St Paul’s Catholic Primary School were celebrating this month, when they were presented with an award for their work to challenge more able and gifted pupils in their school. Working on the belief that all children have gifts and talents that should be celebrated and supported, they were thrilled to receive high praise from the National Association for Able Children in Education (N.A.C.E.).
After over a year of further developing already excellent practice, the project culminated in an assessment day, led by N.A.C.E. lead Barbara Firth, who said: “Behaviour for learning is outstanding. There is an extremely positive climate conducive to excellent learning and every opportunity is taken to celebrate and share good work and talent. Expectations are high and learning from mistakes is encouraged. As one Year 6 pupil said, ‘The teachers challenge you a lot, it can be hard.’ And another added, ‘The teachers are happy when we don’t know the answer because they know we learn from our mistakes and each other.’ The rich curriculum provides many planned opportunities for talents and abilities to be identified, nurtured and developed. Parents are extremely positive and feel that the school is open and highly inclusive in meeting the needs of all pupils. They appreciate the wealth of opportunities the school provides and the impact that has on their children and the way they are helped to support their children.”
Mrs Armstrong-Boyle, Headteacher said: “I am incredibly proud of the achievements of the staff and pupils at St. Paul’s and for their dedication and hard work in leading up to this award, especially Mrs Smith, our More Able and Talented lead teacher who was instrumental in securing this achievement. Being recognised for the way we challenge all of our children, including the more able, demonstrates the high standards of teaching and learning that takes place every day at our school. “
