The recent government changes to assessment in the UK, together with an increased requirement to develop a rigorous curriculum, has meant schools and school leaders are challenged to take curriculum and assessment design seriously. With this new focus and freedom comes excitement but also unease, as teachers sense a gap in their expertise when it comes to designing new systems. Simultaneously, the nature of CPD has been reinvigorated in the digital age with teachers inspired by online resources, Twitter and educational blogs. The result? Teachers are taking their development into their own...

In the past schools have labelled the most able students in a class or year group as ‘gifted and talented’. While segregating these students may help them to achieve their academic potential, there is little benefit in this practice for their ‘less able’ classmates. Even less so for those who are left in the middle space, identified as neither highly academic nor severely struggling. The Stretch and Challenge model focuses on setting high expectations for all students, regardless of their ability. Encouraging all children to meet universally high targets introduces flexibility...