DfES advice: 

Enrichment challenges need careful selection and presentation if they are to grab and maintain pupils’ interest.

The problem should appear neither too trivial nor too daunting.

Teachers need to spend time exploring such problems before their use in class. 

Policy Documents 

It is important that the department has a policy document so that there is a consistent and clearly laid out approach adopted by all members of staff. Some possible ways forward are:

Enrichment activities
Acceleration
Addressing the different learning needs of pupils and use a less structured approach
Developing more effective use of questioning skills
Use a more problem solving approach
Schemes of work need to have activities referenced
Gifted pupils to work on an additional project during some Maths lessons
Enroll Gifted pupils into an organisation such as the Government funded 
National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth

Reviewing your provision for Gifted Pupils

Click here to access an amended DfES document to allow you to Review your Provision for Gifted Pupils within Mathematics.

Guidance on teaching able mathematicians

The Key Stage 3 National Strategy supports secondary teachers in building on the improving standards in primary schools. Teachers have raised expectations for all pupils. This guidance is intended to help teachers provide for pupils who are more able at mathematics than most of their peers - Click here for DfES Guidance

Identifying able pupils in mathematics

The policies below have been largely constructed by combining various Dfes guidance documents and could easily form the basis of a departmental policy document on the Gifted in Mathematics.

Policy Version 1        
Policy Version 2
Policy Version 3 - Mark Dawes (AST Comberton Village College)

Turning the situation around

Year 8 objective

Use straight edge and compasses to construct the mid-point and perpendicular bisector of a line segment (pages 220–223).

Main activity

Construct triangles from given data. Construct the perpendicular bisector of each side; what do you notice?

Extension activity

You are given three points and told they are the mid-points of the sides of a triangle. Construct the triangle.

Click here to access the Dfes Handout which is designed to stimulate discussion within a Departmental Meeting.

Exemplar Work

Comberton Village College

David Blaine in a box - Presentation

St Alban's High School