Key Stage 3: Most Able

At Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) the Most Able programme is open to students who have achieved at least 110+ in their Key Stage 2 SATs tests and who demonstrate high learning potential.

As a school we aim to provide many opportunities for our most able students and to encourage them inside and outside the classroom to achieve and exceed their potential. We are keen for them to achieve the highest possible grades and aspire to study at the UK’s, and world’s, leading universities.

Year 7

Most Able students in Year 7 will be placed into small groups and will follow a six week ‘Future Plans’ programme. This takes place once a week during a form time. The programme looks at university life /courses and will get students to consider future pathways to success. They will also have question and answer sessions with a variety of guests enabling them to gain confidence with communication as well as building knowledge of careers and educational pathways.

Year 8

Most Able students in Year 8 are invited to participate in the Year 8 Challenge. Ten tasks are set for the year which will challenge the students academically (eg the Maths Challenge) and personally by getting the students to develop their leadership skills and independence.

Year 9

Most Able students in Year 9 receive guided choices for their GCSE options allowing them to have the potential to achieve results that will take them to A Levels and to university should they choose to do so.

The link below will get you thinking in new and exciting ways about a number of subjects

12-14 years

Big thinking with real-world impact

  • BBC Future– A series which explores interesting questions, from ‘What’s the best age to learn a language?’ to ‘Can AI help cure loneliness?’
  • Oxplore– As the ‘Home of Big Questions‘, Oxplore tackles complex ideas and offers a chance for you to debate and think widely across a range of subjects while drawing on the latest research undertaken at Oxford.
  • The Oxplore Book Club– Discover a new book every month until the summer break, and enjoy author profiles, quizzes, videos and more. You will be able to submit your own book reviews for the chance to win prizes and there will be a monthly book chat on Zoom with some very special guests.
  • Ted Talks– Short and fascinating talks discussing lots of bold ideas.
  • Zooniverse– A chance for you to contribute online to real-life research projects.

For all subjects…

  • Staircase 12– A hub of resources and information to help you explore your subjects outside the classroom, run by University College, Oxford.
  • My HE Plus– Created by the University of Cambridge, this website helps you to explore subjects beyond the classroom.

Subject-specific resources

  • Art – The Louvre -A virtual tour of the Louvre Art Gallery in Paris.
  • Art –The National Gallery  An online version of the National Gallery’s collections, where you can explore works of art.
  • Biology Royal Society of Biology– An educational resources hub from the Royal Society of Biology.
  • Chemistry– Royal Society of Chemistry – Chemistry resources, from podcasts to online games.
  • Classics– Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – A series of videos exploring the Classical world through the videogame Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
  • Computing – GeomLab– Introduces you to some of the most important ideas in computer programming.
  • Economics – Freakonomics– An introduction to economics and policy making.
  • Engineering– I Want to Study Engineering – If you’re interested in Engineering, check out these games.
  • Engineering– Tomorrow’s Engineers – Activities designed to introduce you to engineering principles and examples of real-life engineering challenges.
  • English– The Poetry Foundation – An interactive website bringing poetry to life.
  • English and History– Lest We Forget Project – A project aiming to collect and digitally archive First World War artefacts stored in bedrooms and attics across the UK.
  • History – Anne Frank Museum– A virtual tour of the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam.
  • History – British Museum– A virtual tour of the British Museum in London.
  • Geography– Royal Geographical Society – Subject resources, including podcasts, online lectures and articles.
  • Modern Languages, Linguistics– Creative Multilingualism – Find out how languages open doors to lots of different careers with Creative Multilingualism.
  • Science – American National Museum of Natural History– A virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
  • Science – Museum of Natural History tour– A virtual tour of the University’s Museum of Natural History.
  • Science– Oxford Sparks – An online portal for engaging with the exciting scientific developments happening at Oxford.
  • Mathematics– Plus Mathematics – An online magazine aimed at celebrating Mathematics.
  • Modern Languages – Duolingo– A resource for studying languages, available both online and as an app. It offers 30 languages and the format means you can study whenever suits you.
  • Music – Classical Music– The official website of the BBC Music Magazine, featuring podcasts, reviews and artist interviews.