3. The Weavers Learning Cycle
4. Weavers Way
6. Cognitive Science
8. Climate for Learning
10. Adaptive Teaching
Responsive Teaching
Practice and Review (You Do)
End of Lesson
Assessment, Feedback and Re-teach
Presentation Expectations 13 Disciplinary Literacy
16. Sharp Starts
Climate for Learing - TEDD TALKS
Sharp Starts - TEDD TALKS
17. Exposition & Explicit Instruction 30. Mini Whiteboards - TEDD TALKS
18. Modelling (I Do, We Do)
20. Assessment for Learning & Questioning
Cold Calling - TEDD TALKS
Further Reading and Research
Our vision for Weavers is to provide an excellent quality of education that teaches and embeds a culture of perseverance, respect, independence, determination and engagement in our students.
We strive to empower our students to become lifelong learners, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for success in an ever-changing world. We aim to deliver an exceptional standard of education that exceeds expectations and ensures that every learner receives a comprehensive and enriching educational experience, so they achieve the very best possible outcomes.
PERSEVERANCE: Lessons encourage perseverance by providing opportunities for students to tackle challenging tasks and assessment. We promote a growth mindset and resilience by incorporating activities that require
problem-solving, critical thinking and develop independence. By knowing our students, we plan their learning experience to provide the appropriate level of challenge whilst supporting them in building the character required to overcome difficulty and reflect on what they need to do to improve.
RESPECT: Our lessons promote respect by embracing diverse perspectives, cultures and identities. We plan our lessons to include resources that reflect the experiences and contributions of individuals from various backgrounds
within our community. We encourage dialogue, empathy, and openmindedness, creating an environment where respect for oneself and others is fostered.
INDEPENDENCE: We design our lessons to nurture independence by providing students with opportunities for self-directed learning and we teach our students to use metacognition to help develop their learning. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning journey, explore their interests, and set personal goals. Our curriculum leaders plan for opportunities for student-led learning that promotes autonomy, problem solving, decisionmaking and self-management skills. Our students are committed to their own learning and take responsibility and ownership for their learning outside the classroom.
DETERMINATION: Our lessons support determination by setting high expectations and promoting a growth mindset. We provide opportunities for students to engage in challenging tasks that require commitment and effort.
ENGAGEMENT: The lessons are designed to foster student engagement by promoting active learning and meaningful connections. We incorporate learning activities that connect students to real-world applications and learning experiences that enable students to develop a deeper personal connection with what they are learning. We encourage collaborative work, discussions and teaching resources that motivate students and make learning enjoyable and relevant.
All behaviour exhibited by students is conducive to the learning of all with seemingly little intervention from adults. Lapses of students’ attention are momentary and corrected. Interaction with all students is positive and there is a positive narration of managing behaviour.
Routines are undertaken in a timely and efficient manner by all with seemingly little input from adults. Phases of the learning cycle are seamless.
Where group discussions occur, all students can contribute and listen in a polite and respectful manner.
The physical classroom is an organised environment, conducive to learning. All students use the resources and environment appropriately, this includes leaving spaces tidy.
All students understand the content and context of reading material. Explicit vocabulary instruction means all students can say, define and apply new words.
When reading, students’ projection, prosody and pronunciation is clear.
All spoken language used by students is suitably appropriate to its context.
All written language used by students is suitably appropriate to its context and underpinned by a clear success criteria.
All students engage purposefully with the Do now in a timely manner.
Questions are retrieval based and challenge students’ recall of previously learnt content.
All students experience a high level of success with the Do now task.
The lessons are planned to meet the needs of all and adapted as required.
All students engage proactively in the review and gain insight into their performance; all appropriate gaps are addressed.
If students are writing in workbooks, students should respond in red.
Links to appropriate prior and future learning are explicitly and concisely communicated. Relevant wider context is explored with the class in an accurate and respectful manner and explicit links are made between this and the curriculum content.
Explanations of content are accurate and are communicated in an engaging and concise manner so that all students can access; adaptions are made where necessary. Students understand when and how to take notes within the lesson.
Modelling is clear, concise and accurate. It contributes to ensuring no new misconceptions are created and may also lead to the eradication of previously held misconceptions. Models and demonstrations appropriately balance the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. Adults narrate their thinking to make key implicit processes explicit for all learners and adaptions and scaffolds are provided where necessary. Explicit success criteria support all students’ understanding.
6. QUESTIONING AND AFL
Means of mass participation will be routine so that all students’ understanding is systematically checked. All opportunities to gain insight into students’ understanding are routinely checked. All necessary opportunities to gain insight into students’ understanding are taken to before students’ attempt to apply learning. Questioning appropriately challenges all children cognitively and helps to deepen their thinking. All students will think deeply about question posed.
7. RESPONSIVE
The teacher uses effective strategies to address all identified misconceptions at the earliest possible opportunity.
Methods of reteach are implemented where necessary.
Teachers ensure all misconceptions have been accurately addressed through effective review phases.
8. PRACTICE AND REVIEW
Independent practice is prioritised as the route to making learning permanent in an environment free of all distractions and in timed conditions, where appropriate using. Success criteria are effectively used during independent tasks to help students learn. Students are aware of their progress, can articulate their strengths and areas for improvement.
The teacher monitors the classroom purposefully knowing what success looks like for all their learners, offering live marking.
All students can make verbal or written comments about what they have learned and link to previous learning.
9. ENDS OF LESSON
Students’ successes are shared in a specific manner. Students can articulate how the objective of the lesson has been achieved. Clear and concise links are made between how the lessons connects to past and future learning.
After packing away, students return to their seats and the teacher checks for understanding of the lesson or asks retrieval questions of prior learning.
Exit routines are embedded and students are dismissed in an orderly and calm manner with little input needed from the teacher.
Marking of workbooks will happen through live marking, in the moment. During the ‘independent’ phase of practice and review in lessons (you do) teachers will circulate around the room.
Teachers have a ‘well-worn path’ based on prior data, knowledge of students. Students must complete a Reteach task, in red pen, based on Action targets. Dedicated time has been identified in the lesson to allow this to happen.
Cognitive load is limited; effective processes must be put in place to direct students’ attention to select the right knowledge, chunk knowledge appropriately to ensure efficient processing in working memory and store these chunks with prior learning in long-term memory.
The simple model of memory contains three main processes:
• Selecting the right information from the environment, which involves the direction of attention
• Processing this information within working memory, alongside the retrieval of linked prior knowledge
• Storing this information in long-term memory through the process of encoding.
This allows the development of schema, mental maps that allow the organisation of the structures of knowledge for specific concepts.
Working memory is made up of three made parts:
• Extraneous load, which distracts working memory away from processing new information
• Intrinsic load, which is related to the complexity of the information
• Germane load, which is devoted to the deep processing of this new information by relating it to prior learning.
For learning to take place, classrooms need to be free from distraction, and instructional design needs to be effective. To this end, distraction and disruption free learning is crucial.
Effective instructional design ensures that new content is delivered using methods that lead to long-term retention.
In the classroom, during the learning process, we will:
• Reduce extraneous load via distraction and disruption free learning
• Simplify intrinsic load whilst maximising germane loads through effective instructional design.
If learning is a change in long-term memory, it is important to consider, once the stage is set, how we can make this as efficient as possible.
The two main processes to consider are retrieval, where prior learning is reactivated, before new learning is added to it, and encoding, where schema are developed around ideas and concepts. Through a consistent process of retrieving knowledge, pupils will be able to recall this information with fluency and will be more likely to embed this knowledge.
In the classroom, during the learning process, we will:
• Through effective instructional design, maximise the encoding process
• Use effective retrieval strategies to recall and embed prior knowledge.
Information which is explicitly taught in a well-sequenced curriculum and then revisited often is more likely to enter the long-term memory. This principle underpins the Weavers Way for Quality First Teaching.
READING
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/ evidence-reviews/cognitive-science-approaches-in-the-classroom
https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/cognitive-science-in-theclassroom-30-ideas/
https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/what-we-dont-yet-knowabout-cognitive-science-in-the-classroom/
An essential part of the teacher’s role is to create and maintain the conditions for learning to take place, therefore teachers are expected to take a highly intentional approach to classroom management. All classrooms are led by the expert in the room (the teacher).
A culture of good behaviour in the classroom is built on routines, routinely enforced, consistent responses and relationships. Every classroom should have the Weavers Code of Conduct and the four Climate for Learning posters on display.
What we permit, we promote. If we tolerate low standards, we have established that this is the norm.
Behaviour is taught; we cannot assume that all students know how to behave in the correct way. Shaping behaviour in your classroom is not all about punitive measures. Teachers must explain and model their expectations of them in a way that can be respected and achieved.
• Both staff and students have the right to feel safe, respected and valued; to feel they belong.
• Relationships with students should focus on the core purpose of achieving learning.
• Staff remain calm, polite and
respectful, and in turn, expect the same from the students.
• Staff take the time to learn students’ names and their correct pronunciation.
• Staff combine assertiveness and warmth - staff strongly enforce classroom expectations and climate for learning, whilst at the same time are warm and caring when needed.
• Expectations are applied consistently and fairly.
Students are praised when they demonstrate the PRIDE values and a rewarded with a PRIDE point. The PRIDE values are:
• Perseverance
• Respect
• Independence
• Determination
• Engagement
Every subject has an explanation of how students can demonstrate and be rewarded for these PRIDE values.
Positive behaviours are logged promptly on Arbour and communication is sent home to parents.
Disruption means that teaching is interrupted and learning time is lost. If 10-12 mins of learning is lost each lesson due to low level disruption, this equates to 8 weeks of learning over a year.
We encourage dialogue, empathy,
and open - mindedness, creating an environment where respect for oneself and others is fostered.
INDEPENDENCE: We design our lessons to nurture independence by providing students with opportunities for self-directed learning and we teach our students to use metacognition to help develop their learning. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning journey, explore their interests, and set personal goals. Our curriculum leaders plan for opportunities for student-led learning that promotes autonomy, problem solving, decisionmaking and self-management skills. Our students are committed to their
own learning and take responsibility and ownership for their learning outside the classroom.
EVERY student deserves disruption-free learning EVERY minute of EVERY lesson and EVERY teacher has the right to teach in disruption-free lessons EVERY minute of EVERY lesson.
Students are expected to meet the climate for learning set by their teacher. There are four climates for learning: Teacher Instruction, Collaborative Learning, Independent Learning and Class Discussion.
Teacher Instruction - ‘Thank you everyone, we are now going into Teacher Instruction so I want you to put your pens down, give me your full attention, listen carefully and save any questions until the end as I need to explain this next stage to you.’
Collaborative Learning - ‘I want you to discuss with your partner and agree a response to the question using Collaborative Learning. Make sure you are using a quiet voice and focus only on the question I have asked so you have an answer if I choose you in a moment. Make sure you ask me for help if you need it.’
Independent Learning - ‘Right, now we have worked on this joint example together, the time has come for you to show me what you can do in Independent Learning by focussing on our own work in silence. Don’t forget to raise your hand if you need help.’
Class Discussion - ‘Let’s see what we all think about this question by collecting our ideas together in a Class Discussion. If you want to contribute, raise your hand, but I might choose a few people to answer without their hand up too. Make sure you are listening to the person who is speaking and show respect to each other by making sure only one person is talking at a time.’
“Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils.”
DFE
Students with SEND all have very different needs. Students with SEND are not necessarily low ability. Teachers meet the needs of students with SEND in three ways:
At Weavers, we strive to ensure that ALL students experience an ambitious, broad and engaging curriculum that will enable them to achieve success.
We are a truly comprehensive school, encouraging all abilities and aspirations. With this in mind, we are committed to delivering lessons that are inclusive by design with the understanding that good teaching for SEND, PP and EAL students, is good teaching for all.
The Weavers Way, which is backed by educational research, outlines an approach centred around guided practice that leads to successful independent practice and has a focus on methods that support the retention of information in long term memory.
Regardless of specific need, we know that there are several teaching techniques that support all SEND students so teachers utilise these methods as part of their QFT:
• High expectations
• Sharing the Big Picture of the learning journey
• Explicit Instruction
• Modelling (I do, We do, You do)
• Sharing WAGOLL, mark schemes and specifications
• Use of Technology (Visualisers)
• Use of Success Criteria
• Use of timers
• Use of knowledge organisers
• Use of mini whiteboards
• Dual coding information
• Flexible groupings (data driven temporary groups that work together for only as long as is needed for students to develop a particular skill)
• Pre-teaching Subject Specific Vocabulary
• Low stakes testing
Additional considerations are made to support all learners.
• PowerPoint presentations use black fonts on a coloured background (not white)
• PowerPoint fonts are clear (preferably Arial or Calibri) and are size 18 as a minimum
• Cognitive overload is considered when designing electronic resources such as PowerPoints - students should benefit from disruption free learning.
We recognise that many of our students struggle to decode ‘teacher speak’ which can often get in the way of new learning. ‘Procedural memory’ refers to a type of long term memory that we use on a daily basis, without consciously realising that we do, often known as autopilot. We use a shared language to support this and train students to understand this language. Procedural memory is important in a school setting because once students are familiar with specific activities or skills, the process becomes automatic so that working memory is freed up and can instead be used to focus on the content or questions instead of how to complete a task.
Research suggests that once when we make specific activities and tasks automatic it frees up working memory for learning.
Shared language for learning at Weavers includes:
• Learning Objective
• Big Picture (when referring to curriculum sequence or learning journey)
• Key Words
• DO NOW (retrieval opportunity to prime for the lesson)
• Success Criteria
• Knowledge organisers
Teachers consider individual needs by
familiarising themselves with student passports. Student passports are written in consultation with the student. The required adaptations are annotated on teacher seating plans. Seating plans are used and are available on Arbour.
Strategies that may be suggested for individual students include:
• Use of a laptop
• Use of a coloured overlay
• Priority check-in
• Support from an additional adult
• Now and next boards to chunk tasks
• Providing sentence starters
• Scaffolding tasks with writing frames
• Small group teaching
The SEND team will support students with laptops in having neat folders for each of their subjects. In each folder there will be a single Word document that will act as an ongoing exercise book. Students should be instructed to type in font no bigger than 12 (and zoom in if necessary). This single Word document is shared with the teacher at the end of each lesson and work is marked, on the document in green font, in line with the rest of the group. Laptop organisation and the way in which work is stored in folders is monitored by the SEND team. The monitoring of the completion of work is the responsibility of the teacher.
Teachers receiving support from an additional adult in their classroom (such as an Accelerated Learning Mentor) will send them the scheme of learning at the start of each term.
At Weavers, we recognise that our EAL new arrivals come from a range of social experiences and backgrounds and will, therefore, have diverse needs.
To enable these students to settle confidently into the school, we look at their entry level into the school. At Weavers, we understand that it is vital to know the background to EAL students so we can allocate Proficiency in English levels to classify the students and meet their needs.
We value the importance of the Home Language to each EAL student. The language of the home is the language of community and belonging, so we recognise the need for EAL students to continue to use their language. We understand the fact that literacy in their Home Language is a good indicator of the student’s ability to achieve in other subjects and that bilingualism and multilingualism are an asset. To this end, students are encouraged to use their Home Language in their lessons to enable inclusion in a task, when the cognitive level is high.
Many of the strategies employed for students with SEND (especially modelling) will also help EAL students to access the lesson. However, it is most likely English Proficiency which holds students back, not a difficulty with learning.
Providing visuals:
• Labelled images and diagrams (printing these out so that students can stick them in their books and refer to).
• Teacher gestures and facial expressions.
Home Language:
• Allow some written work in the home language if the student is struggling in English - this allows more breadth of vocabulary and makes them feel included. This is a useful foundation to build on as it gives students the chance to compare words and sentence structures.
• All students to speak with other native speakers to clarify understanding.
Give the time:
• Ensure task difficulty levels are appropriate.
• Consider time given for homework and assessments.
• Allow for the ‘silent phase.’
Group Work:
• Gives EAL students a chance to practise speaking in a less threatening environment.
• Choose supportive peers who are good language role-models/native language speakers.
Pre-Teach:
• Give learning materials in advance so they can prepare.
• Give Key Word vocabulary (and put it in context).
At Weavers, we are committed to developing a disciplinary approach to improving literacy across the curriculum. As part of a whole school drive, teachers in every subject, teach students how to read, write and communicate effectively within their subject areas.
Each learning area has their own disciplinary literacy policy encompassing four strands:
• Reading across the curriculum
• Writing across the curriculum
• Oracy across the curriculum
• Vocabulary across the curriculum
Reading across the curriculum
Across the curriculum, students will have the opportunity to read nonfiction articles relating to each subject area. This will broaden students’ understanding of the world around them and introduce them to key vocabulary needed to become fluent readers. All staff have access to student reading ages.
All students in years 7, 8 and 9, are enrolled in the Accelerated Reader Programme. As part of this scheme, students read for 15 minutes a day on a rota system and teaching staff check for understanding by questioning. Students in 7, 8 and 9 have a fortnightly Library lesson where they have the opportunity
to quiz, choose books and read aloud to members of staff.
Ideally, Weavers’ students use a ruler to track the text when the class is reading an extended piece of writing. Teachers check the reading age of longer texts using appropriate RA tools. When reading, students are taught to have an awareness of who the intended audience is and what the purpose of the writing is. PALF is used to determine, purpose, audience, language, and format. As the expert reader in the room, the teacher reads the text to the students and students are asked to follow and listen. Teachers use strategies such as summarising, clarifying, predicting, and questioning to ensure comprehension. Teachers ensure students respond to the text (verbally or through writing).
Writing across the curriculum
Students are supported in developing their writing skills through careful implementation of scaffolding and modelling. Scaffolding is thoughtfully and carefully removed when appropriate, to ensure that students have sufficient opportunities for independent writing. Learning Leaders think carefully about opportunities for extended writing in their schemes of learning.
Approaches to achieve success in writing
When writing, students are taught to have an awareness of who their audience is and what they are writing for.
PALF is used to determine, purpose, audience, language, and format. Students are introduced to exemplars from both expert writing and student writing. They are supported with sentence stems and scaffolds such as structure strips. Students are encouraged to use metacognitive strategies to enable them to see where writing is successful and unsuccessful. Students are encouraged to leave five minutes at the end of their allocated writing time to proofread.
At Weavers, we understand the link between confident, fluent reading and confident, articulate speaking. As a result, we understand that fluent spoken language, can then be seen in the written word. Students learn language across the curriculum to support their oral contribution in class. Opportunities exist in every subject to prepare speech, such as presentations, debates, discussions, and the oral rehearsal of the written work. There is also a specific section of the GCSE English Language course that prepares and assesses students’ ability to speak for a variety of contexts.
Teachers plan what they want students to talk about in the classroom and how it will develop and embed their learning. They consider how it will deepen student reading comprehension, improve their writing, secure learning,
and long-term recall. Academic talk needs to be relevant to the subject. In some instances, choral responses may be utilised in the classroom to build confidence. Rules are agreed, prior to oracy activities, to ensure respect and instil a learning environment conducive to academic discussions. Teaching staff model effective oracy using sentence stems and explicit vocabulary.
At Weavers, we are committed to empowering students by widening their vocabulary. We are ambitious and aspirational regarding vocabulary acquisition. All Learning Areas have received training in awareness and implementation of two and three tier vocabulary. Subject specific vocabulary (Tier 3) is explicitly taught in each scheme of learning and is front loaded at the start of every lesson and printed on knowledge organisers. Weavers staff understand the impact that vocabulary has on quality of work, progress, and the ability to express ideas and concepts. Vocabulary is explored fully in all subject areas. In addition, students are regularly exposed to two tier vocabulary in the form or oracy in the classroom, through knowledge organisers and homework tasks.
In all subjects, subject specific vocabulary (Tier 3) is explored on the Do Now slide and is pre-taught. Teachers break down vocabulary into parts (roots, prefix, suffix) to make links with other vocabulary. Two and three
tier vocabulary is explicitly used in classroom talk or in writing tasks when new vocabulary is introduced. Teachers retrieve the new vocabulary during Do Now or class activities, within the week and again later in the term. Dual coding is also used to embed new vocabulary into long-term student memory.
Teachers will have thought about key words and vocabulary needed for students to engage with the content and will teach these. Teachers do not assume students have this knowledge already.
Where new vocabulary is needed, we encourage teachers to use choral
Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 3
response or pair talk to ensure all students have practise saying the words. Students hear the words in the context of a sentence when the teacher explains their meaning.
If key vocabulary is Tier 2 (Tier 2 vocabulary words are high-frequency words that students encounter across different subject areas. They are not widely used in speech and daily conversation but are important to students in order to access their learning) then we also expect teachers to refer to its use in other lessons and contexts so students can compare any difference in meaning.
Subject specific vocabulary e.g. ‘photosynthesis’ in Science.
High-frequency words found in many different subject disciplines e.g. examine, authority and establish.
Words of everyday speech, familiar to most students.
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blog-what-do-wemean-by-disciplinary-literacy
https://researchschool.org.uk/durrington/news/disciplinary-literacy-1 https://literacytrust.org.uk/training-and-workshops/secondary-training/ what-is-disciplinary-literacy-cpd/ https://alexquigley.co.uk/what-is-disciplinary-literacy/
Teachers have high expectations of all students regardless of prior achievement or background. All teachers and other staff model this routinely.
All lessons at Weavers Academy start in exactly the same way. The reasons for this are:
• Every student knows the high expectation expected of them.
• Students, as well as adults benefit from order and consistent routines.
• All lessons need to start promptly to maximise learning time.
• To ensure a purposeful and focused learning environment.
All teachers complete this routine for all lessons for a sharp start.
1. Meet and greet students on the corridor/by your door. It is not possible for all teachers to line students up outside the room, so local decisions on the feasibility of this must be made by the Learning Leader. Each teacher should be consistent in their approach, so all their classes and students know what is expected every time. (If students are waiting when the teacher arrives, they must be lined up and welcomed in the same way outlined below).
2. Be positive, smiling and welcome the students into your rooms.
3. Ensure every student has a fresh start, regardless of any previous lessons –‘Lovely to see you, X!’
4. Check uniform is correct as students enter and send any student not in correct uniform to Reset.
5. The teacher has pre-organised the student hands outs, books, and resources.
6. The teacher has the date, lesson title and Do Now displayed on the board.
7. Students are expected to write the date and title and underline with a ruler.
8. Students are expected to then start working on the Do Now immediately.
The Do Now is focussed on retrieval practice to maximise opportunities for students to commit knowledge to long term memory. Students will activate learning through recall of prior knowledge/ skills, specialist language etc. Students are expected to complete the Do Now independently in silence. The Do Now takes no more than 6 minutes of the lesson.
Incorrect responses to the Do Now are addressed by the teacher to ensure the gaps in learning are closed immediately.
The register is taken on Arbour within 6 minutes of the lesson changeover bell. Any student arriving after this time is issued a Formal Warning for Lateness and the number of minutes they are late recorded on Arbour when their attendance mark is changed. If students are in school, but have not arrived at their lesson, the teacher sends an email to alert the pastoral teams. The email address used for this is: wea-missing@weaversacademy.org.uk
Teachers are the subject experts and share that expertise with their students through explicit instruction. Explicit instruction is a way to teach in a direct, structured way. When teachers use explicit instruction, they make lessons crystal clear.
Sharing the Learning Objective and Big Picture:
The Learning Objective should be specific and measurable. It should say what students will know, remember, or do in that lesson.
The Big Picture explains why students are learning this now, how it fits in with what was covered last lesson, what will be taught in the future and what core knowledge students will be learning. It may be appropriate for teachers to reference real world examples to make the learning relatable for the students.
Weavers teachers recognise the need to deal with limitations of working memory, so break down concepts and procedures into small steps. Teachers then ensure students have the opportunity to practise each of the steps. The modelling and scaffolding that accompany this phase of a lesson all roll into one as part of the process of explaining, providing well-
structured support for students as they build their schema for new concepts. The same work is expected from all students in the class. Scaffolding is provided for those who require it to meet the same level of challenge. Scaffolding is removed at the appropriate moment to allow independence.
Effective practice is when teachers:
• Present new material in small steps with student practice after each step.
• Limit the amount of material students receive at one time.
• Give clear and detailed instructions and explanations.
• Do not talk to students while they are making notes, answering questions or reading texts as they cannot process both sets of information effectively.
• Think aloud and model steps.
• Allow time to provide explanations to ensure understanding.
• Model sufficient examples to ensure understanding.
• Re-teach material when necessary.
If text resources are used, it is beneficial for students to hear text read aloud by proficient readers who will naturally chunk segments of syntax which will aid student understanding. Teachers will therefore read aloud to the class.
Teachers use the visualiser to model effective reading strategies.
Teachers explain Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary as they encounter it.
Telling students what to do is not normally adequate so students need to be shown. When setting tasks, teacher model what students are required to do.
Modelling is an instructional strategy in which the teacher demonstrates a new concept or approach to learning and students learn by observing before attempting for themselves.
Modelling is fundamental to clear, effective teaching and means explicitly demonstrating to students how to be successful in applying their learning.
At Weavers, teachers use an ‘I do-We do-You do’ modelling approach.
• Show the whole process – normally, then slowly.
• Break down into practisable steps.
• Narrate your thinking; check for their understanding.
• Use multiple examples with backward fading.
• Run multiple, short We Do/You Do loops.
Ref: teacherhead.com
I do Teacher demonstrates via an explicit instruction approach. Students do not interject at this point.
Teacher Instruction
• Reduces cognitive load for novices who lack sufficiently developed background knowledge.
• Builds schemas.
• Demonstrates how to use the success criteria.
We do Teacher demonstrates and asks students to assist with completion.
Explicit narration of our thought process when thinking through how to solve problems or undertake a creative activity.
Collaborative Learning
• A ‘hybrid’ of worked examples and collaborative problem solving.
Scaffolding is temporary support that enables all students to access learning. It is removed when it is no longer required. Students experience guided practice that leads to independent practice. Every student should be expected to reach a high level of understanding and application. Teachers are aware that differing levels of scaffolding may be required for them to reach this level of understanding and application.
Weavers’ teachers do not provide different levels of work. Instead, scaffolding is provided to ensure all students can achieve the same work. As the bar is set high and it is expected that students produce excellent work, scaffolding may be provided to support lower ability students. Most importantly, teachers know when to remove these scaffolds so students get ample independent practice. Scaffolds include:
• A visual scaffold, such as a task planner, a list of steps, a model answer, images.
• A verbal scaffold, such as a teacher correcting a misconception at a student’s desk.
• A written scaffold, such as a writing frame, word bank or sentence starters.
https://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/the-i-do-we-do-you-do-modelexplained/
https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2019/02/10/i-do-we-do-you-do/ https://teacherhead.com/2022/06/15/five-ways-to-secure-progressthrough-modelling/
Weavers’ teachers do not assume students understand unless they gather feedback telling them that the student has understood. This information is then used to inform the next steps in the learning sequence, as well as helping students to secure a deeper understanding.
After the modelling phase of a lesson and before setting students off on an application or practice task, Weavers teachers explicitly check for understanding.
The challenge for teachers is to involve as many students as possible when checking for understanding. This leads to the need for good questioning and good assessment for learning (AFL).
Effective questioning lies at the heart of AFL. Questions should be highly interactive, dynamic and responsive. To do this teachers:
• Ask a large number of questions and check for understanding.
• Ask students to explain what they have learned.
• Check the response of all students
• Provide systematic feedback and address misconceptions.
There are many methods of AFL that is preferred, but common, effective strategies used regularly include the following.
• No Hands Up
• Wait time
• Volleyball
• No Opt Out
• Mini-Whiteboards
• Hinge Questions
• Choral Response
• Low Stakes Quizzing
• Say it again, say it better
• Reject self report
• Voting
READING
https://evidencebased.education/questioning-in-theclassroom/
https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/skilfulquestioning-the-beating-heart-of-good-pedagogy/
“The more effective teachers frequently checked to see if all the pupils were learning the new material. These checks provided some of the processing needed to move new learning into long-term memory [and] to let teachers know if pupils were developing misconceptions.”
B. Rosenshine
Where students do not understand, teaching is adapted in the moment and the teacher goes on to re-model and re-teach to ensure that students can apply the knowledge learned.
Teachers instil a climate in their lessons where it is safe to make mistakes and take risks. It is only when teachers know what students do not know that we can do something about it. Getting this right is crucial to an effective lesson where all pupils succeed.
Once teachers have checked for understanding using AFL, the teacher needs to respond to the feedback gathered:
• Have the class understood?
• Do they need another model?
• Is there some pre-requisite knowledge missing?
• Do I need to re-teach some or all of the content?
• Should we move on quicker?
• Can I move the majority on, and to intervene with a select few?
A substantial proportion of lesson time at Weavers is given to students applying their knowledge.
The CET curriculum is designed to help students acquire the knowledge to learn ever more complex skills and then gives opportunities to revisit, practise and apply them over time, in order to master them.
Weavers students complete the practice phase of a lesson in silence. The climate for learning is independent. Sometimes, where the work is more challenging, the teacher may choose to allow a period of collaborative learning as a scaffold to support less confident students before the independent practice.
There should be an appropriate level of challenge for all pupils at some point during the task but there should be plenty of opportunities for pupils to be successful.
Success Criteria are used by teachers to help students demonstrate and structure their learning effectively. These are shared during the modelling phase of the lesson. Success criteria are specific to the task not the lesson. Success criteria relate to the evidence teachers are looking for to determine if students have learned what is intended.
engaged in their practice.
For most of the time, the teacher will not interfere with pupils’ focus, aside from key interventions. The only time it is appropriate to interrupt is to address common misconceptions, where it is appropriate to stop the practice, reteach or remodel and then allow students to continue. Teachers will not over talk during this phase of the lesson, so they are not negatively impacting on the students’ ability to process information.
During this phase, the teacher will support individual students based on checks for understanding made in the lesson and on pre-existing knowledge of students’ strengths and areas for improvement. Weavers teachers have a pre-determined ‘well-worn path’ that they use to circulate the room to ensure that specific students are prioritised for check-ins.
The teacher should be endeavouring to circulate the classroom effectively once they believe pupils’ behaviour will not be hindered by this.
Weavers teachers will ‘live mark’ specific student books as they circulate the room to encourage, motivate and target set for specific students, including SEND, EAL, PP and HAPs.
Timers:
Timers are used to allow students opportunity to practise working in timed conditions and help students remain
Teachers may pause the time allocated for the practice to allow students to self or peer assess against the success criteria. This allows students to use the remaining time to improve and build on their initial response.
The way lessons end is crucial to helping students retain the knowledge taught.
The end of a lesson is the opportunity students have to prove their learning and for teachers to assess the knowledge learned in order to inform the planning for the next lesson.
All lessons end with a question or task where students can demonstrate their ability to engage with the learning objective of the lesson. Every child in the class will participate in this activity.
Before students are dismissed, they are expected to put away their equipment and return to their seats. Once calm, the teacher asks retrieval questions, either on the lesson or on previous learning.
The teacher ensures students leave in a calm and orderly manner controlled by the teacher. Students stand behind their seats while the teacher scans the room, checking that the classroom remains in a neat and organised manner. Students are then be dismissed row by row.
The teacher, either during or before the dismissal, highlights the positive behaviours the students have exhibited and give specific praise to groups or individuals as appropriate.
Success criteria underpins the effectiveness of assessment and feedback. These are integral. Without assessment, there cannot be feedback.
Continual assessment should be happening in every classroom through AFL, but this section refers to the preplanned assessment points students will complete to check the knowledge they should have learned and the skills they should have developed by this point in the sequenced curriculum. These include, but are not limited to:
• Multiple choice questions
• Recall quizzes
• Low stakes quizzes
• Cloze activity
• Written paragraphs
• Exit tickets
• End of unit/ topic tests
• Common assessment points
• Trust-wide assessment
Most assessments completed throughout the year will be purely formative, each being used to make judgements about previous learning and, more importantly, being used to shape future learning. The only true summative assessments are the external, end-ofcourse exams.
The primary purpose for assessment
is to enable students to successfully retrieve content they have been taught to demonstrate learning. Regular retrieval practice gives students the best chance of learning the key knowledge to be successful in their assessments.
Learning Areas carefully plan and sequence common assessment points, ensuring that workload is manageable for their team and that assessments are timely and useful for both students and staff. Learning areas plan assessments so that they inform teachers what students have or have not learned of the core knowledge for that term/topic.
Assessments are moderated and standardised across the team to ensure that all students are receiving an equitable experience.
Data is collected and placed into Pupil Progress. This allows our learning leaders to:
• Understand which parts of the curriculum need to be revisited or retaught. It is the responsibility off the learning leader to interrogate this data and share next steps with their team.
• Identify which sub-groups need additional support and use this to focus any intervention classes. These vulnerable groups must be shared with the department, so all teachers know which groups and students need additional support.
• Improve practice across their team. Establish what is working in places and why, which may facilitate the sharing of best practice among peers.
• Share information with parents to allow them to support learning at home.
The workbook learning journey will…
• Clearly demonstrate that learning is happening over time.
• Be sequenced, showing a student knows more and can do more. There will be evidence of the application of knowledge, from concrete to abstract and simple to complex.
• Include regular opportunities for students to revisit prior learning, practice what they know and deepen their understanding.
• Show misconceptions are addressed with evidence of how these misconceptions have been overcome in future work.
• Show evidence of re-teach after assessment points.
Our three key indicators: students build on prior learning: ‘know more, do more and remember more’, address misconceptions and engage in regular retrieval practice.
To ensure student entitlement to regular feedback is met and to support work life balance, Weavers Academy is introducing a ‘live marking’ system. This will enable teachers to provide feedback in lessons where it is most effectivesame time and same space. Teachers should be walking the ‘well-worn path’. There should not be a need for
retrospective marking unless students have completed an assessment task.
All marking should be completed to review learning over time, identify misconceptions, plan appropriate reteach where needed and provide guidance that will allow students to demonstrate they know more, do more and remember more. Regular use of red pen will visually display improvements in learning over time e.g., addressed misconceptions and planned reteach of vulnerable knowledge.
1) Through regular workbook review, teachers must have a secure overview of the starting points, progress, and context of all students – identifying and addressing misconception through whole class feedback.
2) Marking of workbooks will happen through live marking:
a) During the ‘independent’ phase of practice and review in lessons (you do) teachers will circulate around the room.
b) Teachers have a ‘well-worn path’ based on prior data, knowledge of students etc. and will use this chance to look for and address:
• Misuse and misspelling of specialist language
• Misconceptions
• Presentation issues
• SPaG
• Stretch and challenge opportunities
c) Students respond instantly
d) Live marking comments should intervene on what the student is currently doing, it is not for additional tasks to be set.
3) Peer and self-assessment should be part of in-class marking structures, supported by ‘checklist for success’, these should be completed in red pen.
4) If teachers identify areas of weakness across the class, they should pause class and Reteach, as required, at the earliest opportunity.
Sp Spelling Error
P Punctuation
// New paragraph required
C Capital letter
G Grammar error
^ Missing information or word
Pr Presentation needs to be improved
üü Good Point
e.g. Provide examples
With regards to marking literacy, every member of staff must use the same codes so that the approach is consistent across the school, ensuring that students understand the feedback they are given. Literacy codes are displayed in all books for student reference. A maximum of three spellings (Tier 2/3) should be highlighted per Common Assessment’ and students should be expected to re-write these three times as part of their response to teacher marking.
All subject areas have identified the core substantive knowledge that students need to learn to give them the foundations they need to develop complex schema and consequently; know more, remember more and do more. Knowledge organisers give students this knowledge at their ‘fingertips’ to provide them with opportunities to check understanding, correct misconceptions, recall key definitions and subject-specific (Tier 3)
language, close gaps in knowledge and develop learner independence.
Because we forget the majority of information we process, without opportunities to recall key information and practice retrieval, it is important to teach students this skill throughout their time with us. Not only does this help develop independence and selfefficacy, it helps students understand how knowledge is learned and how understanding deepens.
Knowledge Organisers are used in every lesson for this purpose, as well as for homework, so that students are able to practice reviewing and learning key information over time. By the time they reach Key Stage 4, our aim is that students have learned and can remember all the knowledge they need to excel in the next stages of their academic journey.
Students are expected to take pride and care in the presentation of their books which reflect the high standard expected of them by their teachers. Teachers will reinforce these expectations each lesson by circulating their classroom.
Students take pride in their work by:
• Writing the date at the start of each lesson
• Writing the title at the start of each lesson
• Underlining all learning objectives and titles with a ruler
Date is written at the top of the page and underlined. Lesson title is written at the top of the page and underlined.
Neat Handwriting.
Subtitles are underlined.
Work is self-assessed in red pen and any additional points missed added.
Mistakes are neatly crossed out with a single line.
• Writing in their best handwriting at all times (every page should look like the first page)
• Writing in blue or black pen
• Drawing diagrams, charts or graphs in pencil and using a ruler
• Taking time to correct and finish off work where appropriate
• Crossing out mistakes using a single line
• Responding to teacher feedback in their exercise books using red pen
• Taking care of their books and those of others by not tearing out pages or having graffiti, doodles, drawings or scribbles inside or outside their exercise books
Diagrams are drawn in pencil
Plotted points are clearly marked with a cross and joined with either a smooth curve or ruler depending on the data
Axes are drawn with a ruler and labelled clearly including the units
Success Criteria:
1. Frame expectations positively: Use clear, positive statements to reinforce good behaviours.
2. Use non-verbal signals as reminders: Use non-verbal signals to remind students what they need to do, without announcing problems to the class.
3. Give private corrections: Keep corrective conversations private to prevent behaviour escalating. E.g., once all students are working, go to crouch down next to relevant student and have a private conversation.
4. Make corrections descriptive and directive: Give a sanction stating what students need to do differently, why it’s important and end with a redirection.
Success Criteria:
1. Meet and greet students on the corridor/by your door.
2. Be positive, smiling, and welcome the students into your rooms.
3. Ensure every student has a fresh start, regardless of any previous lessons‘Lovely to see you, X!’
4. Check uniform is correct as students enter and send any student not in correct uniform to Reset.
5. The teacher has pre-organised the student hand-outs, books, and resources.
6. The teacher has the date, lesson title and Do Now displayed on the board.
7. Students are expected to write the date and lesson title and underline both with a ruler.
8 Students are expected to then start working on the Do Now immediately - be seen looking.
9. Establish an Independent Climate for Learning.
10. Set a time limit of 6 minutes.
Success Criteria:
1. Ensure every student has a board and pen to hand.
2. Set the question with a goal, layout of response and a time frame - remind using a ‘?’ If they don’t know.
3. Build in thinking time; students to hover their boards.
4. “Hover, 3 - 2 - 1 and hold up your board.”
5. Scan from the front, be seen looking.
6. Correct common errors and misunderstandings straight away.
Success Criteria:
1. Set clear expectations to students: no hands up.
2. Pose the question to the whole class and state the time for thinking.
3. Pause for thinking, be seen to scan the room.
4. Pounce: Select student A to respond.
“I don’t know”
5. Give the correct answer OR Turn to another student (B) for the answer.
6. Return to student A to affirm the answer they have just learnt.
“wrong answer”
5. Ask a prompt question to student A.
6. Ask student A to use this new
information to answer the original question.
“low level/under-developed answer”
5. Do not confirm the answer as correct and avoid ‘rounding up.’
6. Hold out for all the way - use prompts and redirects as needed.
7. Say it again, say it better.
“correct answer”
5. Ask a follow up questions) to stretch thinking e.g. how, why, another way, evidence, technical vocabulary, transfer the skill.
6. Affirm and praise.
Success Criteria:
1. Ensure the climate for learning is upheld until the end of the lesson.
2. Review the learning after independent work, ensure it is linked to the objective of the lesson. Plan the review and allow time and the end of the lesson
3. The review needs 100% participation.
4. Students pack away and then return to their seats.
5. If time allows, cold calling should happen (linked to the lesson or a review of previous learning).
6. If you are teaching the next lesson, prepare to display the Do Now before standing by the door for exit.
7. Be at the door to ensure an orderly dismissal; dismiss a row at a time.
8. Celebrate success as students leave!
https://www.suttontrust.com/ https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ https://teachlikeachampion.org/ https://daisychristodoulou.com/ https://tdtrust.org/ https://www.dylanwiliam.org/Dylan_Wiliams_website/Welcome.html https://teacherhead.com/ https://www.structural-learning.com/ https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum https://chartered.college/ https://www.theconfidentteacher.com/ https://learningspy.co.uk/
