TEACHING FOR LEARNING POLICY
LEARN WITHOUT LIMITS
At Andreas School we aim to inspire our children by providing a curriculum that develops learning habits, thinking skills, curricula skills and knowledge in a creative and engaging way.
STICK WITH IT - Our growth mindset philosophy means children know that hard work and effort are key to successful learning. They are praised for being brave, sustaining effort and for managing distractions.
IT’S YOUR LEARNING - We teach children to take responsibility for their learning. We help them admit when they don’t know something, always asking ‘what’s next?’. They know they need to be ready to learn and willing to try.
DON’T SAY NO, HAVE A GO - We teach children to be proud of their own success and not to compare themselves to others. We encourage them to aim high and strive for quality,
FAIL WELL - We give children honest feedback so they know how to improve. They are encouraged to reach for their goal and achieve their own personal best.
HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE - Collaboration is key so children must respect themselves and others. It’s also crucial to challenge yourself and not stay stuck in the comfort zone.
KEY APPROACHES
Teaching staff will:
LEARNING AND THINKING
*Have a growth mindset and be committed to developing metacognition
*Actively teach learning habits and thinking skills in every year group, ensuring children develop a more sophisticated understanding of how to become a better learner/ thinker as they mature
*Be committed to the development of: learning habits, thinking and curricula skills, and knowledge
*Ensure learning for all pupils is incremental and consistently builds on prior knowledge, skills and understanding
*Develop metacognition by: leading daily learning/thinking talks using the posters for a weekly class focus, using ongoing learning/thinking language, using split screen objectives (ASK) in all sessions, making learning rather than doing explicit in lessons, using learning / thinking displays with the children to support and develop ideas, ensuring regular ongoing opportunities to reflect on learning and using learning zones.
*Ensure environmental provision includes opportunities to develop learning habits, thinking, curricula skills and knowledge independently.
*Develop thinking skills using Thinking Moves A-Z, P4C, Thinkers Keys, Thunks etc
E4L
- Ensure planning walls and working walls are used to support learning (working walls must include the process of learning, displaying mistakes, feedback reflections and improvements)
- Ensure children are involved in planning and directing their own learning in both core and non core subjects
- Ensure topic work is flexible and follows the children’s lines of enquiry, guiding them to an increasing understanding of their skills development
- Ensure children have time to follow their own lines of enquiry both independently and in groups
- Facilitate enquiry based learning across the curriculum avoiding spoon feeding by providing opportunities to discover rather than be told
- Offer a range of learning experiences (e.g focus groups, 121, whole class lessons, learning partners, enquiry led learning, trips out, visitors, working walls and open ended challenges) to enable all children to cultivate effective learning habits and thinking skills and ensure the highest academic attainment and achievement in curricula skills
- Provide a learning environment that facilitates independent learning, expecting children to: focus alone: collaborate: plan: reflect: improve: problem solve and organise resources without constant supervision from adults
- Make use of home learning, where appropriate, to reinforce and extend skills, knowledge and learning habits
- Ensure children are taught to risk assess effectively in a variety of situations
- Use a wealth of relevant resources - in classrooms, outdoors, in the local community and the wider area, including visits and visitors
- Structure challenges with due regard to the pace of learning ensuring they are challenging and engaging for all children
- Ensure learning is vivid, real and meaningful and pupils have many first-hand experiences in order to stimulate curiosity and imagination
- Allow children to demonstrate their learning in different ways – for example, through photographs, posters, products, presentations, performances, ICT including i pads, etc., often giving the choice to the children
- Apply key skills in a variety of contexts in order to prepare children for real-life and everyday situations
CORE / NON CORE SKILLS
- Teach maths through understanding using the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach in Conceptual Understanding/ Fluency/ Problem Solving and Reasoning
- Use Steps to Success (S2S) in writing and reading to provide guidance on core skills development, building on prior learning whilst ensuring time to independently consolidate skills
- Use Talk for Writing approaches to provide a context for the S2S writing skills and to ensure genre coverage
- Ensure coverage and progression of non core and science skills using Cornerstones
- Use success criteria to structure and assess learning where applicable e.g. through the use of WAGOLLS/ WABOLLS
- Ensure clarity of learning for children using ASK (attitudes, skills and knowledge) as a basis for learning intentions making sure the focus is clear and has a relevant context
- Provide dedicated time for structured reflection, feedback and improvement, independently, with peers and with an adult, using S2S or other success criteria, alongside the ‘think pink’ and ‘green to go’ ensuring feedback is honest, relevant and informative
- Base their teaching on secure knowledge of curriculum guidelines (for e.g E4L, Guy Claxton’s BLP, Growth Mindset, Thinking Moves, EYFS guidance, Letters and Sounds, Support for Spelling, Cornerstones, Talk for Writing, Alan Peat, Manx Curriculum, Manx RE curriculum, IOM writing level descriptors, IOM Speaking and Listening descriptors, Morrells Handwriting)
EYFS
Although reception aged children are taught using the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum Development Matters, the pedagogical approaches outlined above are still used.
Inclusion
At Andreas School all children are given the opportunity to learn through the development of learning habits and thinking skills. The growth mindset ethos of the school promotes the fundamental belief that we can all improve and provides the tools with which to do so. The focus on the process of learning ensures that success is within every child’s reach as it is personalised and not related to others’ attainment/achievement. This ensures that all children will have equal access to the curriculum and will be treated fairly regardless of race, religion or skills set.
In order to be good role models for all our children, teachers will strive to be brave, confident, curious, compassionate and happy, able to thrive and enjoy a passion for lifelong learning.
To be read in conjunction with the Assessment and Feedback policies
Reviewed September 2019
Monitoring
Date drawn up: July 2013
Reviewed: Sep 2014, Sept 2015, Sep 2016, September 17 (definition revised) Nov 18
Next review: November 2019, Reviewed January 2020, Review date January 2021, Reviewed June 2022, March 2023
Review date June 2024