Differentiation and challenge: Research and Development Group Cycle Meeting 1: selecting the issue

The Rationale The focus on this group is to examine how we respond and plan to support the needs and progress of individuals, particularly in light of our changing cohort. We aim to explore and develop strategies to nurture high performance and challenge for all students.

Aims Understand the process and culture of a research and development group. Share our experiences of life long skills for differentiation and challenge and consider research Decide together how to progress by identifying a focus question that we all want to work towards answering.

Listening Mutuality Enquiry Enablement Questioning Co-creation Motivation Partnership Commitment Alignment Action Accountability Learning Respect Sharing Process & Culture Risk Taking Discuss Aims Discuss the issues that we want to investigate further? (Based on research and experience) w/c 2nd Share and Plan Plan our research and decide upon how to gather evidence of impact. w/c 23rd Reflect and Review Discuss actions and evidence so far. Plan further development. w/c 1st Review & Evaluate Reflect upon what we have learnt individually and as a group. w/c 18th

Ofsted think these are the problems with stretch and challenge for talented pupils: Lack of opportunity in secondary school Disadvantaged most able students are much less likely to succeed Links between secondary and primary schools are not effective enough Lack of challenge at the start of Key Stage 3 Teaching that does not challenge the most able in Key Stage 3 Assessment and tracking at Key Stage 3 is not effective Quality of guidance about courses, universities and jobs is still not good enough 18 Are any of these areas we are interested in?

What problems do we have with stretching and challenging the most able? Here are some of mine The most able students finish the quickest. The most able students can answer even the most challenging questions. The most able students are reluctant to answer the questions. The most able students like to feel confident that they are right so do not really want to be pushed as hard.

The story of Gifted education Nurturing high performance rather than just pushing gifted and talented children. Evolving practise to support able student Possible practises we could begin to explore Tom Sheridan A range of differentiation techniques for the most able.

Challenging the particularly able Encouraging giftedness. KS3 KS4 KS5 Pupil choice Engaging pupil interest Extension Reading Discussion Success criteria Peer work Literacy Written skills Oral presentation Gifted and talented Exam preparation and revision Exam technique Life long skills for learning Essay writing. Seminar style learning Flipped learning Put into sort cards.

What is our group research question?

Next steps Think about what you need to do to prepare for the next meeting. Research: Theory Action with a class of your choice Collaborate with members of your department for support, ideas and to help the learning travel.

Pupil choice Questionnaire Name: never Hardly ever Not very often Some of the time OftenVery often All of the time I am given a choice of tasks in my RE lessons I am given the choice of how I present my work in RE lessons Choice is something I am given a lot of in my lessons I enjoy having choice in my learning Giving me a choice of skills questions would help me develop my weaker areas If given a choice I would always opt for the easy option I would like more choice in my learning When I am given choice I find this unnerving Action research- an example

Date for the diary Share and Plan -triangulate our evidence so far and use that to plan our further research and development