High Achievers
Lynch Hill aims to provide all children with a challenging and stimulating curriculum. We want every single pupil at this school to reach the highest possible standards and make the maximum amount of progress they are capable of. In line with our school strapline of Aim High, Work Hard and Care Deeply, we would like them all to surpass what may have been expected of them based upon their baseline performance on entry to school. We also feel it is time to move away from terminology like ‘gifted’, ‘talented’, ‘more able’, or ‘less able’ because we do not believe in false categorisations. There should be no ceiling on what any member of our school community can achieve.
Having said that, we do believe that some children are achieving, or have the potential to achieve, significantly in advance of the average for their year group. This might be in a core subject, such as English or maths, or it may equally be in one of the arts. It is therefore our responsibility to enable them to reach the highest possible standards. We will provide additional challenges to further their thinking, deepen their understanding and showcase their creativity.
At Lynch Hill, we closely monitor all children - tracking their progress from entry to the school until they leave us for the journey into secondary school. It is important that all children reach their full potential and for this reason we provide targeted intervention and challenges to keep children working to the best of their abilities, whatever the subject area.
What does the school expect from its high achieving pupils?
Children who are identified with a particular strength or aptitude in a given area may be given additional planned provision and/or challenges. As a school, we would like to see our children taking ownership of their own learning, showing independence and aspirations to challenge themselves. There are many opportunities at Lynch Hill School and we see commitment and enthusiasm from the children as an important factor in the success of the high achieving provision. We also aim to provide opportunities for children beyond the classroom, hosting assemblies, workshops and trips.
How can accessing high achievers provision benefit my child?
At Lynch Hill, we are not simply aiming to build students that have an extensive knowledge or talent in an area but are trying to develop learners who have a range of skills beyond their peers. High achieving pupils should be able to tackle any problem presented to them following the schools PRESENT values: Passion, Resilience, Equality, Safety, Enrichment, Nurture and Teamwork.
I think my child is a high achiever, what should I do?
We recognise that parents spend lots of time supporting their children to complete a number of additional activities. As such, you may believe that your child has talent or abilities above their peers. If this is the case please come and speak to your child’s class teacher and discuss your reasons in detail. Teachers can also ensure that we can support your child’s development.
How can I further support my child?
Children learn best when learning is fun and tailored to meet a child’s needs. Through the Autumn and Spring progress review meetings, teachers will share the areas that they would like to develop, this can provide you with a starting point in identifying extra activities. Sometimes trips to the museum can help, as well as completing extended research projects set by school.
Please speak to your child’s teacher to ensure you fully understand what you can do. Remember – learning should not be pressurised.