’I pray that you……may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ’ Ephesians 3:18

                                                                                                           

Countess Anne School

A Church of England Academy

Living God’s Love through…

•  Academic provision that recognises the need for excellence in teaching and learning.
•  Holistic provision that encourages Christian hope; building spirit and soul through faith orientated pastoral care.
•  Inspirational provision through a modern curriculum that celebrates diversity and provides new opportunities.

 

Teaching and Learning Policy

 

         Teaching and Learning is the purpose of our school:

        

         It is the method through which we offer a curriculum which is broad and balanced and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, Religious Education and Collective Worship.  Teaching and Learning takes place within a whole school context (both within the classroom and the wider school environment) and beyond school boundaries into the community.

      

         The school’s shared aims are:

         To encourage the mental, physical and spiritual growth of the children; stimulating their imaginations; opening their eyes to the world around them whilst developing their powers of reasoning, enabling them to apply the skills they have learnt to real life situations.

         To prepare them to become aspirational, confident, well-grounded and informed adults by teaching them skills which will form the basis of their future needs.

         To enable them to apply the key skills of Mathematics, English, and Computing both fluently and knowledgeably.

         To help them appreciate the breadth and depth of learning through the development of the humanities, the arts, music, movement and drama through direct experience.

         To help them to understand and engage with the religious traditions and heritage on which our society is based, helping them to make critical and realistic judgements about their own views and those o others.

         To give them opportunities to explore the diversity of our country’s culture and an understanding of how the British Values might contribute to a cohesive society.

Principles of Teaching and Learning:

         We see teaching and learning as a process of co-operative teamwork.  We welcome and encourage the involvement of parents and others in the community.

         All members of the school community (teaching and support staff, parents, pupils and governors) work towards the school’s aims by:

 

•  Esteeming children as individuals and respecting their rights, values and beliefs.
•  Recognising that children learn in different ways, adapting our teaching styles accordingly, e.g. through the use of Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic, (V.A.K) methods.
•  Fostering and promoting good relationships and a sense of belonging to the school community.
•  Providing a well ordered environment in which all are aware of behavioural expectations.
•  Offering equal opportunities in all aspects of school life and recognising the importance of different cultures.
•  Encouraging, praising and positively reinforcing good relationships, behaviours and work.
•  Working as a team, supporting and encouraging one another.

 

More specifically:

          TEACHERS work towards the school’s aims by:

 v Encouraging accelerated learning through the agreed strategies taken from the ALPS approach resource book.

      These include:

 

1) Creating a secure learning base camp by:

•  Providing a visual timetable for each day
•  Displaying learning intentions for the different lessons; refer to the steps through which a pupil can progress through the Bloom’s Taxonomy assessment triangle.
•  Displaying a carpet and table seating plan and group lists
•  Defining your own space and protocol for pupils to access it
•  Create a focus area around the board
•  Ensuring that there are clear resource bases that children can access and that different areas are easily defined
•  Clear clutter
•  Display aspirational posters on their classroom door.
•  Displaying a noise indicator

 

     2) Explaining how pupils’ learning fits into a bigger picture of learning -

•  Use a Harvest of Knowledge session when introducing new Time and Place topics.
•  Display the Bloom’s Taxonomy Assessment Triangle
•  Promote the use of the 5Rs of Learning: Responsibility, Resilience, Reasoning, Reflection and Resourcefulness in order to foster positive approaches to learning within and beyond the school.
•  Display a ‘3 before me’ expectation

 

3) Ensure that lessons are interactive:

•  Teachers are to encourage a no hands up approach.
•  Questioning is to be done through differentiated questions – follow-up questions being used to extend learning.
•  Pupils are to have ‘Thinking Partners’.
•  Use strategies of Review and Recall to develop retention
•  To encourage peer and self-assessment against lesson criteria and pupils are to be aware of ‘next steps’ in their learning.

  Plan and provide a challenging and stimulating programme of study designed to enable all children to reach the highest standards of personal achievement.

• Recognising and being constantly aware of the needs of each individual child.
• Ensuring that learning is progressive and continuous.
• Being good role models - punctual, well prepared and organised.
• Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of both the School’s and National Curriculum and assessment procedures.
• Having a positive attitude to change and the development of their own expertise through INSET and school based activity.
• Working collaboratively with a shared philosophy and commonality of practice.

 

         PUPILS work towards the schools aims by:

•  Demonstrating the School Values.
•  Coming to school in good health maintained by adequate diet, exercise and sleep.
• Attending school regularly and on time.
• Following the school’s behaviour expectations.
•  Being increasingly more organised as they progress through the school eg bringing PE kit, taking home letters and messages, returning reading books.
• To take increasing responsibility for their own learning.

 

           PARENTS/CARERS work towards the school’s aims by:

•  Ensuring that their child attends school in good health, regularly and punctually, avoiding term time holidays.
•  Ensuring that their child is dressed in school uniform, and has PE Kit and suitable outdoor clothing for playtimes.
•  Being realistic about their child’s abilities and participating in discussions concerning their child’s progress and attainment.
•  Contacting school as early as possible to discuss matters affecting their child’s happiness, progress and behaviour.
•  Supporting their child in his/her learning, giving due importance to homework, hearing reading, and assisting in learning of tables and spellings.
•  Attend parent consultation meetings
•  Providing support for the discipline within the school and for the teacher’s role.
•  Showing respect for the Christian ethos on which the school is based.

 

         GOVERNORS work towards the schools aims by:

•  Fulfilling their statutory duties and contributing towards orderly and effective school management.
•  Maintaining an appropriate overview of the school’s organisation and curriculum.
•  Supporting members of the school community.
•  Taking an interest in school activities and showing commitment and support.

Strategies for Teaching and Learning

                                                       

         Planning

         Staff have agreed methods of planning for teaching and learning.  This includes planning for curriculum coverage, teaching methods and strategies, teaching organisation, resource management, personnel management and assessment.

 

         Assessment and marking

         Teachers use formative and summative assessment of pupil’s progress and attainment, in addition to daily marking in order to plan future work. Pupils’ progress is recorded on the school’s O-track system and specifically in the Pupil Progress Reviews. Details can be found in the school’s policies: Marking (through assessment for learning) and Assessment Policy.

 

         Support Staff

         Support staff working with classes are used to support children’s learning in a number of ways.  These may include:

 

•  working with individuals in or out of the classroom
•  working with a pair or small group in or out of the classroom
•  undertaking administrative/practical tasks.
•  Providing necessary cover when appropriate.
•  Other than during PPA the class teachers plan work for the support staff and are responsible for ensuring that the purpose of an activity is clear and any special instructions or outcomes are clear.

 

 

          Volunteers:

         Volunteers are welcomed in school. However if volunteers are to attend on a regular basis then all have to go through an enhanced DBS check before they can start. We value the contribution that they can make. They must work under the supervision of the class teacher who should ensure that the purpose of an activity is clear and any special instructions understood.

 

         Provision for pupils with SEN

         The school has a Disability and S.E.N inclusion policy based on the National Code of Practice and relevant guidance.  Extra support may be provided by external agencies or from LSAs who may work with children both in and out of the classroom, as appropriate.

 

         Homework

         We consider homework as a valuable element of the teaching and learning process. Please see the school’s homework policy for more details.

 

Strategies for ensuring Progress and Continuity

Policies and Schemes of work

         These are formulated by staff and agreed by the governors.  School staff are expected to act in line with these in all aspects of their work.

 

         Subject Leaders:

         Subject leaders are involved in:

•  leading the formulation of curriculum policies and medium term plans designed to ensure progression and continuity in their subject throughout the school
•  supporting colleagues in the production of work plans, the implementation of school policy and assessment and recording procedures.
•  monitoring teaching and learning in their subjects and advising the Deputy Headteacher and Headteacher if action is needed.

 Phase leaders:

Phase leaders are involved in:

•  supporting teachers in their team with the production of work plans, implementation of school policy and assessment and recording procedures.
•  monitoring teaching and learning in their phase and advising the headteacher of any action needed

 

Cross Phase Continuity:

The SMT is responsible for cross phase continuity which is ensured by:

•  the use of whole school curriculum policies and schemes of work
•  liaison between Phase Leaders in conjunction with the SMT
•  liaison between our link nurseries and the Reception teacher
•  liaison meetings between teachers of Year 6 and secondary transfer schools
•  transfer of pupil records of progress and summative assessment results.
•  transition workshops and projects

Strategies for the Use of Resources

        Classroom resources

         These are the responsibility of classroom teachers who ensure:

•  There is a range of appropriate, accessible and labelled resources available from which pupils can select (and return) materials suitable for the task in hand.
•  All children and staff working in the class know where resources are kept and any rules about their use (including issues of health and safety).
•  The classroom is a well organised environment where resources are respected, cared for and valued.

 

Central Resources

These are the responsibility of subject leaders & office staff, who are responsible for:

•  replacing, maintaining and updating equipment as appropriate within their allocated budget.
•  overseeing storage facilities and systems of retrieval.

 

However there is also a communal responsibility for the whole school in that all staff should endeavour to keep the school a neat and tidy learning environment.