Advanced Learners

Challenge. Enrich. Inspire

At Didcot Girls’ School, we believe that all students should be provided with a challenging and tailored education designed to help them achieve at their highest level possible. This encompasses our most able girls. We aim to give all of our Advanced Learner students the opportunity to reach their full potential and in doing so, create benefits for their fellow learners, the school and the wider community. In line with our school’s belief in Growth Mind-set, we refer to our students as Advanced Learners in recognition that ability is not fixed and key to outstanding progress are a positive work ethic and resilience.

We believe all students should be challenged, inspired and empowered by learning and that the classroom should be an engaging, inspiring place to learn.

Identification

At Didcot Girls’ School, our Advanced Learners are identified by teachers on an individual learner level. Identification is based on specially designed departmental criteria, data and through discussions with the learner and colleagues.

Challenge

At Didcot Girls’ School we strive to provide outstanding learning environments for all learners be ensuring that the level of challenge is high in all lessons. Each Head of Department maintains an overview of the list in their subject, promotes impactful approaches for Advanced Learners in the design of their curriculum and flags up enrichment opportunities in their subject area.  Our in-class provision centres around the following teaching and learning approaches:

  • Providing relevant, engaging, learning opportunities and interesting stimuli;
  • Tier 3 vocabulary explicitly taught and high quality oracy modelled and applied;
  • Challenge options are flagged up to students using the challenge symbol;
  • Students are also encouraged to take leadership roles in the lesson and foster collaboration;
  • The use of questioning to encourage analysis and creative thinking;
  • Signposting opportunities for students to develop their knowledge further through independent study;
  • High quality feedback focused on how to achieve ambitious targets.

Enrich

High quality challenging classroom teaching is supplemented by the opportunity for students to extend their understanding beyond the curriculum at enrichment sessions and trips run by departments. The opportunities offered are diverse and advertised by departments, but they include:

  • Carnegie Book Awards reading groups.
  • Competing in the National Mathematics challenge in Years 8, 10 and 12.
  • Triple Science Day – based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
  • Participation in Smallpeice Trust Engineering Club and residential visits
  • Trips to colleges and universities
  • GCSE ‘Twilight’ art sessions.
  • Young Enterprise
  • The Clothes Show and Good Food Show
  • Language trips abroad
  • An Orchestra for those of Grade 5 and above
  • A Chamber Choir
  • Chances to lead coaching sessions in PE
  • Oxford Young Ambassadors scheme

Inspire

Helping our students to achieve their full potential is at the heart of our provision. It is therefore critically important to us that we track, support and enrich the academic experiences of our Advanced Learners throughout their time at Didcot Girls’ School. To this end we are incredibly proud of our bespoke Ulysses Group, designed to challenge, support and enrich the experiences of our Advanced Learners throughout their time at Didcot Girls’ School. Launched in 2012 for Year 11 students, the programme has now expanded to include Year 7. Students are initially selected on having the potential to achieve the highest GCSE grades, 7-9, across their subjects based on their prior attainment. In due course, teacher recommendations and progress data are also used. 

Tailor made programmes of study are designed for each year group and centre around their respective challenges, decisions and needs. This varies from seminar support on the option process for year 8 to GCSE revision skills and information on choosing universities for Year 11. Equally, members are encouraged to take on active roles in the school community and are given access to enrichment and aspiration events. 

The Ulysses Programme provides bespoke challenge and support to the most academically able students in each year group. The support is tailored towards the needs of each year group and aims to increase aspiration and aid progress. 

Our Advanced Learners Lead is Dr G Hunter, whom you can contact by clicking here.

 

Documents

Page Downloads Date  
Advanced Learner Booklet 2023-24 21st Sep 2023 Download
@@DidcotGirls11:07 PM - 14th March, 2024 Here's Dr Comina celebrating with a outdoor lunchtime display of some exciting chemical reactions. The elephant's toothpaste was spectacular! pic.twitter.com/BAuNf01eVD
@@DidcotGirls04:01 PM - 12th March, 2024 Dr Susy Connell talking to our girls about her career in medicine and inviting our students to consider this amazing career! pic.twitter.com/2Y5m17CsJw
@@DidcotGirls04:01 PM - 12th March, 2024 Photographer and author Corin Jones talking about her photography business and how she empowers women through her photographs. pic.twitter.com/x6IIlmcepL
@@DidcotGirls04:01 PM - 12th March, 2024 Delighted to welcome Leah Parren, who used to be mu student (!) to come and talk about leadership as well as the magic of teaching! Macy and Tushya are providing beautiful music, too! pic.twitter.com/nFHe6yDTXv
@@DidcotGirls04:00 PM - 12th March, 2024 Cannot think of a better way to start our Student Leadership Conference than this awesome dance number by our Diversity Leaders! pic.twitter.com/h9Vz8DZKLp
@@DidcotGirls04:00 PM - 12th March, 2024 with us this morning at our Leadership Conference talking about his work at Velocity and his experience and lessons as a professional footballer. The students are gripped! pic.twitter.com/8ovCoDLy34
@@DidcotGirls04:35 PM - 6th March, 2024 Today, Reading Ambassadors from visited Long Wittenham CofE Primary school to look at the picture books shortlisted for this year's . A joyous afternoon watching older students pass on their love of reading to a younger audience. pic.twitter.com/ZJ9LJX70c8
@@DidcotGirls09:18 AM - 1st March, 2024 Want to join the most rewarding profession there is and make a difference for young people in your area? Get in touch to talk about how you can train to teach with us. pic.twitter.com/uDoDTaFQHK
@@DidcotGirls09:18 AM - 1st March, 2024 Interested in training to teach or want to find out more about teacher training? Eager to make a difference in one of our schools? Sign up for one of our online info events to find out more. pic.twitter.com/9uqKo3kFJ9
@@DidcotGirls05:19 PM - 23rd February, 2024 Thoroughly entertaining and inspiring talk from Manjeet Mann to our Year 9 and 10 students today. Thanks to for providing books to be bought and signed! pic.twitter.com/LVHewYAyGm
@@LibraryDGS02:39 PM - 23rd February, 2024 Thoroughly entertaining and inspiring talk from Manjeet Mann to our Year 9 and 10 students today. Thanks to for providing books to be bought and signed! pic.twitter.com/LVHewYAyGm
@@DidcotGirls11:13 AM - 8th February, 2024 We are looking for a Head of Sociology to lead our A Level programme. Apply by 26th February: Read more
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