INTRODUCTION

At Guildford Grove, we advocate a consistent and evidence-informed approach to Teaching and Learning. We understand learning to involve the acquisition and application of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values resulting in change over time to a learner’s long-term memory and progress in the future.

Our bespoke pedagogical model (below) is framed around approaches and strategies linked to Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, all grounded in a varied range of evidence from three main sources:

  1. Cognitive science research focusing on how the human brain acquires and uses new information.
  2. Direct observation of ‘master teachers’, those whose students made the most academic progress as measured by attainment tests.
  3. Research on cognitive supports and scaffolds, such as the use of models and instructional procedures that helped students to learn complex tasks.

Running through the centre of our pedagogical model are our curriculum aims to:

  • Develop language
  • Make learning stick
  • Place reading at its heart

PEDAGOGY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

Our pedagogical model supports the effective teaching and learning of ALL curriculum subjects because teachers understand the need to:

  • develop positive relationships and a purposeful learning environment where pupils thrive
  • create opportunities for pupils to recall and reuse frequently required prior knowledge
  • share the learning objectives and success criteria with a focus on sticky knowledge
  • model their thinking (metacognition) through explicit explanation and demonstration of strategies specific to each subject
  • make use of appropriate scaffolding strategies in order to reduce cognitive load and enable high levels of success for all
  • use resources, including other adults and the use of IT, effectively
  • use a variety of strategies to formatively assess pupils, enabling adaptive and responsive teaching to take place both within and across lessons
  • introduce, explain, utilise and revisit key, subject-specific vocabulary
  • provide pupils with timely and effective feedback in order to support progress
  • use a variety of summative assessments to identify gaps and inform future planning.

 PLANNING

Teachers at Guildford Grove plan as a year team, using the appropriate curriculum documents (see separate curriculum overviews and medium-term plans).

Carefully selected schemes of work across the majority of subject areas, all meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and help to ensure the delivery of high-quality content with a focus on sticky knowledge and progression of skills.

These documents help support teachers’ subject knowledge as well as supporting the reduction of unnecessary teacher workload.

 

ASSESSMENT, MARKING & FEEDBACK

Teachers at Guildford Grove regularly use both formative and summative assessment (verbal, written, discussion, observation, low-stakes quizzing, testing) to inform whole class, group and individual feedback as well as to inform future planning, track progress and close gaps (see separate Marking & Feedback Policy). Both adults and pupils will be involved in the process of assessment and evaluation. Once again, this policy supports the reduction of unnecessary teacher workload.

TEACHER DEVELOPMENT & APPRAISAL

Both the School and the Trust are committed to high-quality, continual professional development and appraisal for all staff, teachers and leaders which will, in turn, impact positively on the quality of teaching and learning across the school.

We seek to develop teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogy across both the core and wider curriculum subject areas, as well as providing development for leaders at all levels to be as effective in their role as they can be; support staff receive continual professional development in line with the teachers so that all adults in the classroom are focused on consistency with their pedagogy.

CPD is provided both internally (often from senior, middle or subject leads) and externally (often through Learning Partner’s Professional Development Network) as well as remotely (through our subscription with The National College). Other high-quality providers are also utilised, where appropriate.

All of the above feeds into raising the quality of Teaching & Learning and outcomes, in line with the School Improvement Plan.