Teaching and Learning Policy by Blandford St Mary Primary School

TEACHING AND LEARNING POLICY

Contents

Section

Page

Introduction

Review, Monitoring & Evaluation

The Child

The School - Learning

The School - Teaching

Parents & Carers

The Wider Community

Documents referred to

Introduction Our school motto "The Stronger the start, the better the finish" is central to our belief that at Blandford St Mary we are building the foundations of life long learning in our children. We are a Creative school. We plan a curriculum that enthuses and inspires children, that challenges them, that is thought provoking and is, most importantly enjoyable. We believe that learning is a continuous process which involves acquiring knowledge skills and concepts, and developing positive and worthwhile attitudes. This learning process is designed to enable our children to take on levels of responsibilities depending on their stage of development, and prepares them well for the next stages in their learning. This Teaching and Learning policy makes explicit and accessible the shared, agreed broad principles and practices upon which our teaching and learning is based. We believe that there are four main elements which affect the learning process, namely: i) what the child brings, ii) what the school offers, iii) the influence of parents/carers and iv) the influence of the 'wider community' ~ our policy focuses upon each of these four elements in turn. Blandford St Mary Primary School serves and area which is a diverse and developing community. The staff are committed to valuing this diversity in our school work to promote a policy of equal opportunities for all children. This policy will act as an 'umbrella' policy for all other school policies and guidelines in that, along with the aims of the schools, it will provide the philosophical framework for them. Review, Monitoring and Evaluation This policy will be kept under review. The monitoring and evaluation of this policy will be the responsibility of the Headteacher and subject leaders in line with the schools 'Monitoring and Evaluation Policies'.

Principles and Aims 1. The Child

      

a) To acknowledge that children bring previous experiences, expectations and styles to their learning.

  

b) To understand that children learn best from active, first hand experiences.

           

c) To acknowledge that individual children develop academically, emotionally, socially, physically and spiritually at different rates.

d) To acknowledge that children need formative feedback and information on their progress in school.

e) To acknowledge that children's involvement in their own learning is a strong positive influence



Broad Guidelines to Achieve These Staff visits to home and playgroups to gain information. Starting school booklet. Awareness of pre-school experience. Observation of children in school. Communications between staff at transfer times. Sharing information with parents/carers. 'News times' etc. for sharing language, experiences ideas, artefacts and knowledge. Provide opportunities for children to build on experiences other than schools. Hands-on experience with all safe materials. Learning through play (investigation, exploration, and practical experience), then theory and abstraction and application. Using artefacts, school trips, performance activities, sporting fixtures etc. Differentiating work in all areas and at all levels. Offering open-ended activities. Valuing all contributions e.g. displaying a range of work Encourage a sense of 'awe and wonder' Conversations with children about their work and progress Individual Learning targets shared with children. Feeding back to children about their learning. Reward/achievement systems. Children presenting their work and feeding back to each other. Staff are facilitators and stimulators as well as instructors. A learning environment that encourages choice and opportunities to explore own ideas. Encourage children to work collaboratively where appropriate, and be actively engaged in teaching and learning.

Principles and Aims 2. The School - Learning

Broad Guidelines to Achieve These  

a) To build self-esteem and encourage respect for all other individuals.

      

b) To include all children in a variety of opportunities to enable them to have equal access to the whole curriculum

  

c) To encourage children to develop independent learning skills.

  

d) To teach children a range of interpersonal learning skills to enable them to make full use of the curriculum offered. e) To promote positive attitudes to learning and self-discipline.

     

Refer to schools Good Behaviour and PSHE Policies Staff to be an example to children e.g. in displaying work well, working collaboratively, valuing and praising the contributions of others (staff and children). Encouraging the constructive discussion of issues in the classroom. Actively use our school Peer Mediators, Golden rules and Circle time activities. Refer to Gifted and Talented and SEN policies. Refer to schools' Equal Opportunities policy. Differentiate learning tasks and activities Provide open-ended and challenging activities. Use a range of teaching organisation - class, group, individual to enable staff to focus on individuals. Use planned support effectively. Provide adequate and appropriate resources. Provide good classroom organisation - with appropriate and easily accessible resources. Ensure that children feel comfortable and happy with their routines and timetables. Plan to provide a progression of skills through both open-ended and structured activities. Systematically encourage and develop the skills of collaboration e.g. listening, taking turns, and building on the ideas of others. Refer to schools Good Behaviour policy. To create a curriculum that inspires and enthuses young learners. Create a culture of high personal standards; focus on “to be the best that I can be”. Make children aware of the staff's high expectations e.g. by sharing and praising good work, marking work constructively. Setting challenging but achievable tasks and activities. Encourage opportunities for self-assessment and self-reflection.

Principles and Aims f) To encourage the development of critical thinking.

Broad Guidelines to Achieve These     

g) To make speaking and listening central to the learning process

    

h) To provide opportunities to take an active part in their learning

i) To encourage children to become self-reflective learners.

    

j) To maintain an attractive physical environment to motivate children's learning.

   

Plan for investigative activities in all areas of the curriculum. Help children to use well-structured questioning techniques e.g. "Why?", "When?", "Where?", "Who?", "How?". Positive appraisal of the work of others e.g. in PE, Drama. Direct teaching of thinking skills. Provide regular opportunities for individual feedback - one to one, staff to pupils, child to class (presentations, relating experience), discussion partners, (sharing a book, computer work), group work, class discussions (eg Circle Time), debates. Assemblies (whole school, year group, celebration of achievement. School Council Drama and performance activities Make sure that everyone feels secure in school routines. The starting point of activities should reflect the interests and experiences of the children. Consultation with children on "Key issues" and where to go next. Opportunities for children to make choices and express preferences. See (f) and (g) above. Develop re-drafting skills where appropriate. Develop self-evaluation/assessment skills e.g. reflection on success criteria, positive feedback before negative, starting with what children can do. Provide challenging and interactive displays. Well-organised classrooms and shared areas with appropriate labelling. Defined class/school area with tidy and accessible resources. Children involved in planning and organising the outdoor environment (peaceful patch, playgrounds, tactile trail).

Principles and Aims 2) The School - Teaching

 

a) To ensure the curriculum has breadth and balance and provides progression and continuity.

      

b) To plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate the curriculum effectively.

   

c) To employ a range of teaching strategies to include the learning needs of all the children.

   

Broad Guidelines to Achieve These Refer to schools' Curriculum web Have schemes of work in place with regular subject leader focus on monitoring curriculum. Liaison between Key stages Liaison between year groups. Liaison with pre-school, other primary schools and The Blandford School. To offer optional extra-curricular activities. Refer to the schools' Monitoring and Evaluation Policies. Regular termly and weekly year group plans. Termly staff meetings to moderate assessment of children's work. Ongoing daily/weekly/termly evaluations of work to inform future planning. Use local and National benchmarking data to track attainment. See Able & Gifted and SEN policies. Use a variety of groupings - individual, group work, class teaching. Use a variety of teaching styles - visual, kinaesthetic, spatial, instructional and investigative. Provide opportunities for individual/paired/group/pupil led/staff led activities. Provide a balance between open-ended, investigative, and activities with a defined outcome. Provide positive models of relationships and behaviour by staff and other adults in school.

Principles and Aims d) To regularly assess each child's learning progress

       

e) To deploy all available resources appropriately to promote the most effective teaching.

       

f) To use the physical environment to the best possible teaching advantage.



Broad Guidelines to Achieve These Use of individual observations e.g. tracking progress. Discussions of individual's work and behaviour. Planning for assessment and learning outcomes. Formal assessments and test (including National Assessments). Regular sampling of children's work. Moderation of children's work across the whole school in comparison with National Standards. Set appropriate targets for children, including IEP's. A range of resources, well organised and accessible. Children taught to take care of resources. Co-ordinators to organise and maintain resources for their areas. Effective management of the school budget. Staff being responsible for returning equipment to central areas and maintaining tidiness. Staff inform co-ordinators of the need for the replacement and repair of stock. Arrangements of furniture to suit teaching and learning styles. Easy access to all relevant areas and resources. Designated areas for different purposes. Maximise and plan for the use of non-classroom areas, both indoor (halls etc) and outdoor (adventure playground). Use the locality for teaching purposes. E.g. outdoor stage.

Principles and Aims 3) Parents and Carers

Broad Guidelines to Achieve These  

a) To acknowledge the importance of the learning and consolidation of learning which takes place in the home environment.

  

b) To value the unique insight into and support for children's learning that parents and carers can provide. c) To involve parents and carers appropriately in the work and life of the school

       

d) To inform parents and carers of their children's progress and involve them in their children's learning

    

    8

See 1 (a) Encourage children to bring their home culture/interests/language into school. Provision of resources which reflect those cultures, interests and languages. The starting point for learning is what the children can do. Provide a variety of opportunities for parents/carers to talk about their children, both formally and informally. Refer to Home/School Agreement. Provide information to parents/carers through termly curriculum letters and classroom noticeboards. Invite parents/carers to special events, displays, exhibitions, concerts, and performances. Invite parents / carers to curriculum evenings designed to enlighten them on a variety of educational topics e.g. Reading evening. Encourage parents/carers to contribute special skills. Encourage parents/carers to bring to school their cultures/interests/languages. Encourage all parents/carers to be active members of our Friends of School. Provide learning opportunities for parents/carers in school where appropriate e.g. workshops. Keep parents/carers informed through newsletters, open evenings. Provide a variety of opportunities to talk to parents about their children, both formally and informally. Invite parents to work in school. Send home samples of school work. Share formal written reports towards the middle of the school year to enable parents to be involved in the learning process throughout the year. Liaise with EAL team. Hold SEN consultations and reviews of Statements. Encourage parents to support homework and to contribute to feedback alongside the teacher.

Principles and Aims

Broad Guidelines to Achieve These

4) The Wider Community

 

a) To fulfil our legal requirements.       

b) To maintain and actively develop links with the Church.

    

C ) To maintain and actively develop links with the Wider Community.

       

Promote all aspects of Inclusion. Include National Curriculum, Foundation Stage and RE requirements in school planning. Issue annual reports to parents. Carry out statutory assessments and pass on information to those with a legal entitlement. Governors Special Educational Needs Policy. Governors Heath and Safety Policy. See Collective Worship Policy. Regular visits by parish priest (e.g. whole school assembly) School regular involvement in parish services (e.g. Mothering Sunday, Christingle.) Church community to share in school celebrations e.g. harvest. Close links with Diocese re: delivery of RE curriculum (RE ady to go). Headteacher member of Parish County Council Visit local organisations. Maintain links with elderly members of the community e.g. Bryanston Court. Welcome visits from members of the local community (e.g. students, work experience pupils). Hold fund-raising events for national and local charities. Continue commercial links with businesses e.g. Tesco and Hall & Woodhouse brewery. Maintain and develop links with other educational establishments. Take Part in the Safe Routes to School project. Collaborative projects with both cluster and pyramid. Develop links involving other countries e.g. France. Continue and develop partnerships with Higher Education institutions e.g. King Alfred's College.

Principles and Aims d) To ensure the school ethos reflects the Wider Community.

           

e) To promote the ethos of the schools within the Wider Community.

 

f) To acknowledge that all members of the local communities are involved in the learning process.



Broad Guidelines to Achieve These Develop the community lets (Parish Council meetings) Translations of school documents and letters. Displays and events celebrating and valuing a variety of cultures and languages. Inclusion in the curriculum content e.g. 'People who help us' Value Senior Citizens in our community (e.g. Bryanston Court). Be less insular and more global. Use local venues for displaying school work. Members of staff attend local functions. Headteacher serves on LEA Group. Promote the use of the Walking Bus. School contributes to local parish newsletter. Participation in local community events e.g. flower and produce show. Co-opt governors from local business and establishments. Value children's achievements outside school e.g. swimming, gymnastics. Invite speakers into school e.g. Religious leaders, Police, Road safety, Fire fighters, dog warden.

Documents Referred To Document

Pages

The Aims of the Schools

Monitoring and Evaluation Policy

3,7

Starting School Booklet

Behaviour Policy

Equal Opportunities Policy

PSHE Policy

Special Educational Needs Policy

7,10

Able and Gifted Policy

7,10

Curriculum Web

National Curriculum

Foundation Stage

Health and Safety Policy