The National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) has named St Martin’s College the 467th school to be accredited with the NACE Challenge Award. The award is given in recognition of school-wide commitment to high-quality provision for more able learners.
NACE has also accredited Chiswick School for the second time with the NACE Challenge Award.
NACE CEO Rob Lightfoot said: “St Martin’s College has worked successfully to attain the NACE Challenge Award. It has shown itself to be committed to developing an environment in which all learners are both challenged and supported to be the best they can be.”
The award is based on the NACE Challenge Framework, which sets out criteria for high-quality provision for more able learners within a wider ethos of challenge for all.
The framework is available as part of the NACE Challenge Development Programme – a suite of resources developed by NACE to help schools evaluate and improve their provision for more able learners.
NACE’s assessor reported: “The school’s core values – the 8 Cs of learning – are consistently demonstrated through all policies and reflected in the attitudes and behaviours of pupils, staff and leaders. Staff have created a very strong culture of success and, as a result, more able students are confident to talk about their abilities and demonstrate high levels of personal well-being. Learners know the importance of working hard now to achieve in the future and they have high aspirations. They are highly articulate and enthusiastic while also demonstrating care and humility.
“Achievement – both academic and in terms of character development – is valued and regularly celebrated in a variety of ways across the school. The school actively seeks to promote the cultural capital, moral development, mental health and well-being of each student. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and are experts in their field. They have fostered a strong culture of students, asking as many thoughtful questions as they answer […] St Martin’s College is outward-facing and continually seeks to learn from others as well as to share the school’s own excellent practice.”
With regards to Chiswick House School, NACE’s assessor reported: “The leadership of Chiswick House School is ambitious and aspirational for every child. This highly successful school demonstrates a relentless focus on developing pupils into independent learners and global citizens. […] Pupils spoke positively of the way they are challenged in lessons, citing the different ways that teachers support them. […] There is a good range of opportunity for pupils to take part in visits, clubs and enrichment activities in which they can develop their talents, such as science and art, to a high level.
Pupils at St Martin's“Equally, success in sporting and cultural activities is as highly prized and the standards achieved in these subjects and the quality of work produced are very high. Pupils are articulate and eager learners who are extremely well-supported and celebrated.” Improving provision for the more able remains a priority for many schools and has been highlighted by Ofsted and the DfE as a key focus. The experience and evidence gathered by Challenge Award-accredited schools also shows that effective strategies to improve provision for the more able are likely to have a positive impact on the achievement of a much wider group of learners.
To attain the Challenge Award, schools must complete a detailed self-evaluation using the NACE Challenge Framework, submit a portfolio of supporting evidence and undertake assessment by a NACE associate. The assessment process includes examination of school data and key documents; lesson observations; and interviews with school leaders, learners, parents and governors.
CEO Rob Lightfoot said: “The Challenge Award is presented in recognition of whole-school commitment to and achievement in providing effective challenge and support for all – spanning school leadership, curriculum, teaching and learning, processes for identification and tracking, extracurricular opportunities, strong communication and partnerships, and ongoing evaluation.”
St Martin’s College is part of the international community of Challenge Award-accredited schools which have demonstrated a sustained and effective commitment to meeting the needs of more able learners and an interest in sharing expertise for the wider benefit of the education community. For more information, visit www.nace.co.uk/challenge.