Greater Depth: Pupil Pen Portraits and Personalised Challenge

Recently I worked with two schools within a trust on their identification of pupils who are working at greater depth. This is a piece of work I'm doing in varying ways with different schools. At the moment, the schools who are doing something about this are ahead of the curve and are doing things that eventually other schools will want to catch up with. I'm trying to share lots of elements of the work we do together to help you and your school to do just that.

How to assess pupils working at greater depth?

Regular readers of my blog might be familiar with the approach that I've been developing. There's something of that approach in the blog post 'Assessment: How Can I Identify Greater Depth Children In Foundation Subjects?' although I further developed it in the following post: 'Personalising Challenge for Pupils Working at Greater Depth'. In the latter blog post I shared something from a Teach Primary article I wrote: a list of traits that could be used to identify pupils who are working at greater depth when linked to successful meeting of age-related expectations:

• Is ambitious

• Possesses a belief that they will succeed

• Displays high levels of effort

• Has a hunger for learning

• Appears to learn at a quicker pace

• Is willing to learn from mistakes

• Shows resilience when things are hard

• Always goes the extra mile

• Demonstrates attention to detail

• Seems to have an inherent ability

• Holds a long-term view of achievement

• Is creative and innovative

• Possesses a problem-solving mindset

Pupils working at greater depth still have gaps

In that blog post I wrote:

Take either of the above lists and imagine a child who you know is most probably working at greater depth in a certain subject. It is highly unlikely that they will exhibit every single one of those traits - a child could be working at greater depth in a primary foundation subject without ticking all those boxes.

And often, when dealing with primary-aged pupils, even those who are clearly working at greater depth by whatever metric are not the finished article, the perfect specimen. We all have things we can develop, things we can improve on, things we can get better at.

Pen portraits of pupils working at greater depth

When working with the aforementioned schools, we created a bespoke list such as the one above, and to aid staff training, we put together some pen portraits to exemplify the above points: that although a child may clearly be working at greater depth, they still have personal areas for development.

The point we wanted to make was the one that I made in my last blog post: personalised targets are the perfect way to challenge pupils who are working at greater depth.

Take a look at the following pen portraits and see if you can identify both the strengths and the areas for development for each child:

Gracie Year 5 PE - Greater Depth 

Gracie has consistently demonstrated a passion for physical education, particularly in football and rugby, aligning well with the national curriculum's emphasis on developing skills and teamwork. Her ability to articulate her thoughts during discussions showcases her oracy skills; she speaks articulately and employs an extensive vocabulary relevant to the subjects tackled in lessons. As a driven individual, Gracie goes above and beyond in her participation, often displaying a state of immersion during activities, which facilitates her learning and enhances the experience for her peers.

In terms of strength, Gracie meets age-related expectations and exhibits a number of characteristics with increasing independence. Her engagement in football and rugby not only highlights her enthusiasm for sports but also reflects her ability to demonstrate sustained attention to the tasks at hand. While Gracie has displayed some ideas when working in groups, she has yet to fully embrace the role of a leader by managing, organising tasks, and motivating her classmates.

Leo Year 3 History - Greater Depth

In Year 3, as part of the history curriculum covering the periods from the Stone Age to the Iron Age and Ancient Egypt, Leo has exemplified several commendable strengths while also presenting an area for development. His curiosity is evident; he frequently asks insightful questions and demonstrates a desire to explore topics beyond the curriculum. For instance, during our discussions about ancient civilisations, Leo engaged in thoughtful enquiry regarding daily life in Ancient Egypt, often seeking to connect these ideas to modern practices.

Leo also showcases a remarkable sense of self-efficacy. He confidently articulates his understanding of historical events and concepts, resulting in his ability to work at a brisk pace, often completing tasks with a high degree of success ahead of his peers. His pride in his work is reflected in the attention to detail he exhibits in his projects, which consistently highlight his commitment to achieving quality outcomes.

While he demonstrates a strong understanding of history through his written work, his spoken contributions tend to lack the eloquence and vocabulary expected for his age group. Encouraging him to articulate his thoughts more elaborately will not only enhance his participation but also empower his overall confidence in sharing ideas during group settings. With continued support, I am confident that Leo will further develop in this area. 

Blake Year 1 RE - Greater Depth

Blake has shown commendable strengths in his Religious Education, particularly in exploring the special places of worship within Christianity and Islam. His ability to apply prior knowledge innovatively has allowed him to make meaningful connections between these faiths. For example, when discussing the significance of churches and mosques, Blake effectively conveyed his understanding of their communal roles, demonstrating a creative approach to linking concepts across religious contexts.

Blake consistently completes tasks ahead of his peers while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. His pride in his work is evident, as he presents assignments that meet, and often exceed, age-related expectations, showcasing his skill in articulating complex ideas.

However, Blake tends to shy away from asking questions or expressing a desire to pursue topics beyond the immediate curriculum. Encouraging Blake to investigate further and pursue his interests outside the classroom could help foster a deeper engagement with the subject matter. Sustaining this focus on curiosity will enhance his overall learning experience in Religious Education.

Greater depth pen portraits and your school

Hopefully the above pen portraits exemplify how such a generic list could be used across the foundation subjects to help you to identify pupils who are working at greater depth. They should also show how such a generic list or set of criteria can be used to set next steps for development. The above pen portraits also show that it is perhaps not necessary to drill down into specific objectives, or to create more subject-specific objectives for extension or challenge.

I think they also showcase a potential way to report on children who are working at greater depth - the pen portraits read very much like end of year report statements, albeit in more detail than is perhaps usual these days.

Making impactful change in your school can be overwhelming. I know - I've been there myself and have guided many other school leaders through the process. I can help you to build the enriching experience you want for your pupils.

Your 3-step enrichment plan:

1. Drop me an email

2. Have a phone call with me to talk about your school

3. We'll work together to empower you and your staff to enhance teaching and to enrich your pupils' lives

Take a weight off your mind today - let me spin a couple of your plates!