Advanced Learners

Advanced Learners Provision:

CHALLENGE. ENRICH. INSPIRE.

At Tytherington School, we believe that all students should be provided with a challenging and tailored education designed to help them achieve at their highest level possible. This differentiation encompasses our most able students. We aim to give all of our Advanced Learner students the opportunity to reach their full potential and in doing so, create benefits for their fellow learners, the school and the wider community. In line with our school’s belief in Growth Mindset, we refer to our students as Advanced Learners in recognition that ability is not fixed and key to outstanding progress are a positive work ethic and resilience.

We believe all students should be challenged, inspired and empowered by learning and that the classroom should be an engaging, inspiring place to learn.

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IDENTIFICATION

At Tytherington School, our Advanced Learners are identified by teachers, parents and the students themselves on an individual learner level. Identification is based on specially designed departmental criteria, data and through discussions with the learner and colleagues. Year 7 students are placed on our ‘watching list’ and monitored closely as they are increasingly challenged in class before being added to the list.

CHALLENGE

At Tytherington School we strive to provide outstanding learning environments for all learners through high quality differentiation. Furthermore, each department seeks to promote excellent approaches for Advanced Learners and flags up enrichment opportunities in their subject area.  Our in class provision centres around the following teaching and learning approaches which are promoted to teachers:

  • Providing relevant, engaging, learning opportunities and interesting stimuli where possible.
  • Maximising ownership of learning by providing opportunities for choice and a variety of learning pathways in the lesson. Challenge options are flagged up to students.
  • Students are also encouraged to take leadership roles in the lesson and foster collaboration
  • The use of high order questioning to encourage analysis and creative thinking
  • Signposting opportunities for students to develop their knowledge further through independent study
  • High quality feedback focused on how to achieve the top grades.
ENRICH

High quality challenging classroom teaching is supplemented by the opportunity for students to extend their understanding beyond the curriculum at enrichment sessions and trips run by departments. The opportunities offered are diverse and advertised by departments, but they include:

Rose Day News Challenge

On our first Rose Day in October, two teams of Year 7 Advanced Learners competed in an Apprentice style challenge to produce a newssheet covering all the events of the day.

Year 7 Secret Mission Challenge 1 “My Greatest Briton”

Students were given the task of researching and presenting a case for their greatest Briton. Prizes were given out for the best responses

Headteacher’s Inaugural Short Story Challenge

Mr Botwe launched a Short Story Competition to write a 500 word story on the theme of Christmas. The winners read out their stories in assembly, and were awarded book tokens.

Jodrell Bank Trip

A group of year 7 students visited Jodrell Bank of December 15th to witness the launch of Tim Peake into space to join the International Space Station, and to celebrate 70 years since the establishment of the Lovell telescope at Jodrell bank.

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Bucket List Challenge

Year 7 students were given a Bucket List challenge to complete over the Christmas period; it included a range of challenges including learning a song on an instrument, offering practical help to a member of the community, cooking a two course meal and making a short film.

Masterclasses

We have started to offer masterclasses on a range of topics offered by members of staff. The first two were a class on IPA ( a method for planning longer written answers to exam questions called Ideas – Plan – Action) and Politics and Ethics: Become Prime Minister for the Day run by Mr Botwe. We are also planning more of these next term, including a Mathematics masterclass and an Art History class.

Bollington Live Project

A group of Year 7 Advanced Learners worked with the editors of Bollington Live to produce a double page spread for the magazine. They wrote a series of different articles, interviewed staff and learnt all about the editing and printing processes involved in creating a magazine. They also had the opportunity to visit the printshop to take part in the design process, and helped to deliver the magazine.

War and Conscience: Then and Now

Year 9 Advanced Learners took part in a project run by Macclesfield Quaker Society and Macclesfield Library entitled War and Conscience: Then and Now. They worked with the Cheshire Poet Laureate John Lindley to produce poems exploring the theme of conscientious objection. Their poems were displayed in Macclesfield Library in February. There is a possibility they may also be published in an anthology.

Poetry Trials

A selection of Advanced Learners from Years 7, 8  and 9 also entered the national Poetry Trials competition for 11- 19 year olds. They wrote a variety of poems on the themes of Emotions and The Future

Tenner Challenge

Year 7 and 8 students are currently completing the Tenner Challenge run by Young Enterprise, in which they are given £10 to start a business in groups. Students run the business for one month, to see how much profit they can make. The students have set up a range of businesses, including a Hire a Help service for teachers, running a disco at a local primary school, a car washing service and a stationary shop in the refectory.

Secret Missions

We have been running a series of Secret Missions for Advanced Learners in Years 7, 8 and 9. These include:

  • Design a Train Seat (Year 7)
  • Create a Landmark (Year 8)
  • Design a Toy (Year 9)

All contributors receive certificates and winners receive book tokens. Examples  of their work can be seen on the website and in the entrance hall.

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Heroes and Villains and Approaching Writing about Conflict

Ailsa Holland and Barbara Evans, parents of students at our school, completed two workshops. Barbara, who works in International Relations explored some of the issues surrounding conflict in a workshop on this topic, and Ailsa, who is a poet, ran a poetry workshop on the theme of Heroes and Villains for Year 7.

Adam Bostock  Manchester United Editor Visit

Robin Atkin Advertising Session

INSPIRE

Helping our students to achieve their full potential is at the heart of our provision. It is therefore critically important to us that we track, support and enrich the academic experiences of our Advanced Learners throughout their time at Tytherington School.

If you would like to find out more about our Advanced Learners programme please e-mail our Leader of Advanced Learners, Mrs Burke, on cburke@tytheringtonschool.co.uk