On Tuesday evening of this week it was great to welcome so many of our More Able and High Prior Attaining students who gathered in the Main Hall and received this year’s More Able Handbook entitled Engagement and Enrichment. There were some great presentations from staff and students focussing on how to be a successful More Able learner and providing some top tips to ensure success.

It was inspiring to listen to some of our older students about how they have approached the previous year’s programmes and see how it had encouraged them to make the most of every lesson and the rich tapestry of extra-curricular activities and trips and visits on offer at the school. Our Head Boy Tom even gave some tips for how to apply to Oxbridge and reminded those present that this journey starts in Year 7! We wish him well with his interview for Cambridge University in the next two weeks.

The message from them was very clear – don’t hold back! In our most successful More Able learners we see a high motivation to do well, which comes from that intrinsic motivation within – not necessarily relying on what is given to you or you are asked to do.

Our most successful more able learners:

• complete many of the projects contained within the More Able boolets
• always complete that extra work at home to take their learning to the next level
• try out a new club each term
• commit to a long term extra curricular activity
• take up Student Leadership opportunities on offer at the school
• share their learning with others within and beyond the school
• often contribute to charity fundraising or involve themselves in their local community beyond the normal
• read widely and often
• enter local and national competitions
• represent themselves and their school in local and regional/national events