by George Suddaby
One of the things I have always found the most challenging in my teaching is to stretch the highest achievers in English. Yes, this is ironic given the topic of this blog post, but I think it is something that a lot of us can agree on - what can we do to ensure that the highest achievers are making progress, and not left in the murky middle ground of completing work but not improving? Let’s have a little background. Last year, I had the epitome of a mixed-ability group. The lowest attainers were achieving levels 1-2 on their assessments, whereas the highest achievers were hitting level 4-5 (not bad for Y7!). We had loads of CPD sessions on how to challenge the highest achievers, but I could never really get my head around how to challenge in a skill-based subject - especially given the work they were doing was inherently challenging.
This year, I have tried to move away from my ignorant thinking, and I have tried to broaden my views on what I can do to assist the highest achievers. Don’t take the following as a MUST DO guide. They are, however, some things I have collated from CPD sessions and observations that may be worth a try!
1) Use the inherent challenge of your subject.
I admit to this being my fallback use of challenge. In English, the content is challenging. Remember that. Teaching Macbeth to Y10/11 is always going to be tough for the students given its huge language barrier. What about language papers in KS3? Asking students to write 3-4 analysis paragraphs in 10 minutes is a taxing task. How about reading 1800s non-fiction texts, and then comparing the attitudes and perspectives to a text from the modern day? No easy feat. My advice? Remember English is already a challenging subject, and use this to your benefit.
2) Consider depth rather than breadth.
Sometimes I think we get hung-up on how quickly we need to rattle through content in lessons, particularly when it comes to studying three texts and fifteen poems for GCSE Literature. However, is it always the best thing to rush? I had an epiphany the other day when I realised that there is no way I can possibly teach my students every single possible thing that could come up on the exam. Try spending more time looking at the key skills that students need to use in their essays. Personally, I spend a lot of time looking at how methods are used within quotations and how students can embed these into their written responses. This way, I know that students are equipped with the skills they need to use in their answer, and they have the depth needed to challenge their thinking and analysis.
3) Stretch your own understanding.
This year, I have spent time in an AS Level English Language class. It has been fascinating for my CPD as I have been able to consider how I can embed some higherlevel thinking and analysis into my lessons further down the school. You could also read blog posts, examiner reports, or exemplar written responses to consider what key information students need to include to be hitting the top marks. This leads me nicely on to…
4) Use information from A-Level/Degree.
Something we could all do is consider how to bring down some of the knowledge from further education. I’m not saying teach the content, but are there certain skills we could bring? For example, when analysing language we could consider what type of language is used (e.g. grammar/syntax/phonology) and help students embed this into their analysis. If they are discussing alliteration, what type of alliteration? Plosive? Fricative? It is not essential that students know these, but it will help make their answers more precise which will help to improve their scores.
5) Know your mark scheme.
I don’t mean to be patronising with this final point. To help students achieve the top grades, it is really important to consider what is actually needed to achieve these scores. This is something I have always struggled with, so I have had to go and challenge my thinking on what is needed. With my Y8 class, I have given students the mark scheme, and asked them to consider what the key terminology could mean. For example, I would ask my students “How could you critique in your evaluation?” or “What could “judicious” mean?”. I will WAGOLL how students can embed these into their written responses. In an observation I did, I saw a really effective use of challenge by simply being written above the task: “try to conceptualise ideas”. This was explained to students as simply as possible - alternative interpretations. I know I’ll be lifting this into my own practice from now on!
I hope you find some of these tips helpful. It is far from an exhaustive list, but it should give you a good place to start!