, Sports Leaders, HSLA)
• Visits to universities, museums, and research institutions.
• Guest lectures from industry professionals and academics.

For students aiming for top universities and competitive careers, we provide:

• Personalised guidance on A-level and university choices.
• Support for Oxbridge and Russell Group applications, including interview preparation.
• Information on summer schools, work experience placements, and scholarships.
• 1-2-1 careers support to offer tailored guidance.
• Students all have access to UniFrog.  This provides superb self-directed learning about pathways and careers.

Students are identified as ‘most able’ using a combination of data from primary (SATs), our own tests in year 7 (CATs) and teacher assessments, which identify emerging potential and aptitude in specific subjects.

Some of our most able students fail to fully develop effective revision methods, having become reliant in younger years on their good memory.  This can mean they are underprepared for the rigors of GCSEs.  Any revision is better than no revision, but not all techniques are equally effective. Meta-analysis (Dunlovsky's 2013) reveal that there are 2 techniques that are the most effective: 

1) Testing yourself 

‘Testing yourself’ involves actively recalling information from long term memory.  There are many methods of doing this but what is important is that a student is recalling information without any notes in front of them. A great technique for this is called ‘blurting’.  Watch this video (link to video). 

2) Spread out your revision over time

This is the opposite of ‘cramming’.  We increase our confidence with recall if we practice over a longer period of time.  This means when revising don’t plan to only revise each topic once.  Instead, return back to topics to reinforce your memories.  What really helps is making a simple revision timetable.  Watch this video (link).

• Students all have access to UniFrog.  This provides superb self-directed learning about pathways and careers.
• Two excellent resources (especially for yr10-12) is MyHE+ and Oxplore. These websites are created by Cambridge and Oxford University and provide superb further learning opportunities on topics of interest. Check them out and learn something interesting today!

Don’t be scared of failure. 

Every successful person gets to where they are by failing and learning from mistakes.  Every failure is an opportunity to learn more and improve yourself!  But what if you never fail?  Well, you probably aren’t pushing yourself!  That actually is not good!  So failure is not a bad sign, but rather a good sign that you are striving to be more successful, trying new things and growing as a person.  

Make time for fun. 

No one should be working every day and evening of the week.  Make sure to enjoy hobbies and time with friends and family.  This is why on the revision timetable advice (above) the first thing you do on your timetable is mark in when you will do things you enjoy!

Release stress.

Learn some techniques that help with stress.  Exercise is an excellent choice and can really help you feel better! Go for a walk or run, lift some weights or play a sport.  If you ever feel overwhelmed one of the most effective and fast acting ways to help yourself is to focus and slow down your breathing.  You may have covered some techniques in PSHE.  One popular one is ‘square breathing’ Here is a video.  Give it a try for 3 mins now!  You will feel much more relaxed.

How can I find out if my child is part of the Most Able Programme?

Teachers regularly assess students, and those identified as most able will be informed. Parents can also contact the school for more details.

What if my child is not identified but I believe they should be? 

We encourage open discussions—please contact the relevant subject teacher or our Most Able Coordinator (David Moffat) to discuss your child’s progress.

Does this programme put extra pressure on students? 

Our focus is on support, not pressure. We aim to challenge students at a pace that suits them while ensuring their wellbeing is prioritised.