Stretch & Challenge
St Bart’s is committed to developing the skills, talents and knowledge of all our students.
Every teacher is tasked with ensuring that all students, including our most able, receive the stretch, challenge and opportunities that they require to achieve their potential. This is monitored at a subject level through teachers and key stage leaders and at a whole school level by Mr Hill (KS3 and KS4) and Mr Wilder (KS5).
The school is committed to providing specialist teachers in subjects and adaptive teaching.
Year 7 and 8 students are tested for reading age enabling us to identify the most able readers. Reading Plus is an initiative for Year 7 students to support reading at all levels. Students can access texts up to A Level and complete work on challenging vocabulary suited to their abilities. Our Reading Challenge encourages those with high reading ages to aim for Platinum and pushes all students to vary their reading.
All subjects signpost students towards extension activities, where appropriate, through subject resources and homework. In addition, we support a number of subject specific challenges:
- Maths: UKMT Maths Challenge (All Years)
- English: Carnegie shadowing (KS3), Literacy Quiz (KS3), Short Story Competitions (All Years)
- Science and Technology: AWE Challenge (Year 9 and 13), Biology Challenge (Year 10 and 11), Chemistry and Physics Olympiad (Year 12 and 13)
There is also a huge provision for Stretch & Challenge Co-Curricular activities for all students including:
- Leadership opportunities for students in Years 7 – 13.
- House and inter-school competitions, such as the whole school quiz.
- Twilight subject provision, including Latin, Astronomy and Chinese.
- A Sixth Form Mentoring Scheme, enabling older students to mentor students in younger year groups, creating a community of students aiming high and nurturing ambition.
- Volunteering and charity work, encouraging students to contribute in school by raising money for their House charity, and getting involved with the volunteering and community projects that are organised across the academic year.
- An exciting and varied Co-curricular Club offer
Stretch & Challenge Community
Our Stretch & Challenge Community is targeted at the most able including:
- Able: Year 7 who have a ‘Super High’ or ‘Super Super High’ profile are automatically invited.
- Gifted: Students nominated by teachers who have strong abilities in traditional academic subjects, such as English, Mathematics and Science.
- Talented: Students who have strong abilities in creative and expressive subjects, such as Art, Drama and PE.
However anyone with ambition can self-refer themselves to be part of the Stretch and Challenge Community. Our aim to ensure the provision of opportunities inside and outside of the classroom boosts the attainment, motivation and self-confidence of all our students.
As part of the Stretch and Challenge Community, students are offered differentiated independent study through Satchel One. The Scholars Programme is also offered to our most able (with a focus on disadvantaged students) which aims to introduce students to the world of academia. Students this year looked at the effect that culture has on leadership, and all 14 graduated from the programme with a ceremony at the University of Bath.
