G&T Hub Webinar Planning for A* achievement – a four step strategy Ian Warwick The webinar slides can be downloaded and printed from: Do your colleagues need to use the Hub? Your subscription includes 6 log-ins. Make sure you’re using them all. For help call the Hub Line and speak to our friendly team!

Getting started What’s brought you here today? What do you want to find out about? What are your biggest challenges in terms of A* achievement? Share your responses via the text chat box. Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

Four key questions What are the barriers to A* achievement in our school? What would help us address those challenges? What are the subject specific skills and behaviours that our pupils need in order to achieve A*? How can teachers promote those skills and behaviours in different subject areas? Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

What are the barriers to A* achievement in our school? Home, culture or peers Perception of standards Student or teacher expectations Behaviour Timetabling Other? Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

What would help us address those challenges? An audit of staff confidence and competence. A clearer understanding of what various departments do particularly well to help students to achieve A* grades. A clearer understanding of what would enable your department to make the most progress in increasing A* performance. Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

What are the skills and behaviours that our pupils need in order to achieve A*? Look closely at the subject specific skills matrix. Add in additional skills and behaviours you and your colleagues feel are missing. Rank which might be most significant. Discuss when and how these may be successfully taught. Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

How can teachers promote those skills and behaviours in different subject areas? Focus on what you and your department explicitly do to teach these. What tasks, activities or lessons can you share that support the development of these? Look at how these are differentiated for your most able in terms of stretch and challenge. What do some departments do that work that can be adopted (ex A* students coaching etc…)? Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

Next steps What are you going to do following on from today’s webinar? What questions or issues are you going to explore with colleagues and students? Share your responses via the text chat box. Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.

G&T Hub Webinar Questions & Answers Save the date: Ian’s next webinar will take place on Tuesday, 24 th June. Topic TBC! Find more G&T resources and information in the G&T Hub: Follow us on Come to the Gifted & Talented 2014 conference…

Challenging the More Able: Gifted & Talented th September 2014, Manchester or 8 th October 2014, London Ofsted inspection: Clarify what exactly Ofsted expect from more able provision in your school Raising aspirations of more able pupils: Create a whole-school ethos which raises aspirations G&T and the Pupil Premium: How to use funding to successfully support your pupil premium pupils Speakers include: Ceri Morgan HMI, Ofsted Ian Warwick, Senior Director, London G&T Sharlene Williams, Assistant Cross Curriculum Leader - G&T, Minsthorpe Community College

Further reading and resources Aiming for A* in biology, chemistry and physics - education.com/aiming-biology-chemistry-and-physics Aiming for A* in biology, chemistry and physics - education.com/aiming-biology-chemistry-and-physics Improving KS4 attainment through a focus on A/A* grades - education.com/improving-ks4-attainment-through-focus-aa-grades Improving KS4 attainment through a focus on A/A* grades - education.com/improving-ks4-attainment-through-focus-aa-grades Providing stretch, challenge and risk for able students - education.com/providing-stretch-challenge-and-risk-able-students Providing stretch, challenge and risk for able students - education.com/providing-stretch-challenge-and-risk-able-students Raising Aspiration and Achievement - education.com/shop/raising-aspiration-and-achievement-whole-school-gt- approach-tackling-disadvantage Raising Aspiration and Achievement - education.com/shop/raising-aspiration-and-achievement-whole-school-gt- approach-tackling-disadvantage The A* Toolkit - programme-maximise-exam-success The A* Toolkit - programme-maximise-exam-success What are the best ways to get from A to A*? education.com/what-are-best-ways-get-any-tips What are the best ways to get from A to A*? education.com/what-are-best-ways-get-any-tips Are you using all of your log-ins? Maximise your subscription by allocating all 20.