Teaching and Learning Policy
Introduction
This policy is central to our purpose as a place of learning. As a result, it reflects our beliefs and aims for everyone and is embedded in everything we do. We believe in the concept of lifelong learning and that both adults and children learn new things every day. We believe that learning should be rewarding and an enjoyable experience for everyone, it should be fun!
Our School Aims
To create a child centred, secure and inclusive environment in which everyone feels valued and respected, with equal opportunities for all.
• To promote positively the spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of all children, always with a sense of pride, purpose and self-motivation.
• To strive for the achievement of excellence.
• To promote positively the spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of all children, always with a sense of pride, purpose and self-motivation.
• To strive for the achievement of excellence by encompassing new ideas within a dynamic environment.
• To help children develop lively, enquiring minds so that they flourish in our ever-changing world.
• To explore and extend a child’s creativity and sensitivity by offering quality opportunities through all aspects of learning.
• To communicate effectively and with confidence.
• To establish an effective and constructive partnership between home, school and the community.
All children are set high expectations and are appropriately challenged
To strive to meet the challenges set by staff
To participate in opportunities provided by the school
To have a thirst for knowledge and understanding
Are keen and eager to learn
Can think outside the box
To provide a positive role model of the school’s expectations
To challenge individual learners appropriately
To give opportunities to develop higher level thinking skills
To know age appropriate learning
To know where your children are and be explicit in sharing their next steps and why
Appropriate use of assessment to set children’s next steps
Use of a range of targets
Set individual personal targets
A stimulating classroom
Well planned lessons that develop key skills
Use of success criteria to move children on
All children are actively engaged in their own learning and it is enjoyable
Lead their own learning by formulating questions and applying enquiry and research skills
Take an active role in all discussions and activities
Children are self-motivated
Clear learning intentions and success criteria
Clear instructions and key questioning to support and guide learning
Provide for different styles of learning
Learning based around questions formulated by children
Use talking partners and other strategies to promote higher order thinking skills
Teachers use visual, auditory and kinaesthetic teaching styles
All children are happy and safe
Respect staff and children
Encourage and support each other
Be positive
Listen to each other
Take pride in their learning
Bring in water bottles daily
Use equipment responsibly
Behave responsibly on school outings
Be able to communicate how they are feeling
Provide a safe and secure environment
To encourage, value and listen to every child’s contribution
Two way communication with parents and staff and children and staff
Know children individually
Promote independence
Promote self esteem
Respect everyone
Check equipment used is safe/risk assessments for school trips
Be aware of children’s health issues and know how to spot illnesses
Make time for children to discuss important issues/worries
Positive feedback – orally and through marking and constructive criticism
Encourage healthy eating and promote the importance of water
Sticker charts and certificates
All children are supported and enjoy a trusting, positive relationship with peers and adults and know what is expected of them
To openly recall their own learning
To recount learning and forthcoming events enthusiastically at home
Take learning home and back to school to link with home school learning
To be ready to listen and take on board, any queries/concerns children and parents may have
To ensure all communications are sent so that parents know what is happening in school
To provide opportunities for parents to be involved in class learning
Examples and strategies
Build in circle time discussion
Recapping and discussing the learning that has happened during the day
Developing parental awareness of what their children are learning and how to question them about it
The learning environment is stimulating and well managed
Know where resources are kept
Surround themselves with whatever helps them learn
Always feel they can ask for help and support
Believe in themselves and have high expectations
Use the learning environment to help them learn
Make the most of the resources around them
Approachable and conducive to learning
Engaging and up to date displays
High expectations
Celebrate achievement
Appropriate furniture and age related resources
Create interactive displays
Learning walls
Working walls
Subject displays
Celebratory work displays
Success criteria on display
Welcome/inform parents
Star of the week
Stickers and rewards
Discovery tables
Teaching is purposeful, positive, well-paced, varied and stimulating
Make connections in their work
Respect other children
Ask questions
Respond sensibly
Draw cross-curricular links where appropriate across subjects
Value contributions/cultures
Plan effective questions, Instructions in science, letters in history etc.
Celebrate talents and be confident to “have a go”
To know when to seek help
Expectations of staff
Plan for different learning styles
Provide “up to date” examples
Will be overt and specific about curriculum links
Use assessment for learning
All staff will have access to necessary training
To give opportunities to learn and develop new skills
Encourage the children to use children’s’ parents
Different hats for types of questions
Make use of video clips
Thinking skills
Enjoyment and fun
• Encouraging children to be independent and choose their own strategies for learning
• Opportunities for working individually, in pairs and groups
• Providing activities involving problem solving and creative thinking
• Challenging children to take risks and use mistakes to further learning opportunities
• Children being aware of their targets for learning
• Using new information and skills in different contexts
• Being challenged in a supportive environment
• Developing/ employing learning to learn skills
• Use planning frames for children to structure their work
All children being actively engaged in the lesson
• Elements of fun, humour
• A good pace throughout
• Appropriate, relevant modelling or demonstration and clear instruction
• Asking challenging questions
• Responding positively to children’s’ questions/answers
• Input using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic strategies
• Leading children to understand and use their preferred learning style
• Peer teaching- explaining to others, peer assessment, talk partners, hot seating, role play etc.
• Secure subject knowledge
• Developing pupils skills systematically so they become increasingly independent
• The ability to adapt teaching in light of on-going assessment
• Instructions and explanations that are clear
• Fully engaging support staff in the teaching and assessment process
• Appropriate use of ICT