No challenge is too big for the bright young things at Pikes Lane Primary School

The school in Deane is has received the NACE - National Association for Able Children in Education – Challenge Award.

Pikes Lane is the first school of its kind to have achieved this award. The school educates children from varied backgrounds and a remarkable 31 home languages spoken there.

The award recognises schools which stretch their most able children.

And Pikes Lane Primary School prides itself on stretching every single child and developing their confidence to face all challenges and never give up.

Assessors for the NACE Challenge Award reported: “The school data reflects outstanding progress of the most able in both key stages.”

They added that one of the strengths of the school was a “clear whole school focus on improvement for all including the most able”.

Headteacher Louise McArdle said: “There are thousands of schools and only 300 have received it.

“The Challenge Award recognises outstanding teaching for the most able.

“We are delighted with the award.”

She added: “Our children are not scared of a challenge and not to give up”.

Miss McArdle said that challenging all children, including the brightest, was vital so they see something they find hard as something positive rather than thinking they have failed.

In line with the growth mindset principal, Pikes Lane Primary School knows that its children thrive on challenge and rather than give up on something , they keep going and are not afraid to say that they are finding something in class difficult.

Visual aids are used, for example children can point to a big-U drawing on a noticeboard, and are not embarrassed to be in the pit – rather they see it as a challenge, an achievement and learning curve to get out.

One Year Three pupil told assesssors “I am in the pit but that is okay as I know how to get out of it.”

As well as children pointing out where they are in their learning on the U-drawing, other pupils don super-coach hats to help others in class, iGenius where pupils teacher others about technology; whizz kids where pupils sign-up to lead on activities and teach others, and an advanced readers club.

Assessors found: “All pupils were engaged and challenged.

“Energy levels in classrooms was high.”

Miss McArdle said: “The children know if they work hard enough they can achieve what they want.”

Youngsters at the school say they feel proud when they have solved something that at first seem incredibly hard.

Madiha Ahmed, aged 11, said: “Super coaches help pupils if they get stuck on something.

“We are work hard whizzes who never give up and I feel proud and more confident by getting the answer to something I found difficult.”

Mikhail Patel, aged 10, added: “It makes me feel good that I don’t give up.

“Being challenged makes lessons more enjoyable.”

The Challenge Award is one of a number of awards achieved by the school.

Others include the Inclusion Quality Mark, which praised the school for valuing every member of the school for “who they are and what they might become”; Investors in People Award and Health and Well-being Award.