We run 3 Extend programmes per year that challenge our young learners to step outside the classroom and put themselves to the test.  The EXTEND: ACCELERATE programme gives students the opportunity to research careers and Labour Market Information, set motivating short-term goals for themselves (and have dedicated staff to support them to achieve them), they learn about leadership skills, find out about being digital champions and much more besides. EXTEND: ENTERPRISE dares students to commit to a project to make £5 grow, skills involve entrepreneurialism and innovation, budgeting, learning about pricing strategies, marketing and promotion and salesmanship.

Combining our students love for geography and science, this programme led by Dr Saunders in collaboration with the Brilliant Club has allowed a group of students to work on a university style programme called Volcano CSI: imaging inside a volcano. This has involved learning about how chemistry is used to work out the depth and location of magma at active volcanoes. This has been taught in a university style, enabling the students to sample an insight into potential future educational experiences. They also had the opportunity to virtually visit universities across the UK.

Coming soon … Lunchtime Lectures (Think mini-TED talks)

Each week our amazing English department run a debating club. 

Our opinionated students learn about how to refine their arguments and articulate themselves, study the syntax and semantics of key speeches from history and even look at how politicians expertly use language features to shape unpopular opinions.

We are pleased to be able to offer a number of ambitious opportunities to our students to support and enrich their future choices.

• We are grateful to have academics from the University of Southampton deliver higher education level content.  This year our young geographers had the benefit of a virtual Geography session led by Emma Watts PHD, a volcanologist currently carrying out research at Southampton University. The students got to experience Emma’s education journey as well as learning about her travel experiences and research. She also shared her wealth of knowledge to teach them key terms associated with volcanoes
• We seek out opportunities for our ambitious students to participate in workshops with representatives from a range of exciting careers.  Earlier this year, year 9 students with their sights set on a career in the law industry worked with PRIME, an alliance of law firms across the UK and Republic of Ireland who are determined to improve access to and socio-economic diversity within the legal profession.
• We liaise with Russell Group Universities to arrange visits to their campuses for the opportunity to speak to academics and experience a day-in-the-life of a student and work with local further education establishments to offer tasters in Level 3 course subjects. We aim to support the college by ensuring all students are provided with the right guidance and information for them, helping each student to achieve their potential -the sky is the limit.

Our amazing Science and Computer Science staff have been running an after-school club whereby they challenge students to use LEGO bricks and some fantastic applications on their iPads to build and programme robots.  They use their coding skills and knowledge from physics to develop their STEM skills.  Next year we hope to start competing regionally against other schools too…

There’s no ‘right’ way of teaching. Whatever gets the best outcomes for students is what ‘works’. However, there is a lot to learn from research evidence such as Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction (2012) which outline some distinctive pedagogical principles that appear to contribute to great teaching.  Students are constantly stretched, whilst being supported through highly effective feedback.

Want to know more about how we challenge all our learners and especially our most able?