Teaching And Learning Policy

VISION

What is the ethos of the school?

Worthwhile education concerns the promotion of knowledge over ignorance, of truth over falsehood, of concern for others over selfishness and of effort over sloth.
This philosophy of excellence is brought to life by ensuring challenge for all. Indeed our motto, ‘Love as Brethren’, obliges us to do justice to the educational needs of the range of pupils that make up our school community.
We ensure excellence for all via our Teaching & Learning Charter. This document encapsulates best practice and is ordered around six vital areas:
Planning – benefit from and contribute to the sharing of best practice, joint planning and peer observation;
Lessons – model lessons on starters, active learning and plenary approach;
Challenge – ensure lessons provide differentiation for pupils;
Homework – regular setting of homework; Marking – regular marking of books, offering targets and assessing progress against targets;
Intervention – targeted support for pupils after each TRIPS (tracking & reporting) round.

How do we get to know our pupils?

Primary liaison colleagues provide transition information.
New pupils participate in an induction day in July.
A combination of the general pastoral system, the TRIPS process and the follow-up mentoring sessions provide us with profiles of our pupils as learners.
Particular needs and dispositions are identified and addressed, e.g. SEN (Individual Education Plans and Learning Support Assistants) and G&T (central & department registers and extension & enrichment opportunities).
Pupils’ learning skills (learning to learn & assessment for learning) are developed and sharpened to encourage self-awareness and augment self-confidence.

PEDAGOGY

What kind of teaching do we celebrate and practice?
Challenge animates all of our thinking and practice. Challenge involves a positive, ambitious and empowering approach to teaching and learning. Challenge is distinguished by the following:

Establish the correct starting point: include input from pupils on what they already know and understand, prior to planning – use questioning, mind maps, etc.
Use a range of higher order, open-ended questioning: encourage critical and creative thinking across and beyond the curriculum – encourage pupils to justify their responses with reasons.
Encourage the development of learning skills: move praise beyond outcomes and attainment to traits such as persistence, use of appropriate strategies, problem solving and effort (learning to learn).
Increase learner participation and understanding: develop self and peer assessment to recognise what can be improved, which is then acted upon to ensure progress (assessment for learning).
Encourage learners to ask questions they can pursue independently: celebrate the asking of questions as much as the answering of them.
Develop an ethos of high expectation: reflect this ethos in planning, pitch of lessons and the classroom environment. Include high level subject specific language and quality resources.
Discuss and exemplify high level responses: use real examples of pupils’ work with explicit reference to KS3 L8 & Exceptional Performance and GCSE & A Level A*.
Set ambitious pupil targets: utilise data generated targets as the minimum expectations – organise these as appropriate, clear steps.
Use flexible pupil groupings: there should be criteria for effective group work.
Plan opportunities to develop pupils’ ability and skills to work independently: provide rich research opportunities, with reference to quality materials.

MONITORING

How do we track and support pupils’ learning?

Prior attainment data is used to set target levels/grades for pupils.
The TRIPS process is used to formalise and capture the professional judgements of staff vis-à-vis the performance of pupils.
A targeted mentoring system is used as the instrument of rational intervention, e.g. underachievers are provided with support to challenge them and high-achievers are provided with further stretch and challenge.
A developing pupil voice conduit provides a mechanism for pupil feedback to be gathered and assessed in the service of reviewing monitoring procedures.

TRAINING

How do we support and develop our staffs’ teaching?

Faculties/departments are encouraged to adopt the teacher learning community (TLC) model of collaboration. Sharing best practice, lesson drop-ins and moderation of assessed work are key features of this approach.
The faculty review system provides an on-going account of curriculum performance and innovation. Importantly it flags up training needs and opportunities.
Our third specialism (Training) provides a catalyst to identify, and structures to satisfy, staff training needs. A key component of the specialism concerns benefitting from in-house expertise. The goal is to deliver a CPD curriculum for staff to drive pedagogical innovation and stimulate career progression. This is being spearheaded through the MA programme with Canterbury Christ Church.
The performance management process is constructed around the Teaching & Learning Charter to ensure the principles of best practice inform staff training.

EVALUATION

How do we know if we are being successful?

Analysis of pupils’ target levels/grades against TRIPS, teacher assessments and public examinations data.
Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice via performance management and faculty self-evaluation.
Faculty reviews, which encompass subject documentation, lessons observations, book monitoring and pupil voice, provide a quality assurance mechanism vis-à-vis teaching and learning.
The developing pupil voice system, with pupils being trained to use technical language, provides feedback from the learners’ perspective.

REVIEW

How will we improve?

Strategic appraisal informs planning and initiatives.
The vital six areas of the Teaching & Learning Charter animate review work.