More Able Provision

Redruth School has a thriving aspirational programme designed to support and challenge our more able students. The three key values of more able provision are:

• Support and intervention for our more able students to attain to the best of their abilities
• Development of students’ understanding of the skills, qualifications, knowledge and steps needed to reach their aspirational goals, within and around the curriculum
• More able students are provided with opportunities to develop higher level skills and greater autonomy.

There are a variety of opportunities open to students to allow them to achieve these values.

Challenge Curriculum

We continue to develop our Challenge Curriculum to extend and stretch our more able students across all departments. Subject specialist teachers further their professional knowledge with a programme of CPD and team meetings focused on the strategies and skills needed to challenge those students who aspire to attain 7 and above across the board at GCSE.

Alongside Careers sessions, the introduction of Unifrog for all students, and a regular group support programme for Year 10 and 11 MAble, we focus to ensure that students leave Redruth School with the skills, grades and understanding required to achieve their very best in their future careers.

LEAP

Redruth School is proud of the continuing success of its LEAP Centre (Leadership, Excellence, Accelerating Progress). Our LEAP programme is open to all students to gain greater insight into specific career pathways, with fortnightly speakers from different industries.

Scholars

Additionally, we run the Redruth Scholars programme for Years 7 and 8. Students are invited to apply if they aspire for higher education in the future. The programme is aimed at developing students’ problem solving, teamwork, evaluation, analysis, research and presentation skills. We work with Kings College London and use of their GamePlan platform to develop students' understanding of university.

HPQ

This year, we have introduced the Higher Project Qualification for our more able and enthusiastic Year 9 students. This qualification enables students to choose, plan, prepare and develop a research project of their choice, and develop skills that are highly revered at university level. Students work with teacher supervisors, alongside attendance at fortnightly skills sessions to progress on this locally unique course. More information about the HPQ can be found here: Level 2 Higher Project Qualification 7992 Specification Specification (aqa.org.uk).

There are also a plethora of activities which are held throughout the year from external providers. These include: Falmouth University taster sessions; Oxford University Trip; Exeter University Scholar's programme; Oxford University Challenge; Bebras computational thinking competition and talks from Redruth School alumni and professionals from companies such as Amazon and the BBC.

Extra Curricular

Many out of school opportunities are also frequently advertised to students. During 2023-4, we:

• took a group of students to Oxford University
• took a number of groups to Falmouth University including their Games Expo
• had students attend the Exeter University Summer Scholarship programme
• participated in the Lego Robotics League
• attended Oxford University’s Oxplore Festival at Callywith College
• won the county wide Faraday challenge and hosted our own Redruth Faraday challenge
• invited Oxford University to lead a chemistry challenge day at Redruth School
• hosted numerous speakers from different industries including forensic psychology, space & aeronautics, Navy engineering, law, and an array of medical visitors as part of our Medics Academy, amongst others.

Upcoming Events: 

• Aspirations Fayre
• STEM Week
• Oxford University Science Workshop
• Royal Society of Chemistry Workshop
• Lego League
• Falmouth University Trips
• Super Saturday
• Oxplore Festival
• Oxplore Hackathon
• Oxford University Trip

For further information please contact Ms Katie Hill, More Able Co-ordinator, khill@redruth.cornwall.sch.uk.

Oxford University Trip

In March, a wonderful group of 26 Year 10 students visited Oxford University’s Exeter College to experience life as an undergraduate student for the day.

They participated in English, Politics and Medicine led by postgraduate research students. It was fantastic to seem them engaged at a high level, asking questions, contributing to discussions and developing critical thinking skills. We covered in topics as far reaching as modern-day democracy to gene editing to the Zapatistas in Mexico to vaccine development to poverty & satire in the 18th century. We had a tour of the college, experiencing what it was like to be surrounded by stunning architecture and eating in the college’s medieval dining hall.

Students reflected on ‘How much more accessible it is than I thought’ in their feedback countering previous perception of Oxford as outside the reach of those from lower income backgrounds. 25% more of the students said they would now consider going to university compared to before the trip.