St Augustine’s Catholic

Primary School

Teaching & Learning Policy

Mission Statement

In St Augustine’s we always try to do our best.

Together, we work hard and play fairly, praying and Caring for everyone as Jesus taught us

AUTUMN 2014

Aims of the School

The main purpose of our Voluntary Aided School, is to provide a sound Catholic education where the development of the whole person can take place. Every child and their family matters in St Augustine’s CatholicPrimary School. This is evident in the following aims:

  • To give the children a knowledge and understanding of the content of the Catholic Faith and the experience of a living and worshipping community.
  • To ensure every child is given equal opportunity to learn to the very best of their ability and reach their potential.
  • All children in St Augustine’s school will have full access to a broad and balanced curriculum regardless of race, gender or ability.
  • To promote the vision and values based on the sound principles included in United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  • To prepare children to become young people who make a positive contribution to the world they live in.
  • To foster strong links with the home, parishes and the wider community.
  • To provide rich and varied contexts for learning, the application of knowledge, understanding and skills.
  • To promote excellence and enjoyment in all aspects of school life.
  • To develop the children’s ability to think and express themselves logically, with confidence, independence of thought and flexibility of mind, in order to stimulate the best possible progress and highest attainment.
  • To provide a stimulating environment for children to learn in.
  • To develop physical skills in which children pursue a healthy lifestyle, and keep themselves and others safe.
  • To provide a safe and secure environment in which children can develop and learn together in an atmosphere of mutual trust.
  • To have opportunities for children to take responsibility and to contribute to decisions made about the school and their own learning.
  • To help the children make informed choices and appreciate the relevance of the achievements of life and society outside school.

The Purpose of This Policy

This policy sets out ways in which St Augustine’s School is seeking to create a culture in which all staff are familiar with and contribute to outstanding practice in teaching and learning. In this policy we aim to:

  • Outline successful and effective teaching methods and learning strategies
  • Promote a shared understanding of good classroom practice
  • Raise and maintain progress and attainment throughout the school
  • Ensure a consistency of approach to planning and assessment procedures
  • Emphasise that all members of the school community see themselves as learners
  • Ensure equality of opportunity for all

We believe that children learn best when:

  • They feel happy and secure in a positive school environment
  • They feel valued and have a positive self image
  • Warm relationships, humour and clear expectations shape the classroom ethos
  • There is a positive relationship between them, their teacher and learning support assistant
  • Teachers know and enthuse about their subject and know their children as individuals
  • There is a positive relationship between home and school
  • The classroom is well organised with resources and offers a stimulating environment to all pupils
  • The curriculum is differentiated to meet the needs of all children
  • Lessons are well planned and areinteresting, challenging and appropriate to the children’s own experiences, age and ability
  • Quality First Teaching meets the needs of individual children because lessons are well planned
  • Skilful probing questions permeate
  • Links are made, when possible, between subjects
  • They understand what they are learning and why they are learning
  • They know their targets and what they have to do to improve
  • There are opportunities for collaborative and independent work
  • Mutual respect exists between all staff members and children
  • Staff have ownership and contribute actively to the values, vision and aims of the school
  • Staff have opportunities for training which will impact on the attainment and achievement of all children
  • They have an opportunity to feedback regarding their experience during lessons
  • There are opportunities to learn outside of the classroom

We also believe that children learn best when their teachers:

  • Know and care about their pupils
  • Are firm, fair and consistent in approach to learning and behaviour management.
  • Are able to challenge, motivate and enthuse their pupils with a love of learning
  • Have high expectations of children’s capabilities
  • Recognise different characteristics of learning and use a variety of teaching styles
  • Assess rigorously and this continuously informs planning to ensure optimum progress for all children
  • Differentiate appropriately
  • Use a range of teaching and learning strategies, such as whole class teaching, paired work, group work or individual work, when it is appropriate and to serve a purpose.
  • Have excellent subject knowledge
  • Have a clear idea of children’s progress
  • Give praise when it is earned
  • Provide informative feedback, written or verbal, so pupils know what they have to do to improve
  • Are motivated to continue to develop their own professional knowledge (CPD)
  • Respect and contribute to the whole school vision

Our children believe that they learn best when:

  • They are doing things rather than listening
  • Are all involved in the activity
  • When work is fun
  • When they get good support
  • When they like and respect their teachers
  • When they go on trips
  • When they have visitors talking to them about interesting things

Parents believe their children learn best when:

  • Their children are happy and safe
  • They are involved and can support their child’s learning
  • The classroom is well organised and all children can see the boards
  • A range of strategies are used to meet the needs of all pupils
  • Their child has a positive relationship with their teacher and, when appropriate support staff
  • Children are inspired to learn

The Learning Environment

The classroom should be:

Welcoming

  • Our Mission Statement should be proudly displayed in each classroom.
  • Each classroom is clearly labelled with class and teacher’s name and a welcome

sign (in a variety of languages) for all visitors, children, staff, parents and governors as well as a list of languages spoken by children from each classroom.

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Well-organised and resourced in order to deliver the curriculum

  • Classrooms provide a tidy, attractive, stimulating environment
  • Resources are clearly labelled, the children know where to find them and can use and replace them independently
  • Children’s work books are accessible
  • Daily timetable is available in each classroom
  • There is a designated book area which encourages pupils to read
  • There is a designated RE and collective worship area
  • All classrooms must have an RE display board, a Big Writing board and a Country of the Term board. Other displays will reflect topics and areas of study throughout the year.

Interesting and stimulating

  • Classroom displays celebrate children’s achievements and act as aids to teaching and learning, often being interactive
  • Presentation and content are of high standard
  • Work is carefully mounted and labelled neatly
  • Displays are changed at least termly

Calm and Safe

  • Children are aware and take pride in the condition of their classroom
  • They contribute to creating class charters and routines and are encouraged to maintain these. These are displayed in the classroom
  • They respect their own and other’s property
  • Expectations of discipline are high and consistent
  • Guidance on emergency procedures are displayed
  • Teachers carry out daily risk assessments of their classroom with EYFS making records of this.

Planning for Good Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning should be:

Well planned and structured

  • All teaching staff have 10% planning, preparation and assessment time each week.
  • Long term plans ensure coverage and balance of the curriculum for all year groups.
  • Year group teachers and Co-ordinators collaborate to ensure medium term plans provide continuity and progression.
  • Class teachers carry out planning to ensure their lessons are then meeting the needs of their children and so lessons may vary in some aspects from that of their year group partner.
  • They provide clear learning objectives and outcomes for all lessons, which are displayed and shared with pupils at appropriate times during the lesson and revisited frequently.
  • All lessons include a variety of questioning techniques and should cater for the range of learning styles preferred by the children.
  • A plenary enabling children and teacher to evaluate the success of meeting the learning objectives is planned for.
  • ICT is embedded throughout the curriculum.

Stimulating, challenging and enjoyable

  • Teachers adopt a variety of teaching techniques to facilitate children’s learning.
  • Plans are adapted to cater for the needs of all children. They are adapted, modified or extended to provide for the range of abilities within a classroom. Extension and enrichment activities are also planned for higher attaining children.
  • Teachers refer to prior learning to provide continuity and progression
  • A good pace is maintained throughout the lesson
  • A variety of teaching styles relevant to learning situations (eg whole class, similar or mixed ability grouping, paired or groups) are used
  • There is a good range of learning strategies so that children learn effectively. When appropriate these will include: investigations, collaborative work, first hand experiences, problem solving, discussions, structured play
  • A variety of learning styles in lessons are catered for to meet the needs of all children (e.g. visual, auditory and kinaesthetic).
  • Appropriately differentiated learning opportunities for all children are provided including SEN, higher attainers and children with EAL.
  • Opportunities for cross curricular links should be made where possible.

Rewarding and effective

  • Ongoing assessment and evaluations are used to inform future planning and marking.
  • Marking and feedback follows the guidelines of the school Marking Policy. It is meaningful, identifies how children need to improve and moves their learning forward.
  • Children are encouraged to respond to marking
  • Enables all children to feel valued with a positive self image.

Children Taking Responsibility For Their Own Learning

Children should:

Achieve

  • By encouragement, strive to do their best and take pleasure and pride in giving of their best
  • Know what they have to do to improve. We do this through target setting and marking which identifies next steps.
  • Complete homework within a given time limit.
  • Present work neatly and legibly.
  • Always try their best and ask for help when needed

Improve

  • See mistakes not as evidence of failure, but as opportunities to learn
  • Be honest about what they can and cannot do, know and understand
  • Use the “traffic light” system of self assessment at the end of the lessons
  • Be able to self assess and peer assess.
  • Be motivated to further their own learning

Work together

  • Support others in giving of their best
  • Develop the art of listening and responding to others
  • Respect the right of every child in their class to develop their personality, talents and ability to the full

Children from Year 2 to year 6 are invited to attend parent consultation meetings to discuss progress and targets.

Support For Learning

Every teacher is a Special Needs teacher and is responsible for the learning of all children. A child or young person has special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made. As far as practical, in St Augustine’s, children with SEN are educated with other children. However, there are times when IEP targets, interventions, reinforcements or consolidation requires that the children work in small groups or individually in or out of the classroom.

Teachers have high expectations of all pupils and staff. Learning support assistants play a valuable part in children’s learning and development. They are fully inducted into the routines of the relevant classroom andare familiar with best practice concerning:

Planning

  • LSAs are aware of the learning objectives and expected outcomes of each lesson.
  • They are provided with timetables, lesson plans and other relevant details in advance of each lesson.
  • Their contributions, to planning, feedback and assessments are valued.

Groupings

  • LSAs are familiar with the different groupings or pairs within the class and routines related to these.

Record Keeping

  • LSAs record intervention outcomes in the Intervention Folder which is in each classroom.
  • LSAs provide feedback to the Classteacher orally or written, where appropriate

IEPs

  • LSAs are aware of IEPs of children they support and their targets and levels.

Any concerns about a child is recorded and discussed with our Inclusion Manager.

We recognise that children can experience a range of personal, emotional and social problems that may affect their learning either for a short term or for longer period of time. As well as school support we offer support from other outside agencies including: Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society counselling service. The majority of staff received training in 2012 from the Rainbows Bereavement Service.

It is strongly recommended, to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all our pupils that teachers read, revisit and regularly refer to our Inclusion Policy.

Equal Opportunities

We offer equal access for every child to all subject areas in line with the National Curriculum and EYFS Framework. Planning and teaching in St Augustine’s reflects an awareness of age, gender, ethnicity, vulnerability and ability across the year groups.

Through a strong Catholic ethos of mutual respect and esteem for everyone in our community we provide positive role models for our children.

Role of Governors

Purposeful Leadership

  • To support and encourage the Head in the school improvement process
  • To encourage participation with staff and appropriate delegation

Shared Vision and Goals

  • To participate in the vision of the school and setting goals.
  • To review and monitor the vision

A Learning Environment

  • To ensure the physical environment is conducive to learning

Concentration on Teaching and Learning

  • To visit school to observe and feedback to Governing Body

Purposeful Teaching

  • To be a “critical” friend

High Expectations

  • To emphasise governors support for high expectations for all
  • To communicate to staff / parents

Positive Reinforcement

  • To ensure this key part of the behaviour code
  • To feedback to staff and Head on improvements

Monitor Progress

  • To ensure that the whole school and class progress is monitored regularly and evaluated.
  • To ensure action is taken

Pupil rights and Responsibilities

  • To encourage school to give responsibility to pupils

HomeSchool Partnership

  • To encourage parental involvement

A Learning Organisation

  • To allow time in the budget for staff development, staff consultation, leaders working with other staff
  • To encourage the Headteacher to develop higher managerial and interpersonal skills through appropriate inset / support from Borough

Educational Visits / Community Links

We consider educational trips and visits to be an important and valuable aspect of a child’s learning. Such events provide our children with stimulating and essential practical experiences that can be utilised and further developed within the classroom.

Similarly, we encourage links within our community. We enjoy links with our community Police Liaison Officer, Healthy Schools Team and Road Safety Team which promotes valuable discussions and debates within the classes.

OFSTED Criteria For Quality of Teaching in the School

Evaluating the Standard of Learners’ Behaviour

Outstanding

Learners’ mature, thoughtful behaviour is an outstanding factor in their successful learning and creates an extremely positive school ethos. Learners are very supportive of each other in lessons and show great consideration of each other’s interests around the school

Good

Learners’ behaviour makes a strong contribution to good learning in lessons. Their behaviour is welcoming and positive. They show responsibility in responding to routine expectations, set consistent standards for themselves and need only rare guidance from staff about how to conduct themselves. They behave well towards each other, showing respect and encouraging others to conduct themselves equally well.

The Quality of Provision

Outstanding (1)

  • Much of the teaching in all key stages and most subjects is outstanding and never less than consistently good. As a result, almost all pupils currently on roll in the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, are making rapid and sustained progress.
  • All teachers have consistently high expectations of all pupils. They plan and teach lessons that enable pupils to learn exceptionally well cross the curriculum.
  • Teachers systematically and effectively check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where they may need to intervene and doing so with notable impact on the quality of learning.
  • The teaching of reading, writing, communication and mathematics is highly effective and cohesively planned and implemented across the curriculum.
  • Teachers and other adults generate high levels of engagement and commitment to learning across the whole school.
  • Consistently high quality marking and constructive feedback from teachers ensure that pupils make rapid gains.
  • Teaches use well-judged and often inspirational teaching strategies, including setting appropriate homework that, together with sharply focused and timely support and intervention, match individual needs accurately. Consequently, pupils learn exceptionally well across the curriculum.

Good (2)