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Page 1: Teaching and Learning Policy 2012

Cavell Primary and Nursery School

Teaching and Learning

Written by: Sarah Adams

Date Written: September 2012

Review Date: September 2013

Signed

Rationale

At Cavell Primary and Nursery School we believe in the concept of lifelong learning and the notion that learning should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for everyone. Through the teaching and experiences we offer we equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices about the important things in their lives.

Aims and Objectives

This teaching and learning policy is intended to promote consistency, high standards and achievement of the school aims. We believe that children learn best in different ways. At Cavell we aim to provide rich and varied learning experiences that allows children to develop their skills and abilities to full potential. Through our teaching we aim to:

enable children to become confident, resourceful, enquiring and independent learners;

foster children’s self-esteem and help them build positive relationships with other people;

develop children’s self-respect and encourage children to respect the ideas, attitudes, values and feelings to others;

show respect for all cultures and in doing so, promote positive attitudes towards other people;

enable children to understand their local area and help them feel valued as part of the local community;

help children grow into reliable, independent and positive citizens

Learning Styles

We acknowledge that people learn in many different ways and we recognise the need to develop strategies that allow all children to learn in ways that best suit them.We offer opportunities for children to learn in different ways. These include:

investigation and problem solving whole class, pair, group and individual work research and finding out questioning use of the extensive outdoor area

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use of the computers/laptops across the curriculum fieldwork and visits to places of educational interest both in the local community and

further afield creative activities watching television/movie clips and responding to musical or recorded material debates, role plays and oral presentations designing and making things participation in physical activity reflecting on what has been learned

Teaching and Learning at Cavell

We aim to make all of our lessons fun, exciting and at times unpredictable. The Structure may change however there are always key elements which can be seen. Where appropriate, the following will be seen;

A didactic element of the lesson where the teacher explains the objectives and demonstrates or explains where necessary a knowledge, skill or understanding.

Modelling by the teacher to exemplify the learning intention. Posing of questions to encourage children to draw on their existing knowledge and

extend their thinking. During whole class/group work strategies such as the use of whiteboards, fans and

talk partners will be used to allow all children to respond. During group/independent work the children will be required to apply new

knowledge, understanding or skills they have been taught. Organisation of group/independent work will vary. The teacher will use their

professional judgement in deciding which form of organisation is most suitable for the particular lesson.

Children will work in a mixture of set and mixed ability groupings. Plenaries will be used during and at the end of every lesson. This time is used for

reviewing, reflecting and consolidating teaching points. It may also be used for presenting work and sharing in the celebration of work completed by others. The plenary provides the teacher to monitor and assess the work of some of the pupils. It will enable pupils to reflect upon and explain what they have learned and to clarify their thinking.

In addition to quality first class teaching in the classroom the school will employ other strategies to ensure that teaching and learning is as effective as possible through;

Use of specialist teachers/support staff: PE will be taught by a specialist member of support staff who will cover at least one of the PE lessons per week for each class. Outside agencies are also brought in from time to time to give specialist teaching in football, multi-skills and tennis. Music lessons are offered to individuals on a weekly basis and are taught by a specialist music teacher.

Use of ability grouping and setting: We believe that on occasion children learn best if they are working with children of a similar ability. This means that the teacher can get a very close match between what the children already know and what they need to learn next. Ability grouping can happen in two ways; firstly, within a class where the teacher puts all the children into groups based on their ability and secondly, across year groups/classes where children from different classes are put into groups according to ability. This is called ‘setting’.

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Use of booster classes and other study support activities: The school will offer children opportunity to attend ‘extra’ classes in Literacy and Numeracy if we feel that they will benefit from them. Other study support activities take place before and after school to support children in reaching their full potential.

Collaborative learning strategies: We believe that children can learn from each other and that we should provide regular opportunities for children to work together and share ideas. In every lesson where appropriate teachers will use ‘talk partners’ whereby children work together to test out others’ thinking and explain answers.

Specialist intervention for pupils with English as an additional language or Special Educational Needs: The school’s policy is to create and use an IEP for every child who has special educational needs and/or disabilities. Individual targets are both planned for through individual work, as well as being highlighted in differentiated whole class teaching.

What does good teaching look like at Cavell?

Challenging but achievable expectations, clear explanations and rigorous pace. At Cavell we base our teaching on our knowledge of the children’s level of attainment. Our prime focus is to develop further the knowledge and skills of the children. We strive to ensure that all tasks set are appropriate to each child’s level of ability. When planning work for children with special educational needs and disabilities we give due regard to information and targets contained in the children’s Individual Education Plan (IEPs). We have high expectations of all children and we believe that their work should always be of the highest standard.

Varied and flexible teaching styles are used, dependent on the task and the individual needs of the learner.

We set whole school, group and individual targets for the children in each academic year and we share these with the children and parents. Targets are reviewed formally each half term, setting revised targets at this point or before if achieved.

Teachers show secure knowledge of the areas they are teaching Staff have an exciting, enthusiastic approach to learning which will help inspire,

motivate and engage our children Clear focus is given through explicit learning intentions and success criteria, which

identify what learners’ need to understand and be able to do in order to achieve. Our learning objectives come from units within the International Primary Curriculum which in turn come from the National Curriculum, Primary Strategies and the Early Years Curriculum. Our planning contains information about the tasks to be set, the resources needed and the way we assess the children’s work. We evaluate our weekly planning so that we can modify and improve teaching in the future.

Good use of additional adults and resources is made to support the children’s learning. We continually revise the deployment of staff and position them considering both their skill set and the current need of the classes and individuals. Classes in upper Key Stage two have two teachers per class of thirty children to reduce the pupil/teacher ratio so to accelerate progress and allow children to leave our school with the best chance of reaching their full potential. Support staff are deployed to work with groups and individuals. They will also assist with the preparation and storage of classroom resources. On occasion, teaching assistants will teach whole classes.

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Positive behaviour management strategies are used to motivate and encourage pupils to respond appropriately and help create a climate for learning. All adults follow school policy with regard to discipline and classroom management. We set and agree with children the class code of conduct and refer to this regularly. We praise children for their efforts and, by so doing, we help to build positive attitudes towards school and learning in general.

Opportunities for self-evaluation and reflection are built in throughout the session. Teachers also reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and plan for their professional development needs accordingly. The school has systematic procedures for identifying strengths and weaknesses in teaching and provides opportunities for teachers and support staff to continually improve their practice through courses, peer observation and working and with in house training.

A consistent approach is used, in line with whole school policies and procedures. A relaxed yet purposeful learning environment is created. Learning is linked to pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. A range of question types are used. Pupils are encouraged to generate their own

questions. Information is presented in short chunks, which enables pupils to maintain their

concentration. There is good interaction and communication between children as well as between

adults and children. All of our teachers and adults work hard to establish good working relationships with all the children in the class. We treat the children with kindness and respect. We treat them fairly and give them equal opportunity to take part in class activities.

Creative ideas are valued and actively encouraged. We ensure that all tasks and activities that children do are safe. Regular risk

assessments are carried out.

What does good learning look like at Cavell?

We asked some of our children what qualities learners should demonstrate and they came up with the following list:A good learner is someone who….

Asks lots of questions Keeps thinking when they get the answer wrong Looks interested by having bright eyes and a big smile Doesn’t give up even when it’s really hard Gives others the chance to talk even when you are excited to get your point of view

across Asks for help Takes a risk and has a go even when they’re scared Enjoys learning new things Can explain what they have learnt to someone else Can use what you have learnt in one lesson in another Listens and respects what others say even though you might not agree Tries to solve the problem themselves before asking an adult Shares their ideas with others

The Learning Environment

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At Cavell we believe a positive learning environment sets the climate for learning and enables all children to access the curriculum. It should:

Be welcoming and inviting to children, staff, parents and the community by encouraging interaction and providing opportunities for good communication between home and school.

Each classroom has a board outside of the classroom which displays messages to parents, highlights learning taking place during the day/week/term and provides any feedback needed.

Each classroom should have a planning board where long and short term plans are clearly displayed along with routines/timetables, groupings and general class organisation.

Provide displays which support the current learning taking place through working walls and current vocabulary. Displays should be changed regularly with old material removed so the focus is on current teaching and learning.

It should reflect cultural and racial diversity. Support and challenge learning by ensuring appropriate resources are accessible for

the children, encouraging them to be independent in different areas of learning, including ICT. Also by reminding children that they are working towards personal goals and targets in their learning.

Celebrate achievement and value effort in the display and presentation of children’s current learning across the curriculum. It should help raise self-esteem and confidence. Work should be clearly named.

Be stimulating and thought provoking with the use of interactive displays, resources and different zones within each classroom that encourage children to explore, investigate and play.

Be warm, comfortable and clean with the provision of suitable and functional furniture and fittings.

Create an environment where children feel they belong and can foster a sense of pride within it.

Be safe and hazard free, both emotionally and physically. Encourage co-operative and collaborative learning and good working relationships

through the flexible use of space and the ability to adapt to whole class, group and individual learning.

Promote an appropriate atmosphere for learning supported by the school’s expectations and Code of Conduct.

Be well organised and uncluttered, using available space to best advantage.

Curriculum and Planning

The curriculum is all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum but also the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experience of the children. These include the use of the allotment in teaching children where food comes and supporting them in taking ownership of their health and diet in the way food is served in a family home style at lunch time. Cavell has a ‘hidden curriculum’ in terms of what the children learn from the way they are treated are expected to behave. We aim to teach children how to grow into positive and responsible people who can work and co-operate with others, while developing knowledge and skills so that they achieve their true potential. The aims of our school curriculum are:

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to enable all children to learn and develop their skills to the best of their ability; to promote positive attitudes towards learning so that children enjoy coming to

school and acquire a solid basis for lifelong learning; to teach children the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT); to enable children to be creative and to develop their own thinking; to teach children about their developing world, including how their environment and

society have changed over time; to enable children to be positive citizens in society; to fulfil all the requirements of the National Curriculum and the Locally Agreed

Syllabus for Religious Education and ICT; to teach children to have an awareness of their own spiritual development and to

understand right from wrong; to help children understand the importance of truth and fairness, so that they grow

up committed to equal opportunities for all; to enable children to build high self-esteem, have respect for themselves and to be

able to live and work co-operatively with others.

We plan our curriculum at three levels:

Whole School level – long termAt whole school level we have an agreed curriculum map for each year group. This indicates what topics are to be taught in each term, and to which groups of children. The curriculum map is made up of specific units of work taken from the International Primary Curriculum. Additional units of work are mapped out to ensure sufficient coverage of science, ICT, PE and PSHE. Cavell is a leading school for SEAL and we believe while blocks are planned and taught across the school the true success of this is because it is embedded within everything we do.

The six key skills that we aim to develop are:Communication - This includes listening, speaking, reading and writing.Application of number - This includes mental calculation skills and learning how to apply these skills to solving number problems.Information technology - This involves using new technology to find, analyse, interpret and present information. It also involves the skills necessary to use technology appropriately and successfully.Working with others - This involves the ability to work well with others as a team member or team leader. When children are offered the opportunity to work with others, they learn to consider the views of others and to develop the social skills of co-operation and mutual understanding.Improving own learning and performance - This involves children evaluating their own performance, and understanding what they need to do next in order to improve.Problem-solving - This skill involves learning how to apply common techniques to solve problems in a variety of contexts and situations in any aspect of life.

These key skills also link closely to the school’s focus on building children ability to continue lifelong learning through developing specifically:Readiness: Being ready and willing to learn e.g. being motivated, set goals and have a positive attitude to learning.

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Resourcefulness: Being ready, willing and able to learn in different ways e.g. ask questions, imagine and make links.Resilience: Being ready, willing and able to lock on to learning e.g. persevere and manage distractions.Responsibility: Being ready, willing and able to work alongside and with others.Reflectiveness: Being ready, willing and able to become more strategic about learning e.g. reflecting, improving and practicing their work.

Year Group level – medium termWithin our medium-term plans we give clear guidance on the objectives and teaching strategies that we use when teaching each topic. As we have adopted the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies for our school as they currently stand, we take our medium-term planning directly from the guidance documents. Teachers use the Norfolk agreed schemes and plans for RE. Our medium term planning also takes account of children’s interests. Teachers begin each unit of work with a ‘knowledge harvest’ with all children to find out what they already know and what they would like to learn within themes / units; then consider what the best learning sequence will be.

Class level – short termOur short-term plans are those that our teachers write on a weekly basis and are usually annotated daily. We use these to set out the learning objectives for each session, to identify what teaching strategies will be employed, how the children will be grouped, what differentiation there will be, what resources are required and the success criteria. These plans are evaluated at the end of the day / week and used to inform future planning.

Assessment, Recording and Reporting

We believe that effective assessment provides information to improve teaching and learning. We give our children regular feedback on their learning so that they understand what it is that they need to do to continually improve. We use information collected from assessments to allow us to plan lessons based on detailed knowledge of each pupil. We strive to ensure that all tasks set are appropriate to each child’s level of ability. Our lesson plans make clear the learning objectives for each lesson. We make a note of those individual children who do not achieve at the expected level for the lesson and use this information when planning for the next. We also keep this information as a record of progress made by the class. We give parents regular reports on their child’s progress so that teachers, children and parents are all working together to raise standards for all of our children.

Procedures used by the school National statutory tasks and tests: These are externally produced and are taken at

the end of the Key Stages 1 & 2. They enable us to compare pupils’ and the school’sperformance against local and national benchmarks. We use this information to settargets for improvement.

National non-statutory tasks and tests (optional SATS): These are externallyproduced and we administer them every term in Years 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to enable us to keep track of children’s progress and to set targets for improvement.

Foundation Stage profile: Assessments used during and at the end of Reception Development Matters: Assessment used at the beginning and throughout nursery,

continuing into reception.

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Marking: This concentrates on learning objectives and focuses on how well the learning objective has been achieved as well as giving guidance for future improvement.

Teacher assessment: This is used to provide on-going information about how well children are achieving in each subject. In Literary, Numeracy and Science it supports information gathered from formal tests. In all other subjects it is the main way in which judgments about children’s attainment are made.

Peer Self-Assessment: Teachers provide regular opportunities for children to self and peer assess in order for them to have ownership of their learning.

Mid-Year Reports: These are based on learning behaviours and attitudes and are used as a discussion with parents during the second parent/teacher interviews in the spring term.

Annual reports: These show assessment in all curriculum areas for all pupils. They are written by class teachers with contributions from support staff. N.C. levels and attainment of expectations are noted in core subjects

Pupil Asset (whole school tracking): Pupil Asset is used to track children’s progress and attainment every term. Teachers enter children’s levels and are able to see which children are in need of targeting. Termly meetings are held with the assessment co-ordinator and the Special Educational Needs co-ordinator to discuss children of concern and put actions into place.

Role of the Parent/Carer in Teaching and Learning

We believe that parents have a fundamental role to play in helping their children to learn.We do all we can to inform parents about what and how their children are learning by:

holding parents’ evenings to explain our school strategies for teaching and learning and to provide information about children’s attainment;

sending information to parents in the form of a ‘magazine’ called the CavTell at the start of each half term in which we outline the topics that the children will be studying;

sending half yearly and annual reports to parents in which we explain the progress made by each child and indicate how the child can improve further;

explaining to parents how they can support their children with home/school learning. We suggest, for example, regular shared reading with very young children, and support for older children with their Home / School learning projects.

hold at least termly ‘learning mornings/afternoons’ in the form of reading cafes and Maths Magician Mornings. These are informal events where methods and ideas are shared with parents, time is spent in class with their child and a creative task is provided for the children to complete with their parent.

We believe that parents have the responsibility to support their children and the school in implementing school policies. We would like parents to:

ensure that their child has the best attendance record possible; ensure that their child is equipped for school with the correct uniform and PE kit; do their best to keep their child healthy and fit to attend school; inform school if there are matters outside of school that are likely to affect a child’s

performance or behaviour; promote a positive attitude towards school and learning in general; fulfil the requirements set out in the home/school agreement.

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Role of the Governor in Teaching and Learning

The school’s governors determine, support, monitor and review the school policies on teaching and learning. In particular they:

support the use of appropriate teaching strategies by allocating resources effectively; ensure that the school buildings and premises are best used to support successful

teaching and learning; monitor teaching strategies in the light of health and safety regulations; monitor how effective teaching and learning strategies are in terms of raising pupil

attainment; ensure that staff development and performance management policies promote good

quality teaching; monitor the effectiveness of the school’s teaching and learning policies through the

school’s self-review processes.Governors at Cavell are actively involved in supporting and monitoring teaching and learning. They do this in a number of ways. They receive reports from subject leaders which gives them information about the current status of their subject. The Curriculum Committee monitors implementation of the school improvement plan, evaluates and advises on schemes of work and reviews policies. The full Governing Body receives a termly headteacher’s report in the format of an update of the SIDP and data. Governors also carry out focus visits to the school to look at a specific aspect of teaching and learning.

Monitoring and Review

The aims and objectives outlined in this policy are evident in the day to day working of the school. This will be monitored through:

classroom observation the progress of the School Action Plan external inspection LA General Primary Adviser support value added data communication with children, parents and the rest of the school community staff professional reviews in line with the Performance Management policy

We are aware of the need to review the school teaching and learning policy regularly so that we can take account of new initiatives, changes in the curriculum, developments in technology or changes to the physical environment of the school.


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