High Achieving Pupils at Cornelius Vermuyden

All our pupils are individuals in their own right and have tremendous strengths and qualities; this makes our school such a vibrant and exciting place to be.
A proportion of our student community achieved SATs results at the end of Key Stage 2 that place them in the top performing collection of pupils in the country (sometimes referred to as ‘most able’ or ‘High Achievers’; this is an achievement our school must recognise and appreciate.
Where we believe every student is an individual, we have a duty to ensure that those who join the school with this level of ability are motivated and inspired to maintain and exceed this level of performance.
Therefore, our school is committed to challenge every pupil in the school so that all pupils -regardless of their starting point at secondary school – can achieve their goals.
We believe in potential; we believe that every pupil deserves to be challenged, in order to meet or exceed their potential.
We are a member of NACE (National Association for Able Children)

How do High Achievers perform at this school?

At Cornelius Vermuyden, High Achieving Pupils at this school perform better than similar pupils nationally.
In 2017, students made more than 1/3 of a grade better progress than similar students of high ability in the country.
Year on year, our High Achieving Pupils are doing better and better, which is leading them to more and more amazing opportunities.

How do we do it?

Focusing on providing high quality, challenging and inspiring lessons every day for our pupils.
Ensuring we establish high expectations for all our pupils in relation to how they approach their school life.
Inspiring pupils to become fascinated and excited with the process of learning.
Knowing our pupils and their individual needs – celebrating success and providing support.
Providing a range of fantastic extra curricular and enrichment opportunities that help create rounded, culturally rich individuals.
Giving pupils aspirational opportunities through excellent further education providers.

We are very proud of our pupil success and look to celebrate their achievements wherever possible. 2017 was a brilliant year for High Achievers – here are some of the highlights!

At GCSE, high achieving pupils made more progress than similar pupils nationally.
At GCSE, high achieving pupils achieved over 70% of the school’s total of A/A* (inc. grades 7-9) see here
In both Year 10 and 11, high achieving pupils achieved Grade 9’s in the new, tougher national exams in English, Maths and English. see here
Some pupils achieved membership to Mensa, with some pupils achieving Mensa scores within the top 3% of the country, and were featured on the BBC news (one pupil scored 161 –better than Steven Hawking- see here)
Many students achieved top marks in the national ‘Brilliant Club’ Scholars Programme (see here)
More former pupils than ever are gaining entrance to university – one former pupil in 2017 gained a place at Oxford University see here
We welcomed hundreds of pupils to our yearly master classes.

What we offer outside of the classroom

Year 5 Master classes
Brilliant Club Scholars Programme
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) activity days and trips.
AQA endorsed early qualifications.
Entry to UK Maths Challenge competitions
Mensa tests and membership.
Parent and Pupil ‘train your brain’ workshops
Duke of Edinburgh awards
Daily after school clubs for all subjects.
Trips and visits to Universities, including university information events for pupils and parents.
Trips and visits around the world, including to NASA headquarters!

For more information on enrichment, see here see here

What do parents say?

‘We are extremely happy that Cornelius Vermuyden recognised that our son was an able child. With their continued support, we are positive that he will achieve his dreams. Our son also thoroughly enjoys the ‘Brilliant Club’ which allows him a taste of university too. The support and information for us parents of gifted children, is also very helpful and informative.’
- Parent of a Year 9 pupil

‘It is great to see the school take such an interest in high achieving pupils & I know you have had many meetings with my child within his Bursary group & individually.’
- Parent of a Year 10 pupil

What do pupils say?

‘As a high ability student, I have been given many opportunities, such as the ‘Brilliant Club’, which has helped me to do well and feel supported even further.’
- Year 9 pupil

‘I have been given lots of great opportunities in and out of the classroom as a high achiever at this school. I am a much more confident public speaker and as a musician, I have been given lots of chances to perform in public. Thanks to the school’s extra curricular programme, I have been given lots of opportunities to try new experiences and learn new skills. All teachers are supportive and willing to help me as I prepare for my GCSE’s and I would definitely recommend this school to any pupils, but especially those who are high achievers.’
- Year 10 pupil

Put simply, we believe that by providing high quality learning opportunities in the classroom every day, our highest achieving pupils will thrive at this school. This can be seen in the impressive 2017 GCSE results and through pupil and parental feedback.

We also believe that through offering high quality enrichment and extra curricular activities, we are able to offer ways to excite and motivate pupils beyond the classroom.

Support for pupils and parents

Resources

Events, information and masterclasses in the local area can be found at www.excellenceeast.co.uk
For pupils and families: www.nagcbritain.org.uk
Ideas for support: www.gridclub.com
A range of publications: www.nace.co.uk
Extension opportunities: www.masterclasses.co.uk

National association of
Able Children in England

Cornelius Vermuyden are an official member of NACE (National association of Able Children in England).

Not only does this partnership support our development of our highest achieving pupils, it supports the development of every pupil in the school. We are committed to ensuring that a high level of challenge exists in the classroom in every lesson and to help potential convert to success and happiness for our pupils. We are firm believers that "rising tides lift all ships” and that if all students have a daily diet of challenging experiences at school and beyond, then this will help support their educational and personal development as learners and as people. Yet, as our 2016 GCSE results showed, those who come to us classed as more able achieve incredible results – for example, Callum Cuthbert leaving the school with 11 A* grades is an achievement that is not just well above the national average in terms of progress and achievement, but one that should be celebrated in terms of the school’s work with its high achieving pupils.

However, here at Cornelius Vermuyden, we promote the ethos that all children must be given access to a positive mindset in terms of their learning. The message is clear; all young people are capable of reaching any goal they set their mind to if they are challenged and show a positive attitude to self - improvement . Cornelius Vermuyden places challenge and the importance of a ‘growth mindset’ at the heart of its teaching and learning vision for our pupils and our association with NACE is supporting this commitment to all pupils at the school.