St Cedd’s School celebrates NACE Challenge Award accreditation

St Cedd’s School has recently been accredited with the prestigious National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) Challenge Award. The independent co-educational preparatory school on New London Road in Chelmsford is the 423rd school to receive this award, which is given in recognition of school-wide commitment to high-quality provision for more able learners, within the context of challenge for all.

NACE CEO, Sue Riley, says, “St Cedd's School has worked hard to attain accreditation through the NACE Challenge Award. It has shown itself to be committed to developing an environment in which all learners are challenged and supported to be the best they can be.”

The award is based on the NACE Challenge Framework, which is available as part of the NACE Challenge Development Programme – a suite of resources developed by NACE to help schools evaluate and improve their provision for more able learners; a key focus by Ofsted.

To gain the award, St Cedd’s School was visited by a NACE assessor who observed lessons, spoke with pupils and parents, and carried out a thorough review of pupils’ work. Only those schools who meet the exacting standards of NACE and who demonstrate a commitment to continuing high quality provision for their more able learners receive the award.

Mrs Ellie Hodivala, Deputy Head of St Cedd’s School, who champions the NACE Challenge work within the School, says, “Collating the evidence needed to achieve the NACE Challenge Award has given us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the breadth of learning opportunities at St Cedd's School. All pupils and staff fully embraced the process and it has inspired us to continue building on our excellent practice. By maintaining our forward-thinking approach to education, we can continue to ensure that all our pupils are provided with the best opportunities to maximise their potential.”

Sue Riley adds, “The award is presented in recognition of whole school commitment to and achievement in providing effective challenge and support for all – spanning school leadership, curriculum, teaching and learning, processes for identification and tracking, extra-curricular opportunities, strong communication and partnerships, and ongoing evaluation.”

St Cedd's School will join the NACE Leading Schools Network, a community of schools which have demonstrated a sustained and effective commitment to meeting the needs of more able learners, and an interest in sharing expertise for the wider benefit of the education community.

The experience and evidence gathered by Challenge Award-accredited schools shows that effective strategies to improve provision for the more able are likely to have a positive impact on the achievement of a much wider group of learners.

For further information, call 01245 392810 or email admissions@stcedds.org.uk.