Learning and Teaching Policy
Learning and Teaching Policy
?Inspiring achievement through learning?
Written 9/2001
Updated 8/2004
Rationale
The purpose of this Learning and Teaching Policy is to guide children and staff towards being able to raise attainment and achievement within a framework of mutual trust and respect.
It should reduce the need for other extensive policies in favour of supportive and specific frameworks, guidelines and programmes of study. This policy will be a part of the continual cycle of planning and review for the school development plan.
Introduction:
Rowanfield Service is the City of Edinburgh?s provision for primary children with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties. Children are admitted to the school at any stage and are referred via the Professional Assessment Group. There are 60 fte places within the school and 24fte places within inclusion.
Key elements of successful curriculum delivery are the building of positive relationships and appropriate and adequate discipline and control. Explicit links with policies for promoting positive discipline will provide a framework for an effective inclusive learning and teaching practice
In order to have positive child and teacher relationships, important elements are:
Mutual respect
Trust
Acknowledgement of agreed expectations and shared purpose
Commitment to a positive ethos.
And
In order to achieve discipline and control, emphasis is placed on the acknowledgement of:
A need to comply
Safety for all
Consideration for the feelings of others
purpose of placement i.e. to be educated and improve behaviour.
Aims:
This policy will aim to confirm existing good practice, as well as encourage staff to identify and reflect on the nature and process of learning.
The general aims of this policy are:
promote social inclusion and equality for all;
set high and realistic expectations for all;
actively engage learners and promote self confidence;
develop commitment, responsibility and independence in learners; and
promote creativity, flexibility and innovation.
This policy will provide a framework of practical information and support in order to facilitate consistent delivery of a high quality service. This will occur by setting the priorities of the policy within the framework of ?How good is our School? ? quality indicator 3 ?Learning and Teaching?
Quality of staff?s planning (Q.I. 3.1);
Planning of programmes and day to day activities
Taking into account of guidelines and policies
Require teaching plans which are clear and concise
Use assessment as a part of the planning process
Includes activities such as homework, which are well planned
Enhanced by opportunities for planning with colleagues
Quality of teaching process/interactions (Q.I. 3.2);
Variety of teaching approaches are well matched to learner?s needs
ICT is used appropriately to invigorate the teaching process and to motivate learners towards positive attitudes to learning
Teaching methods emphasis active methodologies and accommodate the range of learning styles
Methods promote interactive teaching
Effective teacher-child dialogue takes place
Quality of the children?s learning (Q.I. 3.3), including the fostering of creativity
Learning environment is stimulating and challenging
Pace of learning is appropriate
Learners take responsibility for independent thinking and active involvement
Learners interact with others
Meeting children?s needs (Q.I. 3.4), including cultural and gender needs;
Choice of tasks, activities and resources are appropriate
Provision is made for differing abilities and aptitudes
Learning needs are identified
Assessment (and reporting) (Q.I. 3.5 and 3.6) as integral part of teaching.
Formative assessment techniques are utilized
Teams/classes have an effective mechanism for responding to children?s learning
Self and peer assessment is an intrical part of children?s learning
Children will know and understand their learning outcomes and success criteria in all learning activities
The above Q.Is are promoted at Rowanfield by the following objectives:
Effective planning
Long and short term planning at class, team and service level to ensure continuity, pace and progression. This will involve collaborative planning with all staff as needed (specialists, multi-disciplinary etc.). The learning environment is effectively organized and well planned. Learning outcomes are clearly stated, shared and regularly reviewed by all involved in the learning process. Formative assessment strategies are used to review and revise plans and to make decisions on next steps in learning.
Effective teaching
Staff have an awareness of their own learning preference and how this influences how they teach. A range of teaching approaches are employed to maximize opportunities for all. Interactions with children are used to increase the quality and complexity of learning (i.e. questioning, ability to listen and respond)
Effective learning experiences
Learning preferences are taken into account when teaching. The learning environment is stimulating and challenging to help effective learning to take place. There are opportunities for children to work collaboratively and are motivated to succeed by the use of effective praise. The context of learning is relevant to children?s prior learning, and within their experiences and interests
Effective meeting of needs
All children are encouraged to fulfill their learning potential. Learning needs are identified through formative and summative assessments. Curricular flexibility is also considered in order to best meet children?s needs. Learning activities are differentiated so that they are closely matched to individual needs. Children and parents are involved in the process of setting learning outcomes and success criteria.
Effective assessment
Assessment is an essential part of the learning and teaching process ? it is at the heart of learning and teaching ? and leads to continuous improvement. Assessment is used to measure progress, identify next steps in learning and meet children?s needs. It also helps with staff self evaluation by identifying aspects of practice which needs further development
Effective reporting
Recording within each area of the curriculum is accurate, effective and systematic. Formal recording is in the form of review reports and details of progress made towards learning outcomes set.
Learning and teaching will enhance well-planned programmes of study, for children, which motivates, maintains interest and provides appropriate challenges. Staff are empowered to manage learning and teaching in their own contexts. Children see that staff have authority and responsibility. Staff are confident in proactive, collective responsibility for children in all parts of the service, which allows for a positive and safer environment for everyone. There is a shared responsibility for care and welfare of all children by all staff in the service. All staff are able to participate as key members of the multi-disciplinary team.
This policy is built on good practice. Staff are responsible for identifying and reflecting on the nature and process of learning and for establishing frameworks for improvement and professional development.
Learning and Teaching Process:
The process of learning and teaching takes into consideration practical implications for children, staff, whole school management and partnership with parents.
Effective learning and teaching is achieved when the curriculum intended by staff is what the children successfully achieve. The curriculum should have, as far as possible breadth, balance and continuity.
At Rowanfield, the curriculum is viewed as having both an academic and behavioural focus. Both aspects combine to what is seen as the ?whole curriculum? for children. The curriculum reflects national, local and school priorities, as well as being set within the framework of the National Priorities (How Good is our School), the Education Service Improvement Plan and the Standards and Quality report 1998-2001.
The service uses the ALPS Model for Learning in order to frame all learning activities in order to create a positive, supportive learning environment where there is challenge and risk taking. Staff will use the 4 stages to engage learners in a learning activity:
Connect = Overview
Activate = Input
Demonstrate = Process
Consolidate = Review
(Appendix 1)
Children are aware of the learning outcome and success criteria for all learning activities.
Using this process will create a positive and supportive learning environment where challenge and risk taking are encouraged and allowed.
Learning Preferences
?Nothing is more practical in teaching than knowing how people learn?
Cedric Cullingford, The Nature of Learning
Account needs to be taken of different learning preferences, as they will have an impact on behaviour, motivation, learning and achievement. It is acknowledged that children learn in different ways. Developmental, cognitive and affective issues need to be taken into account.
The classification to describe children?s having a preference for:
Auditory learning ? will access learning by verbal explanations
Visual learning ? will access learning by visual explanations
Kinesthetic learning ? will access learning by experiences
(Appendix 2)
Staff are aware that children learn new skills more effectively within their dominant learning preference, although children can learn outwith their preferred learning style. A variety of auditory, visual and kinesthetic experiences will enhance accessibility and motivation for learning.
Staff teach in their own learning preference, but do so in a way that takes account of and respects different learning preferences. Planning by staff shows an awareness of different learning preferences.
Teaching Styles and Techniques
Successful learning and teaching requires the use of a variety of teaching approaches and methods by staff. These include whole class teaching, group work and opportunities for children to work individually with the teacher.
Staff use the four modes of teaching to ensure children make the most of their learning. These four modes of teaching are:
Expository teaching which is characterized by the imparting of information, explanation and instruction to whole classes or groups.
Discursive teaching with an emphasis on oral work in groups, the initiation of ideas by children and guidance from the teacher
Enquiry teaching which emphasizes the creation of opportunities for choice by children, individual planning and development of themes and individual or group support from the teacher based on the provision of varied and appropriate resources
Activity teaching which is characterized by children being able to acquire knowledge and understanding through their creative and practical endeavors.
Staff also use their skills of clear questioning, explaining, discussing, organizing, differentiating and problem solving to underpin all effective teaching methods. They match appropriate teaching methods to children learning styles. Children prior skills, knowledge and understanding are also taken into account when planning for learning.
The purpose, content and related timescale attached to any activity is explained in order to encourage children to be actively involved and motivated in their learning. Children understand that their appropriate behaviours are necessary to guarantee effective learning within the classroom or teaching area.
Thinking Skills
Multiple Intelligences
Whole Brain Learning
Assessment is for Learning
?Assessment becomes formative assessment when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching and learning work to meet the needs (of pupils)?
Inside the Black Box
Paul Black and Dylan Williams
The majority of assessment at Rowanfield focuses on supporting children in their learning and helping them to be successful. Assessment is also used to review and transfer children?s progress.
Staff use both formative and summative assessment techniques. Summative techniques are used to measure performance, and formative techniques are used to support learning and guide next steps.
Summative assessment takes the form of Diagnostic Tests, National Tests and teacher made tests. These assessments are used by staff to identify difficulties a child may be having (i.e. dyslexia etc.), as well as how much a child has learned.
Formative assessment is used to help all children be more motivated and learn. In order to do this, staff:
Emphasis real progress and achievement rather than failure;
Emphasis progress against previous personal best and avoid or play down comparisons with others;
Are aware of the effect comments, marks and grades can have on learners? confidence and self esteem;
Are clear with children about what they are being asked to learn and how they will know they have been successful;
Help children become more aware of how as well as what they are learning;
Help children to reflect their strengths and limitations; and
Given children guidance on how to improve and opportunities to do so.
Staff integrate planning, teaching, assessing, recording and reporting to support effective learning in the classroom. Rowanfield has an effective response model:
By using a consistent team system for giving and receiving feed forward, sharing comments and learning outcomes;
By focusing on improvement;
By involving everyone ? staff and children; and
Emphasizing elicitation
The emphasis is with the learner. Feed forward is as immediate as possible, it involves the children and helps children to see relevance in what they are learning, be reflective, build resilience and be resourceful (Appendix 3).
Formative Assessment strategies include sharing learning outcomes and success criteria with children, effective questioning and discussion, self assessment and peer assessment, effective feed forward (responding) and modifying teaching depending on learning needs.
Sharing learning outcomes and success criteria
Forward Plans and target setting are an important part of learning and teaching and formative assessment at Rowanfield. Setting Learning Outcomes and success criteria with children is a key to raising achievement by increasing motivation and focusing children?s efforts. Children will be aware of what they are being asked to learn and how they will know that they have been successful (Appendix 4). It also helps children (and parents) understand how what they are learning relates to their future learning and/or real life.
Staff will complete forwards plans in all the areas of the 5-14 curriculum and set individual learning outcomes (targets) and success criteria for children in English Language, Mathematics, Social Development and Personal Development (Appendix 5)
Effective Questioning and Discussion
Self and Peer Assessment
Feed Forward (responding)
Responding is a whole school system of giving and receiving worthwhile feed forward. It focuses on improving and emphasizes elicitation over telling. Responding involves staff and children working together.
Responding means:
The more involved the child is, the better;
The less work the teacher does, the better;
The nearer the real experience the feed forward is, the better;
The more specific the feed forward is, the better; and
The clearer and more readily understood the success criteria is, the better
Responding is used by staff to help children be motivated and deals with strengths and limitations together. It also helps to develop the attributes of resilience, resourcefulness, relevance and reflectiveness (see above ? Appendix 3). Responding is done in both formal and informal ways and in both verbal and non-verbal ways.
At Rowanfield, responding is used by staff to:
Actively involve both staff and children;
Focus on improvement by sharing comments and targets;
Teach how to evaluate and make critical judgments of own progress; and
Shift the emphasis back to the child.
Modifying Teaching depending on learning needs (see learning preferences and teaching styles and techniques)
Ethos:
?Learning Together??being the best we can be?
Central to achieving effective learning and teaching at Rowanfield is a positive ethos. Staff work together to provide a caring and supportive environment for all. Staff work collaboratively to develop the school and manage change together.
Staff create a climate of success backed by a belief that all can succeed. This is done by putting an emphasis on learning and enjoyment and less on performance.
The service welcomes parents and visitors. Central to admitting a child to Rowanfield is the recognition that parents play an important part in their child?s life. A strong working relationship is developed between all members of the school community and parents. Parents are actively encouraged to participate in their child?s welfare and learning.
A positive work ethic for all at Rowanfield is promoted through the recognition of achievement. This is done through praise, rewards and displays around the school.
The curriculum:
The curriculum at Rowanfield has breadth, balance and continuity and reflects the services, authorities and national priorities. A programme of study is developed for each curriculum area and children?s achievement in English Language and Mathematics is recorded in a Record of Achievement within their Individual Education Plan. ICT permeates the entire curriculum and is seen as an essential tool for effective learning and teaching.
The curriculum provides for a variety of approaches to learning and takes place in consultation with teachers, children and parents/guardians. Children work purposefully and are aware of what the teacher, the school and the authority expect of them.
In regards to the curriculum children should:
Have a clear understanding of the purpose of their learning and outcomes of their learning
Work at appropriate attainment levels and understand how they can make progress
Negotiate and accept their individual targets, following discussion with teachers and where appropriate parents/guardians
Understand the purpose and relevance of homework
Staff have sufficient planning time to ensure that the needs of each child are addressed and that the curriculum is suitably challenging. Forward planning through whole school, class and individual programmes is essential for learning and teaching.
Effective classroom organization is evident in all classes and permits the curriculum to be delivered appropriately using a variety of teaching methods and learning styles.
Timetabling within teams/classes is organized to take into account the needs of children.
To ensure that assessment, recording of progress and reporting to parents remain an integral part of the learning and teaching process, the service requires:
Forward Plans with individual learning outcomes set in English Language, Mathematics and Personal and Social Development to be based on prior performance, and to include cross curricular links
Forward Plans for groups of children in Environmental Studies, Expressive Arts, Health Education, Religious and Moral Education and some aspects of Personal Development (Appendix 5)
Accurate record keeping by all staff
Regular feed forward to children and parents in both a formal and informal nature
Support and guidance given to children and their parents
Attainment
Children enter school at all stages, often with low levels of attainment and achievement due to their inability to take advantage of previous opportunities for learning. The school aims to help children reach national levels of attainment within the 5-14 curricular areas, as well as achievement in other areas of their lives. Progress towards this will be primarily monitored through the achievement of individually agreed learning outcomes and success criteria.
Children are presented with learning tasks which:
Meet their individual needs;
Are linked to agreed individual learning outcomes;
Have negotiated success criteria;
Are linked to prior attainment and
Can, with challenge, normally be achieved successfully
The management of learning and teaching by staff ensures that children are performing to their maximum potential. In particular, improvement in literacy, numeracy and personal and social development are seen as a priority and are the key to allowing children to take responsibility for their own learning.
The effective use of individual education programmes enables children to progress according to their ability and to assist staff in monitoring and tracking progress.
Review meetings are held for every child once a year. This is a time for staff and parents to come together to discuss a child?s progress and next steps in learning. Staff will prepare a report detailing the children?s progress and this will be used as the basis for the meeting (Appendix 6).
Support for Children
The individual needs of children are addressed through effective support for learning, both in the areas of attainment and behaviour management.
The role of the effective learning and teaching team at Rowanfield is to:
Liaise with staff re: strategies for dealing with children;
Liaise with parents and other agencies when needed;
Liaise with management team and multi-agency team;
Maintain behavioural support base;
Maintain curriculum resources;
Give support for specialized programmes for children; and
Have an overview and evaluate specialized programmes for children;
Appropriate provision for different levels of children?s aptitude is made and procedures take account of the five key roles of support for learning, and are in line with relevant authority policies.
The five key roles of support for learning are:
Consultancy, where time is set aside to enable all appropriate staff to collaborate with the support for learning teacher, share ideas, strategies and resources, evaluate co-operative teaching and discuss assessment
Co-operative teaching, where children and teachers benefit from the sharing of expertise, the pooling of ideas and a means of providing a differentiated curriculum
Tutoring, where the support for learning teacher directly teaches individual children or groups of children
Special services, where the support for learning teacher has a key role in ensuring that services are delivered to children in a coherent way
Staff Development, where the support for learning teacher contributes to staff development in the school
Individual learning outcomes and specialized programmes are drawn up for children in need of these services.
Resources
It is a high priority to have accommodation and facilities which provide a safe, pleasant and stimulating working environment for all, which will then have a positive impact on teaching and learning.
Rowanfield provides a range of appropriate resources for each curricular area and stage of learning. Resources are audited for:
Interest level;
Appropriate level and content for age of child;
Compatibility with other areas of curriculum;
Appeal to children
Ability to differentiate; and
Variety
Genre
Series that contain a variety within its context
Staff are aware of the resources available within their team/classes, as well as throughout the school.
Displays throughout the school are attractive and reflect current classroom work. Displays also reward positive behaviour in all aspects of the child?s school life. Children also keep a folio of work within their classroom. The children choose the samples of work to be kept.
Staff skills and experiences are fully utilized through effective class organization and staff deployment. All staff have appropriate allocations of time to plan and work collaboratively. They understand their personal responsibilities to seek appropriate continuing professional development.
Staff professional review and development is offered as an entitlement in the pursuit of enhanced teaching and learning.
Finance and staffing levels are allocated appropriately to ensure the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum. Following consultation with staff, budget allocations reflect the priorities identified in the school development plan.
Management, Leadership and Quality Assurance
At Rowanfield, self-evaluation is at the heart of good management, both in the classroom and at whole school level. Evaluation is used as a process of learning and gives a strong basis for planning. It is part of the service?s curriculum development. Curriculum self-evaluation, based on the quality indicators for ?How Good is our School? is used by all staff. They are used at whole school, individual class, specific or several contexts. Self-evaluation is used to answer 3 basic questions:
How are we doing at Rowanfield/in our teams/in my class/ in specific learning activities?
How do we know?
Evidence
Documentation and resources
Observations
Reflection and analysis data
Self evaluation by learners and staff
Participation by all staff in learning and teaching contexts
Collaborative discussions
What are we going to do now?
Identify strengths and areas for improvement for the development plan.
Inform the priorities for the next stage of planning in the service development plan, as well as staff development needs.
It is essential that every member of staff continually evaluate the quality of learning and teaching process by identifying evidence which demonstrates the effective meeting of learner?s needs, improving attainment and achievement.
Planning is vital as it:
Promotes effective learning and teaching
Focuses on improving the quality of children?s achievement and experiences
Ensures that changes are managed and monitored
Enables realistic priorities, targets and timescales are set
Helps to make best use of school budget and resources
Roles and responsibilities for the development of each learning and teaching priority is clearly defined.
Management is clear about its responsibilities for supporting success in the classroom, and plans and consults accordingly. An effective management system for monitoring and evaluating children?s attainment is in place.
Teamwork is established within the service and a well-developed consultation structure exists to ensure that issues about learning and teaching are openly addressed.
The Staff development and review process is managed in order to maximize the positive impact on teaching and learning.
Effective management of the school will be addressed and monitored through regular staff meetings, promoted staff development and review and feedback from service?s CAT and in-service days.
The importance of external support and evaluation is also recognized and the management team seeks and welcomes support, advice and challenges from HMI and authority officers. Back to top