The rationale of Extension at Dean Close School is two-fold: firstly, to make extension opportunities available throughout the School and, secondly, to ensure that the most able (up to 50) pupils are encouraged to take up a range of the extension opportunities on offer.
The Extension Group
Those in the Extension Group are strongly encouraged to avail themselves of extension opportunities under the guidance of academic supervisors who meet regularly to assess progress and discuss extension issues. A pupil will be included in the group if they meet one of the following criteria: Scholar, a VR score of 135 plus; a MidYIS score of 125 plus, eight plus A*s at GCSE; application for Oxbridge. These criteria will generate a group of between 5-10% per cent of the School, in keeping with national standards for Gifted and Talented programmes.
Extension Opportunities
These are generated primarily through excellent initiatives run by the academic departments. All opportunities are on the Extension Opportunities by Department list which is regularly updated. Each department’s headline extension events are published in the school diary, prefixed with an 
; they are also published on the extension website as the Extension Diary.
Outside department led initiatives are other key extension events: the Junior Academic Scholars’ Society (JESS) for the Fourth, Remove and Fifth forms and the Bowden Society for the Sixth Form. These societies meet twice a term and have a specific invitation list. However anyone keen to attend a meeting is more than welcome.
Secondly, a new initiative is the Lower Sixth Extension Lesson Programme which comprises timetabled lessons offered by for Maths/Statistics, Biololgy/Chemistry, Arts/Humanities. Each Lower Sixth Extension Group member will be required to attend one of these lessons per week. After that, numbers will be boosted by non Extension Group pupils who are keen, invited or encouraged to come by teachers, houseparents, tutors or parents. The lessons offer stimulation and ideas beyond the syllabus and are intended to be an exciting addition to the study of our most ambitious. The proposed schemes of work for these lessons are on Lower Sixth Extension Programme 2010-2011.
We believe that Extension revolves around the twin pillars of encouragement and opportunity; the programme we have started at Dean Close has been designed with both of these very much in mind. We are excited by the worlds beyond the syllabus and look forward to exploring fresh ideas and new horizons.