“The innovative key stage 3 curriculum is well structured and promotes good learning” - OFSTED September 2012 December 2012
Learning and Teaching The design of the learning environment consists of flexible learning areas and specialist rooms; this has enabled us to organise the learning in a creative and innovative way. We consider it crucial to question the ‘traditional’ learning environment and associated teaching and learning methods for the following reasons: Traditional classrooms can lend themselves to a teacher led learning environment Traditional classrooms do not relate to today’s learning styles and work places Traditional classrooms can restrict flexibility and the creative use of ICT The model of one class and one teacher restricts the scope of learning to an individual teacher’s skill, subject knowledge and competence.
Background
The Solution
Manchester Communication Academy opened in September 2010, serving a challenging community in North Manchester. The academy is sponsored by BT, with co-sponsorship from Manchester Council and The Manchester College.
“The good teaching is characterised by high quality planning, strong relationships and good use of learning resources” OFSTED September 2012
The Challenge The academy opened to year 7 students in 2010 and currently has 3 year groups. Our curriculum vision has been subject to test since opening and our particular circumstances have requiredus to produce an unfinished design that invites rather than imposes. We have had to consider the following questions in our planning: •
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What will learning and teaching look like in the 21st century and how will this impact on learning spaces? What are the learning relationships and the best organizational structures to support them? Is there a place for mixed age teaching – how personalised is our vision? How can this be future-proofed and be capable of adaptation over time? How will the design affect differentiation, social interaction and communication?
We consider the flexible learning environment to be the most relevant place to learn as: The environment is learner centred with the teaching staff largely acting as guides and facilitators, supporting the constructive theory of education The learning environment is inclusive High levels of support are provided when necessary ICT is used effectively and the ‘teacher’ is not seen as the only provider of information The learning environment is flexible, lending itself to a variety of configurations providing varied and relevant learning opportunities Students can work at their own pace, can easily make accelerated progress and groupings can be altered without difficulty Students learn to work independently and apply skills The learning environment encourages the learners to demonstrate the Academy values and develop a respectful learning community High staffing ratios support positive student behaviour Shared teaching facilitates the dissemination of best practice Teaching staff plan as a team and knowledge and skills are pooled
Silchester Drive | Harpurhey | Manchester | M40 8NT manchestercommunicationacademy.com admin@mca.manchester.sch.uk | 0161 202 0161
“The innovative use of the ‘discovery rooms’ with different seating and variable lighting is effective in promoting students’ thinking and eliciting personal responses” - Ofsted September 2012
Curriculum “The innovative structure of the curriculum within welldefined areas of learning has been implemented effectively. This provides a strong framework for learning” - OFSTED Sept 2012
The curriculum is taught across five areas, and for each learning session there can be up to 240 learners with a team of staff. The organistaion of learning is shown below: Faculty Area English and Maths Science and Technical
Global Understanding Creative and Aesthetic Health and Wellbeing
“The extensive provision of enrichment activities has been enhanced by the contributions of sponsors, external agencies and the commitment of staff. These activities broaden students’ experiences and develop their understanding of the world of work.” - OFSTED Sept 2102
Learning Environment Organisation Each specialism has a flexible learning base This area uses a flexible learning base with specialist rooms for practical science and technology This area has a flexible learning base with smaller rooms for language learning This area has a flexible learning base and specialist rooms for performance, music, art and graphics This area currently uses specialist areas for physical education and cooking
The learning environment has enabled us to establish innovative and creative practice that supports the transformation of teaching and learning. Staff work in teams to deliver curriculum and ensure good or better progress. They are provided with timetabled time to meet and plan which results in reflective practice and a determination to always improve the learning experience. Students are expected to work independently and take control of their learning and progress. Learning often centres on a topic or question that is real and enables functional learning. Skills and knowledge often are secured via tutorials, discovery rooms, pod casts, real smart and via helpdesks, for example, and then understanding and progress is demonstrated via application and subsequent assessment.
Accountability Within each subject a member of staff is accountable for a group of students and the progress they make. They are responsible for reporting progress, challenging under performance and encouraging accelerated progress. Area leaders are responsible for providing a range of support and challenge opportunities for students within their area. Each student is a member of a house and a subsequent progress group; it is the progress leader’s responsibility to track that learner’s progress across the academy. Student progress data is recorded in the Edutrack system and the quality assurance process ensures the validity of data across the academy. The data is analysed on a monthly basis to provide evidence for the score card, and subject interventions are recorded and monitored for impact.