Strategies for challenging the most able students in every classroom

• How do you set high expectations in your class for the highest achievers to flourish?
• How do you develop higher order thinking skills with your students?
• Are you looking for new teaching approaches to challenge the more able students?

Ofsted have published a report asking whether more-able students were doing as well as they could in non-selective schools. The report called for higher expectations to be placed upon schools where more-able students were not achieving their full potential.

Use your Pupil Premium to improve provision for the most able

Surprisingly , Ofsted have found that only 1/3 of schools visited are using pupil premium for the most able! Pupil premium funds are supposed to be for every learner on free school meals regardless of their prior ability.

The course will explore new teaching approaches for extending the most able students and helping them to develop their higher order thinking skills.

Course Outline

Five ways to put challenge at the heart of every lesson

• Embedding a ‘challenge culture’
• Cognitive conflict

Meeting the needs of the most able students

• Subject specific guidance and resources to support classroom practice
• What does the research tell us?
• Key strategies that work with the very able
• Differentiation in action
• Questioning skills

The development of higher order thinking skills

• How to develop critical thinking skills
• Encouraging the learning through argument
• Enhancing problem solving skills
• Reaching the top grades

Independent and creative learning: boosting the attainment of the most able

• Encouraging creative thinking
• Enhancing problem solving skills
• Producing secure independent learners by introducing metacognition techniques
• Encouraging a growth-mindset and independence

Presenter Profile

Peter Sharp has taught in maintained and independent schools, including as Director of Teaching & Learning and Deputy Head (Academic) at a London boarding school. He will shortly become Chair of Governors of a maintained school in London and has experience as a team inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate. In the summer of 2021, he stepped down from his full-time role in school leadership to pursue his enthusiasm for supporting schools in their continuous improvement. As a Mountain Leader, sports coach and part-time philosophy student, he is passionate about the holistic education of life-long learners.

Feedback from this course

“Great take-always , so many useful resources”
Thahseen Ali, Biology Teacher, King’s Rochester

“It was informative, constructive and invaluable for me”
Melanie Westlake, Head of Science, Saint Felix School

Cost: £250 per delegate; £299 for 2 teachers from the same school booking on this course

Booking Form

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