Learning and Teaching Policy
May 2013 Reviewer WC - next review date June 2014
Learning and Teaching Policy “The principal goal of education is to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.” Jean Piaget The aims of the Godolphin and Latymer School guide members of the school community towards achieving excellence in education. Our well-qualified and enthusiastic staff encourage not only the development of existing and potential interests, but also the broadening of horizons, both inside and outside the classroom. Good teaching can really make a difference. Through quality teaching we aim to challenge the girls intellectually and foster independent thought and learning. We strive for academic excellence in a stimulating and exciting learning environment in which all girls are encouraged to take intellectual risks without fear of failure and to participate in a wide range of curricular and extra-curricular activities. We hope that by the time they leave school girls will see themselves as lifelong learners, having experienced the fun, sense of achievement and sheer enjoyment that learning brings. “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn”
John Cotton Dana
All teachers are learners and should be striving to evaluate and improve their practice. Teachers are managers of the learning environment, facilitating all girls to reach their full potential. In order to achieve this, all staff must be mindful of the essential qualities of teaching and learning. Quality Teaching:
will inspire girls with a lifelong love of learning provides ample, challenging work stemming from expert knowledge of the curriculum, how to teach it and how students learn develops well planned, prepared and paced lessons that maintain high levels of interaction with the class provides carefully structured activity matched sensitively to girls’ needs uses a variety of approaches; strategies and techniques are well selected and time is used productively gives girls a measure of responsibility for their work and encourages independent thinking will allow girls to take risks without fear of failure incorporates positive and constructive feedback both orally and in writing uses homework effectively to reinforce and extend what is learned in school, as well as to provide opportunities to prepare for or research a new topic
“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn. And the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking. Learning, naturally, results.” Dewey Quality Learning is:
when students are captivated and enthused by what they are learning an active, constructive process – a product of doing rather than receiving linked to prior knowledge collaborative through cooperation and dialogue with the teacher and other students centred on the learners’ responsibility for their own learning. They are able to exercise choice, develop goals, plan their approach and work independently reflective, enabling learners to monitor and review their learning when girls display a strong desire to contribute the effort and focus required to match the teachers’ passion for learning
In order to achieve these aims teachers are expected to:
demonstrate a commitment to every girl’s success, making her feel included, secure and valued set high expectations of girls that clearly define the effort and skills required for any given task differentiate in order to provide stimulating and challenging tasks for girls of all levels of ability give girls the opportunity to develop thinking and study skills and encourage them to work independently endeavour to know each girl’s individual learning profile and ensure that learning activities are appropriate to individual girls’ needs create a high-challenge, positive, purposeful environment for learning in which girls are motivated to learn and which enables them to develop confidence and high self-esteem through doing so. ensure that assessment promotes learning and progress by making positive, constructive comments both orally and in writing set homework at an appropriate level, within the time limits allocated for each subject in any given year group. engage with parents as appropriate on any aspect of their daughter’s learning create opportunities for learners to develop personal qualities such as considerate behaviour and positive and tolerant attitudes that will enable them to contribute effectively to the school community and to the world outside
Schemes of work It is important that all departments have schemes of work which are clear, helpful and informative. Heads of Departments should ensure that schemes of work are reviewed and updated annually with a copy available to all staff via the school network. In devising schemes of work, departments will generally take account of the national curriculum and examination syllabuses, but not be limited by them. Schemes of work should:
specify content and methodology as appropriate by subject and year group give an overview of aims and principles list topics to be covered refer to a suggested time scale for teaching each topic describe the resources needed and available for each topic highlight use of ICT as appropriate refer to social, moral , spiritual and cultural content (SMSC) outline assessment methods outline homework and independent learning activities include ideas for differentiation (how to address individual learning needs, how to stretch the most able girls)
Differentiation Differentiation means teaching in such a way that all learners in a class are enabled to learn effectively, whatever their ability level, aptitude and learning needs/preferences. Although differentiation may be partially delivered by structural means (e.g. ability sets in mathematics, French and science), the need for differentiation is recognised within these groups.
At Godolphin and Latymer, differentiation is seen as integral to good teaching as it means responding to every learner as an individual. Awareness of pupils’ individual profiles of skills, interests and learning needs thus informs teaching, enabling questions and responses to be tailored to each individual’s ability, confidence and character. Differentiation encompasses the range of ways in which learning is made accessible and stimulating for all. This includes:
focus on applying understanding rather than acquiring knowledge offering all students a balance of simple mastery tasks and stretching evaluative/analytical tasks setting open-ended tasks so that students can respond at their own level teaching that caters for different learning styles (e.g. verbal/visual, holistic, visual/auditory/kinaesthetic) providing support for learning (e.g. reviewing past material necessary for a given task, which may have been forgotten) avoiding teaching methodologies which are not constructive for all students or finding alternatives to support students who cannot access types of learning activity which are beneficial for peers opportunities to build a complex representation of material in a particular domain by enabling connections to be made and explored between aspects of a subject inviting speculation and reasoned hypothesis-forming based on evidence
Differentiation is informed by awareness of: the needs of high ability students (link to gifted and talented policy) the needs of students whose physical and learning profile may create barriers to learning (link to individual learning) The needs of students with social, behavioural and emotional problems (link to behaviour policy) Staff should consider a student’s general cognitive ability rather than just the subject profile. Girls who experience difficulties are usually not weak students in a wider context; they will probably excel in other subjects or disciplines and it is essential that this is recognised. “If they can’t learn the way we teach, we need to teach the way they can learn” Chasty