General Guidance
Managing Provision:
Acceleration
Acceleration involves advancing a gifted or talented learner or a group of learners to work with older children or young people. It may also entail an entire cohort undertaking a course of study typically associated with older learners. Alternatively, a faster pace of learning can be introduced for smaller numbers of pupils without removing them from their regular class.
Schools can strategize for pupils to complete a key stage program of study ahead of schedule or to take one or more qualifications earlier than their peers. For example, a student might transition from the key stage 3 program of study to a GCSE course in year 9, complete the GCSE at the end of year 10, and then progress to the AS level in year 11.
Within the 14 to 19 educational phase, acceleration often involves taking qualifications earlier than expected for the student’s age. However, there is now a general aim within this phase to reduce the age-relatedness of learning and assessment opportunities, shifting the focus from ‘acceleration’ to a more individualized pace and progression through the phase. This is further elaborated in the section on Flexibility and the Curriculum.
Nevertheless, the provision for some students to progress at a faster pace than others and gain recognition for their achievements remains one aspect of differentiated provision. The key question remains: to what extent does planning and provision support a wide range of next steps for those who have advanced more quickly? These steps could encompass expanding experiences, exploring new areas of learning, opportunities to deepen understanding within a particular subject, and the chance to advance to the next level of learning and its associated qualification.
In addition to enabling pupils to make faster progress, acceleration may:
Broaden learning in the accelerated subject. For instance, a pupil who completes the key stage 2 program of study for music and art can then progress to performing arts work, making connections across various arts disciplines.
Deepen learning in the accelerated subject during the next key stage since more time becomes available. For instance, a pupil who completes the key stage 3 program of study in year 8 can commence GCSE courses in biology, chemistry, and physics at the beginning of year 9.
Result in less time being allocated to the accelerated subject in later years, allowing pupils to explore new subjects, such as modern foreign languages at the primary level or new courses in vocational areas or classics at key stages 3 and 4.
Acceleration in All Subjects:
Moving a pupil or student up a year or more in all subjects is uncommon but may be appropriate for some and should not be ruled out on principle. In such cases, institutions should:
Make decisions based on collected evidence over time.
Seek advice as needed, for example, from a subject adviser, management adviser, or educational psychologist.
Consider developing an individual education plan (IEP), similar to those used for special educational needs work.
Ensure that the individual, parent/carer, and teachers involved are in agreement with the plans.
Involve the gifted and talented coordinator fully.
Involve the school or college’s liaison coordinator, as appropriate.
Ensure that staff involved have received adequate and appropriate professional development.
Refer to any Local Education Authority (LEA) acceleration policy statement.
Points to Consider:
The flexibility of the national curriculum allows schools to incorporate material from later key stages without changing a learner’s class. This has implications for teachers’ professional development, especially in the primary phase.
Accelerated provision should not only be seen in terms of alternative content but also in terms of developing higher-order thinking skills and fostering greater autonomy.
Individual young children (usually the oldest in the year) may occasionally join the year above when there is little or no developmental difference. However, it is essential to monitor the situation in later years. This may be particularly relevant in mixed-age groups in primary schools.
Partial acceleration may be suitable for some children, such as a year 1 pupil working with a year 2 or 3 group for specific activities (e.g., writing, reading, or mathematical activities) while staying with peers for other activities. In mixed-age classes, partial acceleration may naturally occur as part of classroom organization.
Accelerating a cohort or class in the later secondary years can provide curriculum breadth and depth through additional learning opportunities, such as following an AS in Critical Thinking or rekindling an interest in creative art.
Accelerating learners to a class or classes with teachers untrained in receiving younger pupils can be counterproductive.
Acceleration can have significant emotional costs in terms of losing friends, which can be compounded by an individual’s lack of maturity, delayed emotional development, and smaller size.
Acceleration in the early years requires careful consideration, as some children enter school with more opportunities than others and may appear very bright until their less-advantaged peers catch up. This does not mean that more advanced children should stand still but rather that they should be encouraged to progress in their learning from the outset.
If acceleration takes place too early or too rapidly, there may be associated costs. For instance, an insufficient depth of understanding may provide an unstable foundation for future work.
The conditions under which acceleration occurs will vary across subjects; for example, some subjects require a certain level of maturity to attain sophistication in a student’s response, particularly at AS/A2 levels.
It is essential to have clear goals when considering accelerating a child, young person, or group, and it should not be seen as a short-term solution to a long-term problem (e.g., a lack of high-quality, well-differentiated teaching). Liaison is critical to ensure a smooth transition, whether from secondary to further and higher education, primary to secondary, first to middle, infant to junior, or pre-school to infant.
For examples of different ways of managing the acceleration process, refer to Case Study 13: Offering extra GCSEs from year 9 and Case Study 20: Stretching gifted linguists.
The chart below outlines some of the factors to consider when contemplating acceleration:
Advantages:
Acceleration may be suitable for individuals.
It enables highly able students to progress further and faster, enhancing motivation and self-esteem.
Drawbacks:
Content and interest levels may not always be suitable for younger pupils.
Links to the rest of the curriculum may be weaker due to content misalignment.
Emotional and physical issues may arise.
Considerations:
Whether acceleration would be socially and emotionally demanding for the learner; it may be most appropriate for the oldest individuals in a year group.
The need for careful planning to mitigate any disruption of curriculum content.
What happens in Year 6, the final year of school? Alternative strategies (e.g., distance learning, ICT, mentors with specialist skills) and partial acceleration (working with older children and young people for
