The information in this booklet was accurate at the time of printing. This booklet is the property of Lostock Hall Academy and must not be copied or shared without permission.
Introduction
Lostock Hall Academy prides itself on being a school that actively engages in current reading and research regarding high-quality education and learning. Over the years, the Academy has evolved to embrace the constant flux of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy and view constant change and development as inherent to our pursuit of excellence. Teachers at Lostock Hall Academy are aspirational and never cease to explore successful learning for all.
Our approach to current reading and research is discerning. Where research indicates that curriculum content, assessment methods or pedagogy may have impact for our students, it is considered within the context of what we know about our students and school.
In this guidance booklet you will find that each chapter is prefaced with a statement of intent. These intent statements capture both the Academy’s belief and vision for a high quality of education. All staff are asked to regularly visit these statements of intent and reflect on how their practice contributes to a community in pursuit of excellence defined by successful learning for all.
The implementation section of each chapter makes explicit practices that currently exist within the Academy. Of course, there will be many more practices that exist within the Academy that contribute to high-quality education but it in the interest of transparency, the implementation sections make expectations in key areas explicit and provide links which illustrate how our thinking has been informed.
The expectations defined in this guidance document are a result of a professional culture that prides itself on professional discussion and collaboration. None of the practices that are identified within this document are the result of a dictatorial process but rather, are a result of teams of teachers reflecting, contributing and ‘feeding up’ whilst working alongside leadership teams who strive to listen, be well-informed and innovate in the pursuit of excellence and successful learning for all.
If after reading this document you have any questions, please be reassured that professional discussion is always welcome.
1. Curriculum
1.1 Whole School Curriculum
The term ‘whole school curriculum’ refers to the full breadth of knowledge and skills that students learn whilst progressing from Year 7 entry to their Year 11 exit point into further education and training. Furthermore, the term also refers to the deep learning of ‘core knowledge and skills’ that underpin students’ progress and success in the broader curriculum and future life.
The design of the broader curriculum and the depth of consideration given to the sequence and build of ‘core knowledge and skills’ enables our curriculum intent.
Intent
The intent of Lostock Hall Academy is to equip all our learners with the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to achieve their full potential in a safe, stimulating and supportive environment. Through a broad, knowledge-rich curriculum, Academy students acquire the academic knowledge, cultural capital and personal behaviours to succeed in their chosen further study, training or workplace. This curriculum secures not only progress but the selfefficacy required for aspiration.
Implementation
To fulfil our intent, the Academy makes the teaching and learning of the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours for transition into further education or training explicit. Age expectation criteria defined by the National Curriculum are referenced in schemes of learning and core literacy and numeracy skills are explicitly taught by all teachers across the Academy. Furthermore, throughout the school, knowledge and skills relating to personal development are underpinned by explicit learning about careers and our core values of respect, integrity, commitment, teamwork, citizenship and accountability. This core curriculum is not a ‘bolt on’ to subjects but is pervasive throughout academic and pastoral programmes, teacher discourse and the fabric of the school. Thus, through constant reflection and adoption of a growth mindset, Lostock Hall Academy students are self-aware, caring and aspirational students.
To ensure that teachers are secure in their knowledge of students’ starting points regarding core knowledge and skills, the Academy uses and values the following:
KS2-3 transition information from teachers
GL PASS survey of attitudes and values of Year 7 intake
Question level analysis of the KS2 SATs in English and Maths
Diagnostic reports on our SEND learners
NGRT reading and spelling tests for all KS3 learners at the beginning of each year
GL Progress Tests in English, Maths and Science at the beginning of Year 7 and the end of Year 9 are analysed for transition gaps in learning.
1.2 Reading Curriculum
Intent
The Academy prioritises reading. Knowledge and proficiency in reading is understood by all staff to be vital to students’ ability to access the curriculum and therefore, it is the intention of the Academy to ensure that all students, including our SEND and PP learners are proficient and confident readers. Furthermore, we desire for all our students to have a love of reading, recognising its role in wellbeing and personal development.
Implementation
Key Stage 2 SATs data provides a starting point for examining and implementing a reading curriculum for groups of readers which takes place within dedicated KS3 intervention lessons. (These lessons are specifically designed to target reading but also facilitate other cross-curricular areas of intervention where there is a pertinent need for intervention.) The Academy uses Reading SAT scores in the following way to determine the type of reading curriculum students will receive:
80-89 scaled score students are of serious concern. Existing information on the student will be scrutinised. Students will be listened to by teachers and teaching assistants to ascertain their proficiency with reading fluency. Where fluency is insecure, students will receive phonics screening. Required explicit phonic teaching takes place within the intervention lesson with a teacher or a teaching assistant and within tutor time, using Fresh Start phonics and the IDL Literacy Programme https://idlsgroup.com/about-idl .
90-99 scaled score students are of concern. Within their intervention lesson, students will have their reading fluency screened by their English teacher via the Reading Plus programme. Students with greater fluency needs participate in group reading activities and engage in our Reading Buddy scheme. Students who need support with sustaining their reading to gain fluency will also use the guided window and visual exercises within Reading Plus as well as working on building their comprehension skills. https://www.readingplus.com/
100-109 scaled score students are considered secure in their KS3 starting point. Students joining their intervention class at this level will strengthen and build their comprehension skills through use of the Academy’s reading programme, Reading Plus. This programme is thorough and adaptive, providing a bespoke reading programme for individual learners. Pupil premium students are monitored closely and might be set a higher amount of vocabulary lessons if deemed appropriate. Once they have completed their weekly lessons in Reading Plus, students are encouraged to read for pleasure using the Learning Resource Centre and our online library. https://lostockhallacademy.eplatform.co/ Secure readers will also develop their knowledge and love of literature through the use of the Century Tech platform, widening their cultural knowledge through influential texts. Through Century Tech, students complete comprehension activities and the adaptive technology supports them to develop their comprehension skills.
110-120 scaled score students are able readers. They are encouraged to complete the Reading Plus programme which is adapted up to a Year 13 level. https://learnsite.readingplus.com/entries/reading-rate-goals-by-level-uk/download They are also encouraged to use the Learning Resource Centre, the online school library and are challenged to find books that match their lexile range at https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/book-results and the Gutenberg Project https://www.gutenberg.org/ Furthermore, students use the Century Tech programme to focus on 19th century texts, extending their cultural knowledge, vocabulary and comprehension skills. https://www.century.tech/explore-century/english-forsecondary-schools/
In addition to the reading intervention outlined above, the Academy’s ‘Ready to Thrive’ programme that takes place during tutor time also celebrates reading widely for personal growth.
Furthermore, all staff, not just English teachers, at Lostock Hall Academy are trained in reading instruction. Teachers understand the complexity of knowledge required to be a proficient reader of their subject, as illustrated by Scarborough’s reading rope.
Through disciplinary literacy approaches such as ‘reading think alouds’ staff strive to make the strands of reading in their subject explicit and select reading activities carefully to meet the needs of the learners.
Subject leaders play a key role in ensuring that their curriculums support and develop reading, with particular reference to the first three recommendations of the EEF Guidance Report on Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools (develop disciplinary literacy, teach vocabulary explicitly and develop students’ ability to read complex academic texts
EEF_KS3_KS4_LITERACY_POSTER.pdf / EEF_KS3_KS4_LITERACY_GUIDANCE.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)) . Consequently, all staff are committed to providing opportunities for students to access and explore high-quality academic texts that expand and deepens learning in their subject area. They also appreciate the importance of vocabulary knowledge in developing disciplinary reading and explicitly teach and assess this knowledge. See appendix 1.
1.3 Subject Curriculums
Intent
Each curriculum subject’s intent is a consensus arising from professional discussion of what we want our students to know, what they need to learn and what they need to be able to do See appendix 2. The intent and design of curriculums are regularly reviewed and may change and develop in line with the national and local contexts, such as delays and gaps in learning that have arisen as a result of the pandemic.
Implementation
All teachers at Lostock Hall Academy are required to sustain an expert understanding of their subject curriculum by engaging with the publications of their professional bodies and considering carefully the government’s curriculum research reviews and reports. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/curriculum-research-reviews
All subjects embrace the opportunity to engage in a broad Key Stage 3 curriculum that builds on Key Stage 2 learning and affords students the opportunity to acquire the cultural capital and a deep understanding of core knowledge and concepts that secure future success in the subject.
To ensure that we are secure in our starting points the Academy is proactive in assessing the needs of students and ensuring that the planned curriculum meets the needs of all students. As well as making use of the data outlined in section 1.1, subject teachers assess students’ KS2 knowledge on entry to Year 7 and plan carefully what their transition curriculum should include.
The regular CPD schedule in the Academy ensure that there is coherence and consistency in curriculum expectations and implementation. Subject teams are required to collaborate in a sustained manner to ensure that ‘what is taught’ remains the leading consideration in curriculum development. Staff are encouraged to continually reflect on the sequence and progression of their curriculums, considering:
What relevant prior learning have students experienced?
What are the expectations of learning for their age and for their key stage 3 entry point?
What future learning do we want students to be prepared for?
What disciplinary literacy and numeracy core knowledge do the students need to access the subject curriculum?
Are there threshold concepts that need to be gauged or introduced?
What is the core knowledge – what do we want students to know, remember/learn or be able to do?
Vocabulary is core knowledge. What vocabulary, explicitly taught will assist and deepen learning?
How will pedagogy be selected/adapted for the learning of substantive and disciplinary knowledge?
What opportunities are there to enhance cultural capital within this scheme of learning?
What opportunities are there to link to other areas of the curriculum?
What requires assessing? When? How? For what purpose?
How will the assessment of knowledge be planned for and how will students be required to respond to it?
1.4 Blended Curriculum
Intent
Although there is no longer a government directive to sustain a blended curriculum, the Academy believes that the benefits of this approach should be sustained for our students. Through use of Synergy, the Academy intends to continue to plan its curriculum into this online space so that students develop an appreciation of their ability to manage their own learning/revision and become independent learners that are metacognitive.
Implementation
When developing and organising the resources to accompany a scheme of learning, staff are encouraged to ‘build a course’ on Synergy. Attaching this course to the Class Work area of Synergy ensures that all students in the class have access to these materials at all times. This affords them the opportunity to revisit core knowledge, engage in extension reading/viewing and access assessment information. Synergy is also used by teachers to communicate with individual students; this is particularly effective when a student is not learning in the classroom and requires feedback and support from their teacher.
When continuing to develop a blended curriculum, staff are requested to:
Attach each lesson’s learning to the Class Work area so that students who are absent from the lesson can catch up with the missed learning (this includes students who are in school but not in the classroom for a particular reason)
Set homework through Synergy
Provide students with revision courses through Synergy
Use Synergy to direct students towards high-quality literature for their subjects
Use the ‘dashboard’ feature of Synergy to support students with their metacognitive reflections of progress and personal development
Wherever students can take opportunities to have their learning reinforced through online sites and programmes that strengthen revision, recall and wider reading these should be supported by the teacher’s planned use of Synergy with students
Guide students in the use of the online Microsoft Office Suite so that all work completed is accessible from any location. This way of working is to be likened to the expectations of colleges and the workplace.
1.5 Homework Curriculum
Intent
The purpose of homework is to provide opportunity for the following:
To assess recall of previous learning
To recap and strengthen previous learning
To deepen knowledge and subsequent learning on a topic
To provide opportunities to enrich students’ cultural capital
To build strong routines and proficiency in response to independent reading
To provide opportunities for creative exploration and development
To build the core value behaviour of commitment to study and self-development by adopting a metacognitive approach.
Implementation
The setting of homework at Key Stage 3 differs between subjects and is strategically planned into the curriculum by subject leaders to support student learning and progress. See appendix 3 The homework should maximise the benefits of using ICT and build strong routines and skills for independent learning
In Key Stage 4, it is expected that the setting of homework will be weekly and should take between thirty to sixty minutes. This homework should support students’ recall of knowledge and development of skills required by their GCSE course.
In the event that a class is shared, the subject teachers should liaise about when the homework will be given to avoid duplication.
To ensure that homework meets the Academy’s intent and is of a high quality, the following homework routines are monitored:
The AVP leads subject leaders in the setting of high-quality reading homework across the curriculum
Reading Plus is the Academy’s reading programme and all Key Stage 3 students are requested to complete 30 minutes of reading per week from this programme
As part of our homework expectations, students are expected to have reading material that they are reading for pleasure at all times. This can be a personal book, a book from the Learning Resource Centre or a book from the Academy’s online library
When subject staff set a homework, it should be recorded on Synergy
Teachers should be explicit about how the homework should be completed. The use of artificial intelligence to complete homework should be actively discouraged within discussion of the core value of integrity.
Students should receive a Metacognition Learning Profile grade in response to their homework which indicates to what extent they are committed to their studies and have been metacognitive in their approach. See appendix 4.
Students who achieve homework Metacognition Learning Profile grade 3 or 4 should be rewarded with achievement points. Within the Academy’s system of rewarding students for behaviours that represent our core values homework is discussed in the context of being committed to your studies and the development of oneself.
Staff are encouraged to view homework as an opportunity to consolidate learning and grow our students’ thinking about the world. Homework that requires onerous marking by the teacher is discouraged.
Furthermore, where staff employ online learning platforms as part of their homework routines they are asked to use and share the diagnostic information these platforms afford with their subject leaders, informing future learning.
1.6 Behaviour for Learning and Personal Development Curriculum Intent
Through explicit teaching, modelling and celebration of positive behaviours, the Academy intends to nurture well-rounded, caring and successful citizens. Teachers engage students in the ‘LHA Core Values’ on a daily basis and students’ knowledge and understanding of these behaviours deepens through a discourse of values that is pervasive within the Academy. Students are rewarded for actively demonstrating the behaviours of our core values and are motivated to work towards achieving their ‘CAP’ (completion of the Character Advancement Programme). See appendix 5
Implementation
The core values that underpin all teaching, discourse and the CAP programme are detailed below.
Lostock Hall Academy’s Core Values
Students at Lostock Hall Academy take pride in promoting the school’s core values of respect, integrity, commitment, teamwork, citizenship and accountability. These core values form the character of our community and are evident in our behaviours.
Respect
Respect for others at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• Using manners when speaking;
• Showing that you include others and understand other people’s feelings and perspectives;
• An understanding that differences between groups of people in our community can be a strength and that these differences should be celebrated.
Respect for yourself is characterised by:
• Caring about how your language and actions represent you;
• Being aspirational, taking pride in your achievements and celebrating your success;
• Adopting a growth mindset approach to your studies, behaviour and relationships.
Integrity
Integrity at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• Showing in your words and your actions that you can make good decisions, having thought about the impact of your choices and how they affect other people;
• Having the strength to speak for others when you suspect that they are not being treated fairly or need help;
• Not taking the easy option when faced with a decision about yourself and your future.
Commitment
Commitment at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• Taking pride in your appearance, understanding that a smart uniform represents both you and the Academy and is preparation for workplace expectations;
• Planning for your future by having high aspirations for yourself;
• Understanding that being aspirational requires dedication to studies, approaching your work with resilience and a determination to achieve the best that you can;
• High levels of attendance and punctuality.
Teamwork
Teamwork at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• A willingness to participate in activities and undertake any role assigned so that the team is successful;
• Wanting the best for the team and all its members, rather than prioritising self;
• An inclusive and supportive approach to all team members;
• An appreciation that the actions of a team, made up from different personalities, knowledge and skills has the potential to achieve more than a single individual.
Citizenship
Citizenship at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• Caring for the school environment and role modelling positive behaviours that make the environment a pleasant place to be for all;
• Including and caring for other students and staff – helping, supporting and guiding others where appropriate;
• Being a valued member of your form group, house, school and local community;
• Being aspirational for your school’s reputation within the community.
Accountability
Accountability at Lostock Hall Academy is characterised by:
• Accepting that you are responsible for your behaviour, actions and words, at all times;
• Understanding that you are responsible for your future and that your actions and studies determine your future;
• Recognising that where you start doesn’t define where or how far you can go;
• An understanding that you are answerable to staff and the Academy’s policies regarding your behaviour, including ICT use.
The programme of tutor time activities that explicitly teaches and takes a metacognitive approach to the core values is called ‘Ready to Thrive’. Within tutor time, tutors will focus on the core values, engaging in a range of learning activities that help them to understand and deepen their knowledge of the core values. The activities of the Ready to Thrive programme are:
• Assemblies on the core values
• Core value learning sessions focused on moral stories and socratic questions
• Reading of pertinent literature by the form tutor
• Private reading and reflection
• Exploring the core value through cultural capital
• Metacognitive practices and reflections regarding uniform, equipment and the Synergy dashboard which captures achievements and consequences for the core value behaviours.
Metacognitive reflections in tutor time are vital to the success of the ‘Character Advancement Programme’ (see appendix 5) and students’ motivation to display the behaviours of the core values. Teachers and students are expected to engage in meaningful discussions of what types of achievements a student is making within the core values. The achievements that a student can feel proud to gain are made explicit to students and are detailed below:
Respect – uniform worn correctly, respectful language, good manners, respectful attitude to different groups of people, celebrating others’ achievements, respecting self through a growth mindset, respect for the environment
Integrity - distancing self from poor behaviour, making a good decision, speaking up for others, questioning others’ behaviour, being thoughtful before taking action, showing empathy
Commitment - good effort, subject reward, equipment check, 100% attendance (half term), 100% attendance (full term), 97% attendance (school target met), attendance recognition, punctuality, taking pride in appearance, dedication to studies, homework, resilience, laptop charged, reading for personal development, reading platinum, good classwork, good commitment, fantastic improvement
Teamwork – good contribution, regular club attendance, represented the school at an event, supporting others in a team, participation in a team, leadership of a team, assisting with primary school events
Citizenship – helping others, assisted at a school event, prefect duties, School Council, taking care of the school environment, role modelling positive behaviour, taking on responsibility that aids the school, duty team, picking up litter that is not yours, good table manners.
Accountability – responding to report car targets, improved behaviour, accepting responsibility for your actions
British Values are also explicitly taught and discussed through the core values, particularly tolerance and respect for different cultures.
The behaviour for learning curriculum is also explicitly taught in Personal Development lessons which cover a range of age appropriate topics which can be captured by the concepts of PSHE, RSE and Citizenship.
In addition, the Academy regularly asks subjects to review the social, moral, religious and cultural learning that is prevalent in their curriculums and encourages leaders to consider how this can be further developed and linked with the Academy’s Core Values.
Unsatisfactory behaviour for learning is identified and recorded on Synergy through teacher application of the Tiered Behaviour System (see appendix 6). The recording and reporting of unsatisfactory behaviour is then monitored by the Academy’s Cumulative Behaviour System (see appendix 7).
Using the Cumulative Behaviour System (CBS) and observations, students who are identified as having behaviour learning needs receive intervention. These interventions may consist of the following:
• A behaviour report card (stage 1-4)
• Counselling
• Anger management support
• Planned restorative justice sessions
• A parent/student/BfL team meeting to discuss further support
• Explicit, targeted teaching and learning sessions on social and emotional aspects of learning within the Academy’s Aspire Hub or Reflection Room.
1.7 Extra-curricular and Cultural Capital
Intent
The Academy believes that extra-curricular activity is vital to our students’ personal development and emotional wellbeing. Therefore, the Academy intends to actively engage all students in experiencing a broad range of extra-curricular activities by rewarding participation in wider school life through the Character Advancement Programme.
Furthermore, an emphasis on engaging with our wider community is also encouraged through our Character Advancement Programme, by rewarding students for volunteering work and charitable contributions.
The Academy supports the Ofsted guidance on cultural capital which is described as ‘the knowledge, behaviours, experiences, and skills that a person can draw upon to help them to understand and function within society’. Schools are expected to support pupils to develop cultural capital through provision of a rich and broad curriculum. Therefore, all subjects are expected to support this area of work, across all year groups. Curriculums are reviewed and refined to ensure they are diverse.
Implementation
To ensure that all students have the opportunity to engage with and benefit from a broad range of extra-curricular activity, the Academy offers a large number of lunchtime activities. These allow smaller groups of students from across different year groups to explore common interests, develop relationships and gain a sense of identity and belonging.
After school activities give the students opportunity to meet for a longer period of time, allow students to deepen their knowledge and develop skills in an area of interest in a meaningful and sustained manner. It is the extra-curricular clubs in subject areas such as PE and the Creative Arts that ensure that our students are given opportunities to experience challenges that inspire them to pursue different career pathways. Crucially, the after school clubs provide students an opportunity to engage with cultural capital that is not part of the planned subject curriculums. It also affords students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, act as Ambassadors and visit places and have cultural experiences that broaden their thinking and horizons.
In addition to the regular extra-curricular clubs and activities in the school, the Academy prides itself on giving students the opportunity to engage with the wider community, particularly regarding careers and future pathways. The careers curriculum and the cultural capital that goes with it is pervasive in the school, constantly aiding student understanding of future pathways in the following ways:
• ‘Gatsby slides’ in lessons that make the links between subject and possible future careers explicit
• ‘Futures Fridays’ posts on the student bulletin that link students to up to date local careers information
• Careers speed-dating activities
• Visits from outside speakers who talk about their careers
• Visits from alumni who talk about their pathways
• Visits from colleges and apprenticeships providers
• Visits to colleges
• Mock Interviews with members of the local community
• Careers Fayres
• Work experience.
Cultural Capital can be seen in whole school provision, classroom based provision, in opportunities beyond the classroom and through parental engagement and support.
Students should be provided with opportunities to engage in cultural capital through discussion and discovery, with the aim to inspire them to have high aspirations.
The implementation of Cultural Capital can be done through the various platforms as shown in the diagram below.
2. Assessment
2.1 Formative Assessment of Learning
Intent
Formative assessment is a powerful tool for gauging whether our students know, remember and fully understand what they have been taught. Staff understand that formative assessment does not translate to a grade but can indicate whether a student has retained and understood knowledge within their curriculum journey. At Lostock Hall Academy, staff intend to use a wide range of formative assessment methods, consistently, to gauge learning and adapt teaching accordingly.
Implementation
Subject leaders write into schemes of learning the type of formative assessment to be used. Careful consideration is given to the purpose of the assessment and how the information gained will be used within the sequence and build of a scheme of learning. In some subjects there will be a greater emphasis on assessing core substantive knowledge, whereas in subjects that require gaining proficiency in procedural knowledge and skill, the formative assessment may reflect this.
When designing formative assessments staff are encouraged to consider knowledge learned within Bloom’s taxonomy of thinking, ensuring that recall and practice is varied in the type of thinking required. This ensures that our learners become critical and independent in thought. Teachers should be wary of viewing recall activity as the assessment of remembered knowledge alone.
The following formative assessment methods are valued at the Academy:
• Use of questioning to probe depth of understanding and gauge misconceptions
• Recall starters
• Use of wipe boards to display retained knowledge and capture whole class understanding
• Use of wipe boards to practise procedural knowledge and skill
• A question that requires students to apply a component of knowledge
• Low stakes quizzes
• Microsoft forms that capture the ‘class picture’ of progress
• Use of online platforms that give teachers assessment information on components of knowledge
• An evaluation of an exemplar response
• Creation of a plan, diagram or model to show knowledge and approach
• Assessing a particular area of knowledge or skill that informs judgements about whether a student is working at age expectation and/or is making progress.
The Academy places an emphasis on high-quality questioning as the frontline of formative assessment and advocates seven questioning methods that create a classroom where the gauging of understanding is rigorous. The seven methods are:
• Gauging levels of understanding through a whole class response
• Checking for understanding across the classroom
• Probing students’ understanding
• Cold calling
• No opt out (supporting answers – through scaffolding and thinking time)
• Think, pair, share (building thinking and confidence through talk)
• Say it again, say it better.
DCPro
The Academy is introducing DCPro to solve the issue of tracking progress captured by formative assessment at KS3, and sharing next steps for teaching and student progress. Subject Leads have reviewed their curriculum plans and identified progress statements which track what students know, understand and can do. Periodically, teaching staff will track the students’ progress against the agreed progress statements
It is expected that this tracking and monitoring provides information for all stakeholders which enables them to review and gauge understanding and progress. It provides teachers with information to support opportunities for re-teaching and adaptations as required. It is anticipated that within 25/26, DCPro will replace the existing KS3 parental reports that will go home to parents and carers.
2.2 Summative Assessment of Learning Intent
Summative assessments are used to gain an accurate picture of whether a student is working at their expected level and making progress. They are assessments that require the recall of several components of knowledge and are a range of composite tasks. At Key Stage 3
a summative assessment will reflect the breadth of what they have been taught throughout the year and at Key Stage 4 summative assessments will reflect both the breadth of teaching to date and the exam board requirements. In addition to national GCSE assessments, the Academy believes in the value of national benchmark testing at Key Stage 3 and makes effective use of the diagnostic information gained through the GL Progress Tests in English, Maths and Science
Implementation
At Key Stage 3 summative assessments are created by subject leaders. Subject leaders are expert in their knowledge of age expectations and use a wealth of resources to inform their assessment of whether a student is at age expectation in their learning journey, for example:
• The National Curriculum
• The Lancashire Assessment Programme (assessment without levels)
• Guidance from publishers
• Professional networks
At Lostock Hall Academy, a student’s progress is assessed by teachers not only in relation to age expectation criteria but crucially, in relation to their attainment at KS2 entry point. The government defines students’ entry points in the following bands:
• B: the child is working below the level assessed by KS2 SATs (below scaled score 80)
• NS: the expected standard has not been achieved (scaled Score 80-99)
• AS: the expected standard has been achieved (scaled score 100+)
• GD: the expected standard has been achieved at a greater depth (scaled score 110+)
When a teacher is feeding back to a student on a summative assessment they will combine their knowledge of age expectation criteria with their knowledge of an individual’s starting point at Lostock Hall Academy. For example:
Prior Attainment (PA) and minimum expectations
PA
Low PA
Middle PA
Upper PA
Minimum Expectation
Approaching
Secure
Extended or Mastered
When assessing KS3 students in CPA, teachers will use one of these 6 judgements: No evidence, Developing, Approaching, Secure, Extended or Mastered. This judgment is made by following the guidance from the Subject Leader on what is expected of a student from their age and prior attainment.
No evidence
Developing
Approaching
Secure
Extended
Mastered
Low PA Middle PA Upper PA
The Key below indicates which working at grade (WAG) would be appropriate for reporting purposes.
Key:
SC Serious Concern
BT Below Target
OT On Target
AT Above Target
Leaders at the Academy are very much aware of the ‘unconscious bias’ of teachers and ensure that data gained from national benchmark testing (GL Progress Tests) and other national platforms such as Reading Plus and Pin Point are used to challenge staff thinking and perceptions.
In September of each year, our Year 7 students sit Progress Tests in English, Maths and Science and the Standard Age Scores from these tests are compared to the Scaled Scores of the KS2 SATs. Whist they are different scales, it is possible to draw correlations and identify anomalies for monitoring. Furthermore, the diagnostic information available from these tests serves to inform transition curriculums and ensure that any gaps in learning are addressed.
In June of Year 9 Progress Tests are taken in English, Maths and Science and a progress measure is generated for each child. Students who have not made expected progress between the two groups are monitored carefully on transition to KS4 and intervention requirements are identified.
In addition to the KS3 national benchmark testing above, all KS3 students complete a National Group reading Test and National Group Spelling Test at the beginning of each academic year.
2.3 Assessment for Learning
Intent
The management of assessment at Lostock Hall Academy purposefully constructs an environment where expectations of standards are explicit for students who engage in metacognitive reflections on their own work.
Implementation
It is expected that schemes of learning will lay the foundations for high-quality feedback. Self and peer assessment for learning is a vital stage in a scheme of learning that allows for students to engage in valuable metacognitive practices. Recommended methods for engaging students in metacognitive assessment for learning include:
• Teacher modelling the assessment of work under a visualizer before the student self assesses using an AfL grid
• Reading an exemplar piece of work and ‘thinking aloud’ your assessment thoughts as a teacher, in relation to the criteria
• Inviting students to assess a piece of work under the visualizer. Invite them to ‘think aloud’ and prompt thinking
• Live, roaming marking in which the teacher questions the students on their work Why did you include…? How can you …? To what extent is this work an improvement on …?
• When asking students to self-assess, given them a WAGOLL (what a good one looks like) to gauge work against
• When working with WAGOLLs in class, ensure that your metacognition prompts are specific and deepen subject knowledge, e.g. Compare your sentence structures to the WAGOLL. What do you notice about the different types of sentences employed? Where is impact achieved? Try not to reduce reflection to – Which one is best? Why?
• Hone students’ peer assessment skills by completing rank ordering exercises with them and modelling the thought process of comparative judgement
• Students are asked to peer and self-assess in green pen
• Self and peer assessment for learning should take place within metacognition discourse and the Metacognition Learning Profiles should be referred to.
See appendix 4.
• Teacher should gauge students’ assessment of work for accuracy and misconceptions. This is an important aspect of the metacognition that aids progress.
2.4 Recording and Reporting Intent
The Academy believes in the value of data in informing staff of student progress and their curriculum needs. However, we are mindful of staff workload and actively promote practices that ensure that no unnecessary recording of data takes place. Data is collected for the following purposes:
• Track, identify and monitor achievement levels and compare to expected standards
• Provide evidence to support progress
• Offer evidence to support opportunities for re-teaching or adaptation
• Provide information to students so that they can review their assessment data and progress made
• To report home to parents/carers
Implementation
Recording for internal monitoring of progress
Periodically, teaching staff will track the students’ progress in DCPro against agreed progress statements. This system makes all recording of marks visible, allowing for comparative judgements on progress and allowing the subject leader to adapt the curriculum according to data. At the beginning of an academic year subject leaders will guide their staff on what is expected of a student from their age and prior attainment, and what is planned for formative and summative assessments
Previously, staff have recorded summative judgements of a student’s progress on SIMs. For KS3, it is anticipated that the data contained within DCPro will eventually replace the need for entry to SIMS. Further clarification of this process will emerge in 25/26. This system allows leadership to create focus groups and track progress across the Academy for effectively.
For KS4, data is requested from staff biannually so that progress can be reported to parents and so that internal monitoring is current. See appendix 8
The Academy also partakes in data sharing within SISRA Analytics which draws information from SIMs. This platform allows all teachers to have a view of how their students compare nationally to other students with similar KS3 entry points. The value of SISRA reports to leadership is that it gives a clear picture of the progress of vulnerable cohorts and identifies those in need of subject intervention as well as giving a national comparison
The Academy also shares data with the Local Authority to enable leadership to compare the performance of the students at LHA with local and national data. This data analysis feeds into the Academy Development Plan (ADP).
Recording for student metacognition
In addition to teacher records, it is recommended that subject leaders identify a system for students having the overview of their progress. This may take the following forms:
• An assessment book
• An assessment folder
• An online ‘dashboard’
• A personal tracker within students’ OneDrive folder
Effective methods of student recording take place within metacognitive talk about attitudes, approaches and learning progress. Therefore, it is recommended that when recording their assessment outcome that students’ also record their metacognitive reflections at that particular point of learning. These metacognitive reflections should be planned into schemes of learning.
3. Feedback
3.1 Planning for Effective Feedback
Intent
At the Academy we subscribe to the philosophy that assessment is a servant to the curriculum and its purpose is to gauge what is known, what is understood and what students can do so that the curriculum may be effectively adapted at key points. Moreover, meaningful assessments create opportunities for high-quality feedback that has impact. We have noted how feedback consistently scores highly within the EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit and strive to continually develop metacognitive practices in students’ response to feedback.
Implementation
Teachers lay the foundations for effective feedback through careful planning within schemes of learning to deliver high-quality instruction prior to assessment. This high-quality teaching and learning will share the learning intentions and make explicit what subsequent feedback will be focused on. Further guidance on high quality instruction that aids the
effectiveness of feedback can be read on page 13 of the EEF Guidance Document – Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/eef-guidancereports/feedback/Teacher_Feedback_to_Improve_Pupil_Learning.pdf?v=1635355218 and can be found within Rosenshine’s 17 Principles of Instruction https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Rosenshine.pdf .
Generally, activities that support high-quality teaching for effective feedback are:
• Strengths and weaknesses discussions
• Teacher modelling the work, speaking thoughts and success criteria aloud
• Making explicit what not to do
• Students design questions
• Students have several attempts at work and rank order achievements
When students are engaged in activities that prepare them for effective feedback, teachers should assess gaps in learning and adapt teaching and learning prior to assessment. Teachers can assess the gaps through:
• Effective questioning
• Whole class response systems, e.g. use of wipeboards.
3.2 Directional Feedback for Progress
Intent
Having a clear focus for feedback is more important than the frequency of feedback. Therefore, the Academy does not specify how often feedback should be given to students but rather, expects to see the assessment and feedback planned into schemes of learning. Just as the purpose of the assessment should always be explicit to students what individual students need to do to move forward should be explicit in teacher feedback.
Implementation
Feedback that moves learning forward is likely to be focused on one or all of the following:
• The task – with specific advice/direction on how to improve the learning/completion of task
• The subject – with specific advice/direction on what to do to improve knowledge, understanding or skill in the subject
• Self-regulation strategies – with specific prompts on how the learner can improve their planning, monitoring and evaluation skills
Praise is encouraged in feedback for sustaining student motivation and encouraging growth mindset approaches. However, praise should be meaningful and avoid general or personal comments.
Examples of general/personal comments that should be avoided:
• Great work!
• Poor effort. I expected better from you.
• Well done, you’re a brilliant scientist!
• Super, as always
When commenting on effort staff should comment on improvements in self-regulation using the core values (see 1.6 behaviour for learning curriculum) and the Metacognition Learning Profiles See appendix 4
The Academy encourages a diverse range of different feedback methods to enhance learning experiences, such as:
• Live marking in the classroom (e.g. use of a purple highlighter to draw attention to literacy improvements)
• Verbal feedback on Synergy
• Verbal feedback to class and individual, e.g. asking students to improve oracy and use of academic vocabulary
• Verbal feedback under a visualizer
• Use of feedback cribs in exercise books
• Use of feedback cribs in PowerPoints
• Coded marking
• Use of AfL grids
• Asking students to pre-empt the teacher comments based on the high-quality instruction that took place prior to assessment
• Written feedback
Although there is a tolerance of a wide range of feedback methods at the Academy, subject leaders are encouraged to plan and lead their teams in how they want their teachers to feedback for moving the subject learning forward. Often, it is written feedback that allows students to reflect and take action. Therefore, the Academy specifies that:
1. Written feedback must focus on moving individual learning forward (inc. personalisation of whole-class feedback sheets)
2. Written feedback must have a clear focus (task/subject knowledge + self-regulation)
3. Not all pieces of writing require written feedback. Schemes of learning will identify feedback foci and prepare for effective feedback on key pieces.
3. Schemes of learning should lay the foundations for the written feedback focus.
4. Praise should be meaningful and specific to the learning.
5. SPaG errors should be highlighted using the common notation in the margin – sp, C, p, //, g
6. Students should be given time to be accountable for their learning by responding to their feedback, reflecting on their learning targets and motivation.
Subject leaders are expected to regularly review and share their Subject Feedback Policies.
3.3 Directional Feedback for Improving Literacy Knowledge and Skills
Intent
Speaking, listening, reading and writing are the skills by which all students access all curriculums across the Academy, cultural capital and personal development. Therefore, all teachers at the Academy understand the importance on feeding back on students’ knowledge, understanding and skill in disciplinary literacy for subject learning In addition, teachers set high-expectations of student proofreading.
Implementation
When feeding back on students’ speaking and listening skills, teachers should focus on:
• Task – students’ fulfilment of speaking and listening roles within collaborative group work or level of participation in class
• Subject – use of correct terminology, use of academic language and discourse markers (disciplinary oracy)
• Self-regulation – building on others’ ideas, showing respect/empathy, resilience and motivation.
When feeding back on reading, teachers should focus on:
• Task – fluency, expressiveness, accurate location of information and comprehension
• Subject – thinking as a subject expert as reading, making connections, predictions, analysing and evaluating (disciplinary reading)
• Self-regulation – confidence, resilience and motivation to self-develop through reading.
When feeding back on writing, teachers should focus on:
• Task – advice on how a piece of writing can be improved with a focus on correction using the common notation system or a purple highlighter
• Subject – inclusion of terminology, subject-specific use of tier 2 vocabulary, guidance on sentence development to achieve the correct form of writing (disciplinary writing)
When giving writing task feedback staff use the following common notation system.
3.4 Student Response to Feedback
Intent
The Academy values the work of Dylan Wiliam and Siobhan Leahy and recognises that learning will only move forward if feedback is acted upon by the student. Furthermore, we expect that opportunities for students to act on feedback will be built into schemes of learning and that students will appreciate these opportunities for metacognitive reflection and personal development.
Implementation
Teachers should prepare students for acting on feedback by discussing the purpose of the feedback, being explicit about how acting on it will move learning forward. A teacher can achieve this by modelling the use of the feedback and celebrating the improvements made by a peer. Whilst preparing students for feedback, teachers should sustain a tight focus and ensure that students understand the feedback being given.
Student response to feedback will vary according to the task and the subject. However, some examples of what a student action may be include:
• Correcting errors and editing work
• Redrafting work
• Responding to three questions that move thinking and learning forward
• Completing similar problems with feedback in mind
• Class discussion of feedback to explore, explain and clarify
• Detective activities where students are given the feedback and then need to find the errors/areas for improvement.
Students complete response activities in a purple pen to highlight their improved work.
3.5 Key Points about Feedback Summarised
• Teachers should lay the foundations for effective feedback by including high-quality instruction in schemes of learning prior to assessment (AfL activities in green pen).
• Having a clear focus to feedback is more important than frequency of feedback.
• Having a diverse range of feedback methods is encouraged
• Feedback must move learning forward.
• Feedback that moves learning forward will be focused on the task, subject or on selfregulation strategies.
• Feedback will make reference to disciplinary literacy methods (subject), where appropriate
• When feeding back on writing staff will use the common notation system.
• Students must respond to feedback
• Teachers will plan for how students receive feedback and have feedback opportunities written into schemes of learning.
• Praise must be meaningful and specific, i.e. refer to the leaning, a core value or the student Metacognition Learning Profiles. See appendix 4.
4. Teaching and Learning
4.1
Pedagogy for Excellent Behaviour for Learning
Intent
Trauma-informed best practice dictates that the best teaching and learning take place in an environment where students feel safe, secure, relaxed and able to take risks. At the Academy this environment is created, nurtured and maintained by all staff as part of our Universal Supportive Practice (USP), which contains certain fundamental themes that all staff use in their interactions with students:
1. Modelling expected behaviours with students
2. Nurturing a sense of community – working together with shared values
3. Building and maintaining excellent relationships, knowing the students well
Universal Supportive Practice is actively shared, referred to, and embedded in the Academy’s day-to-day business. CPD at the start of, and throughout, the year reinforces key ideas and
approaches, with two-week areas of focus throughout the year for all staff to focus on. Observations and feedback throughout the year will influence in-year training, coaching and any further CPD that might be needed.
1. Modelling
Staff are expected to model excellent behaviour to students by demonstrating what we expect of students consistently. This includes:
• Smart appearance
• Excellent punctuality
• Calm, friendly, deliberate tone of voice
• Firm, clear and consistent expectations
• Fairness of approach
• De-escalating situations
• Being restorative and seeking solutions with students
• Encouraging students to own their behaviour and make good choices
• Sharing a little of themselves, appropriately.
Training and CPD throughout the year at LHA support staff in building these skills, as will reference to Universal Supportive Practice throughout the year via CPD and training.
2. Sense of community
Staff engender a sense of community by working with students. The sense of “them” and “us” must be consistently fought against. Inclusive language and co-operative, mutual problem solving, including reflective and restorative practices and approaches, are expected. These include:
• Inclusive language including calming tone and appropriate pace
• Working together
• Use of “we” rather than “you” or “them”
• Promoting respect, including when managing challenging situations
• Using reflective and restorative practices to seek solutions with students, and to ensure students know what is expected of them
• PIP & RIP
• Active listening with considered responses
• Depersonalisation
• De-escalation
• Encouraging and enabling students to make good choices
• Active reference to the Academy Core Values
3. Excellent relationships
Knowing our students, and what makes them tick, is crucial, as is then using that information. Each student’s context is important, and we collect information that students have shared with us (via the “All About Me” sheet), and make that available for staff to use in their planning.
Excellent relationships are further embedded by use of restorative practices and reflective conversations at all times, but especially during detentions ensuring this time is used to best benefit. It is especially important here that students know what is expected of them, and what to do, rather than just what not to do.
Staff are encouraged to take chances, sometimes fail, apologise to students, etc – in other words be human and be reflective. This very effectively breaks down barriers. All elements of excellent Behaviour for Learning practice ultimately point to the creation and maintenance of excellent relationships. In practice:
• Use All About Me sheets to aid planning (amongst other information including SEND and Metacognitive profiles)
• Use inclusive language to reinforce sense of “We”
• Repair damaged relationships using restorative practices
• Support students to feel proud of the good choices they make
4. Routines
Strong, simple and consistent routines are crucial to make the learning environment safe, secure and predictable. This benefits all students. (see appendix 9, ‘How We Learn’ as an example of classroom routine)
Routines do not, however, mean that everything has to look the same. Teachers use routines as frameworks to structure time with students, and within these frameworks exercise their creativity and personalise the learning. Key routines at LHA include:
• Tutor time line-ups
• Fire drills
• Lesson line-ups
• Lunch queue line-ups
• How / when to access toilets
• Transitions between lessons
• Lesson starters the Golden 10 minute Window of Opportunity
• Actively using the “How We Learn” poster
• Transitions within lessons
• Lesson plenaries and exits
• Use of “Hands off” protocol
• Quality of Education pedagogy including Metacognitive Learning Profiles to inform planning
• Using restorative practices
5. Excellent classroom management
Classroom management has to be practised and refined. Excellent classroom management brings together a combination of the four key areas above. These key areas, along with the
content of the Quality of Education booklet, come together to create experiences in and out of the classroom that are accessible, enjoyable, engaging, productive and bring about excellent progress.
The skills extend beyond the classroom also to tutor time, free time, sports activities, etc –any time we have an interaction with students. Inclusive language, consistency, supportive adaptations and reasonable adjustments combine together to help students feel at ease, be willing to take risks, and push themselves to be the best they can be.
4.2 Pedagogy for Clear and Effective Teaching and Learning
Intent
Subject leaders at the Academy are very aware of the impact that cognitive overload has on learning and structure schemes of learning in a manner that considers cognitive load and maximises the capacity of the students’ working memory. Effective teaching and learning, as illustrated by the diagram below, will strive to attach new knowledge to an existing schema of knowledge whilst considering the demands on the working memory in processing and recalling knowledge. Clear and effective teaching is how new learning is sequenced and modelled, how teachers question students’ understanding, how learning is reviewed and the stages of practice that a teacher guides a student through. The table below, taken from Sherrington’s review of Barak Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, illustrates the ‘basic principles’ that Lostock Hall Academy staff use as a touchstone for effective teaching and learning.
Implementation
Further explanation of Rosenshine’s Principles can be found here: https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/Rosenshine.pdf
4.3 Pedagogy for Memory
Intent
Teaching at Lostock Hall Academy prioritises the successful retention of knowledge and more importantly, genuine understanding within learning through consideration of students’ existing knowledge (schemata). In all schemes of learning, prior and future curriculum links are considered so that teachers are clearly guided as to what new learning may be ‘hooked on to’ Subject leaders design their curriculums so that memory is supported. Further to connecting new curriculum content to existing webs of knowledge, all staff support students in remembering, understanding and connecting their learning through specific teaching and learning strategies.
Implementation
Teachers teach explicitly the concept of spaced practice as a strategy for retaining learning. Spaced learning activities may be part of a lesson or may be set as homework. Repetition and practice is emphasised as important to memory, citing the concept of Ebbinghaus’s memory experiments and the forgetting curve.
LEARN TO STUDY USING… Spaced Practice
SPACE OUT YOUR STUDYING OVER TIME
HOW TO DO IT
Start planning early for exams, and set aside a little bit of time every day. Five hours spread out over two weeks is better than the same five hours all at once.
Review information from each class, but not immediately after class.
After you review information from the most recent class, make sure to go back and study important older information to keep it fresh.
HOLD ON!
When you sit down to study, make sure you are using effective study strategies rather than just re-reading your class notes.
This may seem difficult and you may forget some information from day to day, but this is actually a good thing! This forces you to retrieve information from memory (see Retrieval Practice poster).
Create small spaces (a few days) and do a little bit over time, so that it adds up!
RESEARCH
Read more about spaced pratice as a study strategy
Benjamin, A. S., & Tullis, J. (2010). What makes distributed practice effective? Cognitive Psychology, 61, 228-247.
Content by Yana Weinstein (University of Massachusetts Lowell) & Megan Smith (Rhode Island College) | Illustrations by Oliver Caviglioli (teachinghow2s.com/cogsci) Funding provided by the APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science
Retrieval practice is essential for effective gauging of what has been learned and the Academy recommends that retrieval practice is conducted using whole class methods such as wipeboards or Microsoft Forms. This allows teachers to make effective adaptations to the planned curriculum and address gaps in knowledge or misconceptions. Subject leaders write retrieval activities into schemes of learning, often as starters. The practice of retrieving knowledge from last lesson, last week, last month and last year is common across the Academy and staff are aware that retrieval activity should gage more that ‘what has been remembered’ but should also gauge ‘what is understood’ and ‘what can students do’. Hence, the Academy advocates that all teachers consider Blooms’ Taxonomy of Thinking when planning retrieval acticvities.
As with spaced practice, students are explicitly taught the value of retrieval practice in being self- motivated, metacognitive learners. It is commonly understood that what is important about retrieval practice is not the score achieved but the metacognitive reflections and discourse that encompass the activity, such as a retrieval reflection ticket, or the building of a revision plan.
Further teacher support with retrieval practice can be found here: RetrievalPracticeGuide.pdf
LEARN TO STUDY USING…
Retrieval Practice
HOW TO DO IT
Put away your class materials, and write or sketch everything you know. Be as thorough as possible. Then, check your class materials for accuracy and important points you missed.
Take as many practice tests as you can get your hands on. If you don’t have ready-made tests, try making your own and trading with a friend who has done the same.
You can also make flashcards. Just make sure you practice recalling the information on them, and go beyond definitions by thinking of links between ideas.
HOLD ON!
OR
WRITE SKETCH CHECK
TRADE TESTS
Retrieval practice works best when you go back to check your class materials for accuracy afterward.
Retrieval is hard! If you’re struggling, identify the things you’ve missed from your class materials, and work your way up to recalling it on your own with the class materials closed.
Don’t only recall words and definitions. Make sure to recall main ideas, how things are related or different from one another, and new examples.
RESEARCH
Read more about retrieval practice as a study strategy
Roediger, H. L., Putnam, A. L., & Smith, M. A. (2011). Ten benefits of testing and their applications to educational practice. In J. Mestre & B. Ross (Eds.), Psychology of learning and motivation: Cognition in education, (pp. 1-36). Oxford: Elsevier.
Content by Yana Weinstein (University of Massachusetts Lowell) & Megan Smith (Rhode Island College) | Illustrations by Oliver Caviglioli (teachinghow2s.com/cogsci) Funding provided by the APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science
Elaboration, or the practice of asking students to explain precisely and making connections to other learning is a mark of high quality teaching at the Academy that supports memorisation. A classroom where students are required to elaborate not only strengthens literacy skills and understanding of concepts but allows the teacher to probe the students’ thinking and challenge their ideas
LEARN TO STUDY USING…
Elaboration
Ask yourself questions while you are studying about how things work and why, and then find the answers in your class materials and discuss them with your classmates.
As you elaborate, make connections between different ideas to explain how they work together. Take two ideas and think of ways they are similar and different.
Describe how the ideas you are studying apply to your own experiences or memories. As you go through your day, make connections to the ideas you are learning in class.
HOLD ON!
Make sure the way you are explaining and describing an idea is accurate. Don’t overextend the elaborations, and always check your class materials or ask your teacher.
Work your way up so that you can describe and explain without looking at your class materials.
RESEARCH
Read more about elaboration as a study strategy
McDaniel, M. A., & Donnelly, C. M. (1996). Learning with analogy and elaborative interrogation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88, 508-519. Wong, B. Y. L. (1985). Self-questioning instructional research: A review. Review of Educational Research, 55, 227-268.
Content by Yana Weinstein (University of
Interleaving is another learning strategy made explicit to students for their own revision purposes but is also modelled in the classroom. Particularly in lessons that are moving students towards assessment, teachers engage students in interleaving and explain how it strengthens learning.
LEARN TO STUDY USING…
Interleaving
HOW TO DO IT
Switch between ideas during a study session. Don’t study one idea for too long.
Go back over the ideas again in different orders to strengthen your understanding.
Make links between different ideas as you switch between them.
HOLD ON!
While it’s good to switch between ideas, don’t switch too often, or spend too little time on any one idea; you need to make sure you understand them.
Interleaving will feel harder than studying the same thing for a long time. But don’t worry - this is actually helpful to your learning!
RESEARCH
Read more about interleaving as a study strategy
Rohrer, D. (2012). Interleaving helps students distinguish among similar concepts. Educational Psychology Review, 24, 355-367.
Content
Dual coding increases retention of learning as simple visuals can often convey complex ideas in an efficient way that avoids cognitive overload. This frees the working memory to make connections to existing schema and other verbal and visual information they may be receiving in the classroom.
LEARN TO STUDY USING…
Dual Coding
HOW TO DO IT
Look at your class materials and find visuals. Look over the visuals and compare to the words.
Look at visuals, and explain in your own words what they mean.
HOLD ON!
Try to come up with different ways to represent the information visually, for example an infographic, a timeline, a cartoon strip, or a diagram of parts that work together.
Take information that you are trying to learn, and draw visuals to go along with it.
Work your way up to drawing what you know from memory.
RESEARCH
Read more about dual coding as a study strategy
Mayer, R. E., & Anderson, R. B. (1992). The instructive animation: Helping students build connections between words and pictures in multimedia learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 4, 444-452.
Content by Yana Weinstein (University of Massachusetts Lowell) & Megan Smith (Rhode Island College) | Illustrations by Oliver Caviglioli (teachinghow2s.com/cogsci) Funding provided by the APS Fund for Teaching and Public Understanding of Psychological Science
4.4 Pedagogy for Disciplinary Literacy
Intent
The Academy has appreciated the work of Alex Quigley for a number of years and understands that combatting the ‘Matthew Effect’ is the key to closing the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. Moreover, staff consider the literacy of their subject to be disciplinary knowledge that is to be explicitly taught and learned. Staff at the Academy understand that disciplinary literacy refers to the subject expert’s approach to speaking, listening, reading and writing in their subject. They do not see literacy as a ‘bolt on’ or an additional thing to be taught but model for students how to think, speak, read and write like a subject expert on word, sentence and whole text level.
Implementation
All subject leaders ensure that vocabulary, as core knowledge, is identified within schemes of learning and that this vocabulary is explicitly taught. Staff have received training on Quigley’s SEEC (select, explain, explore, consolidate) method and this is advocated, alongside revisiting vocabulary as part of recall activities to gauge understanding and address misconceptions (see next page).
In addition to planned explicit teaching of subject-specific words, the Academy believes that all learning is enhanced and strengthened through a nuanced understanding of a wide range of academic language. In lessons, teachers check understanding and subject – specific meanings related to tier 2 vocabulary (the vocabulary of academic language) through exploration of etymology and synonyms.
Teachers use Avril Coxhead’s ‘Academic Word List’ to consider which words may need explicit teaching in the classroom. https://englishforme.weebly.com/uploads/5/0/8/8/5088721/the_academic_word_list.pdf
The oracy of a subject can be both general and subject-specific and should be understood as an aspect of disciplinary literacy. In lessons students learn to talk the language of their subject and they also learn by talking about the subject. As with reading and writing, speaking and listening needs to be modelled by teachers too so that students learn and achieve high levels of oracy
When considering micro elements of oracy, staff are encouraged to refer to the Oracy Skills Framework (EEF research trial) and consider the structure of the task. Teachers should deconstruct and teach discussion. In doing so, they will deepen learning and support writing.
4.5 Pedagogy for Independent and Self-regulated Learners
Intent
The Academy’s intent for its students are that they are independent, self-regulated learners who have the knowledge and skills to succeed in their future education lives and careers. Therefore, the Academy believes, it is essential that cognition and metacognition strategies are taught explicitly and that students receive feedback on their metacognition skills.
Implementation
Leaders and teachers at the Academy have a shared understanding of metacognition and selfregulated learning, in line with the Education Edowment Foundation’s guidance: Cognition is the mental process involved in knowing, understanding and learning. Metacognition is about the ways learners monitor and purposefully direct their learning. Motivation is intrinsically linked to cognition and metacognition and is about our willingness to engage with cognitive and metacognitive skills and apply them to learning.
When planning learning, teachers at the Academy are aware of metacognitive processes and make it explicit in the sequence of learning to nurture motivation, a growth mindset and independence. This approach complements Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and the Academy’s concept of clear effective learning.
Furthermore, students are taught the concept of metacognition through the areas of:
• Knowledge of a task
• Knowledge of strategies to complete the learning/task
• Knowledge of self.
They also understand that planning, monitoring and evaluating are crucial to developing metacognition, self-regulation and independence.
To support staff and students with explicit teaching and learning of metacognition the Metacognition Prompts Grid is used to support planning, monitoring and evaluation in lessons See Appendix 10 and the Metacognition Learning Profiles are used to gauge progress in acquiring metacognition skills The explicit use of the Metacognition Learning Profiles strands in everyday lessons and as a response to homework is an expectation at the Academy. See Appendix 4.
4.6 Pedagogy for SEND Teaching and Learning
Intent
The pursuit of successful learning for all of our students includes and prioritises our students with a special educational need or a disability. It is the Academy’s intent that SEND learners
achieve as highly as our non-SEND learners. Therefore, the Academy strives to provide highquality teaching practices for all that benefit SEND learners (See appendix 10) and make adaptations for SEND learners where needed to secure a student’s progress.
Implementation
When a SEND learner’s progress is of concern staff at the Academy they are referred to the Student Intervention Team who collaborate with teaching, pastoral and support staff to ensure that the approach to supporting the SEND learner is holistic and carefully considers the pedagogy that supports their specific learning need in the classroom. Learners who have been identified by the Student Intervention Team are prioritised for discussion and personalised strategies are developed to support the student. These strategies may be universal and appropriate to all classrooms, they may targeted group interventions or they may be specialist and highly personalised.
These strategies are then monitored for their impact.
Leaders at the Academy, including Subject Leaders, are accountable for ensuring that their teams receive CPD on how to effectively adapt learning for those with SEND. All teachers are teachers are SEND teachers and are accountable for making SEND adaptations in their classrooms. Touchstone documents for this professional and legal duty are:
• The EEF Guidance Report on Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools.
https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/production/eef-guidancereports/send/eef_special_educational_needs_in_mainstream_schools_guidance_report_2025-04-10110432_klxp.pdf (This document is summarised by Appendix 11 and 12.)
• The EEF Guidance Report on Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/eef-guidance-reports/teachingassistants/TA_Guidance_Report_MakingBestUseOfTeachingAssistants-Printable_2021-11-02162019_wsqd.pdf?v=1635870019
Rosenshine’ Principles provides the pedagogy vital to students with moderate learning difficulties. However, further guidance on adaptations for students with moderate learning difficulties include:
• Ensure that basic resources are available in classrooms (e.g. manipulatives)
• Use a total communication approach – everything needs to be conscious and explicit
• Make semantic links
• Set realistic learning objectives and teach
• Differentiate questioning and scaffold their responses
• Task analysis and modelling – make the success criteria explicit
• Teach in short bursts
• Follow short bursts of teaching with opportunities for the learner to practice
• Have strong routines
• Buddy the learner up
• Give them responsibility
• Create opportunities to participate and be fully included
• Don’t patronise and over praise – celebrate real achievement
• Regular reinforcement – a golden thread throughout the curriculum
• Know not what to do as well as what to do. Remember that we are also planning to build learner independence.
Dyslexia manifests in many ways and places a huge demand on a learner’s working memory. As dyslexic learners have a specific, additional need that they are continually negating, they frequently suffer from cognitive overload in the classroom. The additional demand put on a dyslexic learner’s working memory may be:
• Organisational and sequencing difficulties
• Writing difficulties (hearing/knowing phonics and handwriting/letter formation)
To support learners who have organisational difficulties as a result of dyslexia staff are advised to:
• Use colour coding
• Use dual coding
• Use task ladders / make the steps in a task simple and explicit
• Use writing scaffolds
• Explicitly teach how to plan (think aloud as you do it)
• Make good use of ICT to create lists and plans
• Have strong routines in how different types of tasks are approached – reinforce these
• Prompt the student to move on, especially if this is an examination concession.
To support learners who have writing difficulties as a result of dyslexia, staff are advised to:
• Emphasise phonics when reading and writing with the class
• Chunk/separate words
• Give key spellings list – put it on their table (copying from the board is difficult)
• Reiterate known spelling rules (e.g. i before e, except after c, but only when the sound is ‘ee’; double the consonant when you want to keep the first vowel sound short; when two vowels go walking, the first does the talking and it shouts its name – read = E sound)
• Give out handwriting pens to support coordination of fine motor skills
• Use ICT (with spell check on) where students struggle with spelling and handwriting
• Use dictation software when scribes are not available for those students with a scribe concession.
To support learners who have reading difficulties as a result of dyslexia, staff are advised to:
• Create lots of opportunity for reading in short bursts within the classroom
• Encourage reading aloud but do not insist on it
• Emphasise and reiterate phonics, making connections between words with similar phonic patterns as you read
• Think aloud your reading thoughts to build comprehension and the ability to follow the sequence of meaning
• If you are giving out text that is not chunked support comprehension through highlighting key meanings
• Put labels / boxes for notes / teacher notes on text so that a student can navigate more easily – freestyle annotation can be bewildering for a dyslexic student as the working memory becomes overloaded
• Use dual coding to get across concepts (a simple image can communicate complex meanings that the student is capable of understanding)
• Have a dyslexia friendly resource box in your classroom (e.g. coloured papers, overlays, rulers, guiding windows.
• Make the most of technology – use Immersive reader, coloured filters on screens, allow students to look at images related to the reading.
Students who have English as an additional language benefit from the teaching methods detailed above for dyslexia. In addition, opportunities to hook new words onto their first language can make new learning more effective. To assist with translation to aid new learning, staff are advised to:
• Under strict teacher supervision, allow the student to use their mobile phone to access learning in their first language and translation apps
• Allow the student to practise dictation into their phone, rather than writing slowly. Fluent speaking will beget effective reading and writing.
• Use of a reading pen that translates
• Use of Immersive Reader to translate text in word and PowerPoint
• Use of translation dictionaries in the classroom.
Language acquisition and development is further supported at the Academy by:
• Use of The Bell Foundation assessments and trackers for target setting
• Withdrawal
• Intervention in English reading lessons
• Use of the IDL intervention programme
• Putting EAL students into groups where they are surrounded by a high level of vocabulary and oracy
• Buddying up EAL students with good language role models.
Students with autism have needs relating to social interaction, communication and imagination. Sometimes this need can be interpreted by teachers as a student having rigidity of thought or a stubbornness. Many autistic learners have sensory seeking behaviours (coping strategies such as tapping, stimming) or have sensory sensitivities. It is important that staff do not conflate a learner’s autism with poor behaviour. Similarly, we greatly encourage our learners with autism to be metacognitive and self-manage known triggers, making the distinction between behaviour choices and management of their need.
To support a learner with autism, staff are advised to:
• Model social structures such as turn taking, or building on another’s idea
• Pre-warn students of any change in the sensory environment, e.g. this next activity might get a little noisy, would you like to move to ..
• Think about how cluttered your environment is. Is there visual sensory overload?
• Think about what might be distracting for the student in their seating
• If a learner has sensory seeking behaviours, such as tapping, consider creating opportunities for this student to be physical and release some energy
• Teach responsible use of fidget toys; have clear boundaries
• Don’t insist that students make eye contact with you
• Explicitly teach what is communicated by body language
• Avoid ambiguous language
• Pre-warn students if you are not going to be in a lesson or if there will be any changes from routine
• Prompt students to reflect on how they can self-manage situations (engage in lots of metacognitive discourse.
The guidance above is focused on the most common SEND learning needs at Lostock Hall Academy. However, any member of staff who has a student with a different specific need to the ones detailed above should refer to the Whole School SEND Teacher Handbook, detailed at the beginning of this chapter.
Should any member of staff have concerns about a learner and suspect a special educational need, they can refer the child to the SENDCo for screening. Any ‘cause for concern’ referral must be made in collaboration with the subject lead who will have full knowledge of the learner’s progress journey and any previous issues. This can be found on Synergy.
Students with ADHD/ADD
We are seeing an increase in the number of students coming to LHA with a diagnosis or traits of ADHD/ADD.
Inattentive
These are usually the students who are not hyperactive. They do not have the high energy level observed in others with ADHD. Students with this form of the condition may seem shy, withdrawn, or lacking in social skills. This often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms may be considered daydreaming.
Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation
Students with this type of ADHD have plenty of energy and are always moving in ways that cause issues in daily life. This form is more obvious than the inattentive type.
ADHD Combined
This type of ADHD has symptoms of both hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention Students who deal with combined type ADHD struggle with both being hyperactive and impulsive while struggling to pay attention.
At LHA, we have adapted an approach which gives SEND/Non-SEND students a clear and explicit indication of what is expected and how we learn. The key is to be explicit about how the learning should happen:
- Firm tone
- Simple language
- Wait.....for 100%
- Consistency........consistency is important for this group of students.
The poster below should be displayed in classrooms as a clear reference for both students and staff.
All staff and all groups to have the same entry routine:
- Stand behind chairs
- Equipment out (uniform)
- Silent for the starter instructions
All staff - No hands up questions only
-Thinking time
-Gauge the whole class (particularly important for powerful knowledge)
-If you can’t gauge all students, cold call
Resources for further support/information:
Remember…..
Behaviours are often a result of underlying difficulties rather than malicious intent.....
ADHD UK - https://adhduk.co.uk/ Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): A Quick Guide https://childmind.org/guide/quick-guide-to-oppositional-defiant-disorder/
Help for examshttps://reachoutasc.com/5-ways-to-support-autistic-students-through-exams/
Referral, Plan and Review (RPR):
Each SEND student who falls under SEND K or has an EHCP will have a SEND Progress Tracker which can be found under the RPR section of a student's Synergy page. SEND Progress Trackers are created by the SENDCo. From September 2025, the trackers will be rolled out one year group at a time. Staff will be asked to support with the completion of a SEND Progress Tracker. Data will be requested for terms 1.2 and 3.2. It is important to note, any staff carrying out any interventions will also record their intervention in the SEND tracker and review over time.
The SEND Progress tracker (found in the RPR section) captures everything about a child:
• SEND Need/s
• High Quality Teaching Strategies
• Childs voice
• Interventions they are part of
• Data/progress review
• Additional support
• Alternative support/intervention
4.7 Numeracy
Intent
Numeracy knowledge and skill is fundamental to being a successful learner and becoming successful in life. At Lostock Hall Academy, teachers work together to ensure that common mathematical methods support our learners in accessing the full curriculum. Furthermore, different subjects collaborate with the Maths team to ensure that the sequence and build of numeracy knowledge and skill across the entire curriculum is appropriate to age expectation and secure.
Implementation
The Maths team act as consultants to different subject areas within the Academy and support staff in understanding and applying the common mathematical methods that are employed by the Maths team. See appendix 13 for more information on the common mathematical methods for:
Number
• The four operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide)
• The priority of operations
• Percentages
• Using calculators
Algebra
• Using and interpreting algebraic notation
• Solving linear equations
• Coordinates
Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change
• Scale diagrams and maps
• Expressing quantities as ratios and fractions
Geometry and Measures
• Calculating perimeter, area and volume
• Measuring angles
• Using a ruler and a pair of compass
Statistics
• Calculating mean, mode, median and range
• Constructing bar charts, pie charts, pictograms, scatter graphs and vertical line graphs.
4.7 ICT and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Intent
Our intent is not to replace high-quality teaching with devices but rather, enhance what we know about effective teaching and learning with technology. The event of the global pandemic and long periods of home learning quickly upskilled staff regarding ICT and this presented many unexpected benefits which the academy seeks to sustain. We need to continuously improve our own digital skills and knowledge to pass this on to our students daily. It is our intention to make the very best use of ICT in the classroom, without abandoning traditional methods, to shape independent and digitally literate learners, primed for the future. In addition, it is also our strong intention to educate and inform both our students and staff about artificial intelligence, not only the benefits, specifically for aiming to reduce workload but also the dangers and how to stay safe while using it whilst continuing to uphold an independent and metacognitive work ethic (specifically in relation to homework where AI is not allowed – see Appendix 3). This is vital knowledge to support all students in their future careers and prepare them for the ever evolving ‘real world’.
Implementation
We are now in a position where nearly every student across the Academy has embraced the opportunity to take part in the 1 to 1 devices scheme. Students who have been unable to take part in the scheme still have access to a device daily and are solely responsible for collecting and returning this at the start and end of the day. Students must carry their device with them throughout the entire school day. There are still opportunities to book our ICT rooms across the school to minimise any disruption from missing or broken devices, although this impact should be reducing. We are all responsible for supporting students in remembering to charge their device and keep it safe through a protective case.
New Year 7 Devices: The current (2025) cohort have signed up to a new 1 to 1 devices scheme which will cover their device for the whole five years; including their battery. These devices come with a protective sleeve which students must use to ensure their warranty remains valid. Staff must work together to support students in protecting their devices appropriately.
Depending on the subject, teachers enhance learning through effective use of ICT in the classroom, via the use of 1 to 1 devices, in the following ways:
• Tutor time metacognitive reflections of their Synergy dashboard (rewards, attendance, homework and teacher communication via the bulletin)
• Constant access to all their lessons and classwork taught across the academic year for revision and retrieval purposes (via Synergy or other online platforms)
• Use of Synergy and other online platforms to receive, reflect, remember and respond to teacher feedback
• Use of immersive reader to support all reading across the Academy
• Use of the Academy's online library
• Use of the Academy’s reading programme, Reading Plus, which uses artificial intelligence to successfully move students through a reading scheme
• Use of softwares that use artificial intelligence to support interleaving
• Use of softwares that give students instant feedback and provide diagnostic information that will support adaptation of the curriculum and retrieval
• Use of interactive platforms which allow the teacher to gauge the quality of a student’s independent learning using video content
• Use of the relevant software within Microsoft or Google for workplace learning and collaboration
• Access to the world – a computer in an international window and library
• Explicit learning about digital organisation and safety – whole school responsibility
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such a problem-solving, recognising patterns and making decisions. True AI currently does not exist. Instead, generative AI is becoming a very common which is exceptionally good at creating new content based on patterns from previous data. At the Academy, we will continue to investigate how AI can be used to support in reducing staff workload, in addition to introducing elements of AI to support repetitive tasks for support staff and additional resources to support our SEND learners further. Even though generative AI is growing, we as professionals need to continue to build all students human intelligences, so they are not wholly relying on technology for success. Any staff using generative AI to support student learning should remain as the professional, checking and adapting all resources prior to classroom use. Most generative AI platforms have an age restriction of 18 or over, therefore use by most of our students should not be permitted or encouraged. Any useful information will continue to be shared with staff via CPD sessions.
Pre-approved educational applications:
A list of pre-approved educational applications that staff are encouraged to explore is detailed below. Please note, if the application you wish to use is not on the list below, the approval process for requesting access can be found attached to the staff bulletin. Staff should not be asking students to sign up to new sites before they have gone through this process. Applications highlighted in blue contain AI specific tools which can be utilised.
• Canva for Education – A powerful, user friendly design platform tailored to enhance creativity and collaboration. Really useful for creating visually appealing digital products. (https://www.canva.com/education/ )
• EdPuzzle – Allows teachers to turn any video into an interactive lesson with embedded questions and voice overs, allowing students to engage in learning at their own pace and demonstrate their knowledge through built-in assessments. (https://edpuzzle.com/ )
• Edcite – An online platform for creating formative assessments which can be assigned to students and supports with assessing student performance. (https://www.edcite.com/ )
• Kahoot / Blooket - An online quiz platform; great for engaging formative assessment. You can create new quizzes from scratch or benefit from their own AI features to build one tailored to your curriculum. Students under the age of 16 should not have their own account but can still engage with teacher built quizzes. (https://create.kahoot.it/ )
• Padlet – A digital tool that can help teachers and students in class and beyond by offering a single place to store useful resources. Allows images, links, information and more to be shared and added to by both staff and students. (https://padlet.com/ )
• Pear Deck – A web-based piece of software making lessons interactive by allowing questions to be added and answered live in class with live responses displayed in class. (https://www.peardeck.com/ )
• Quizlet – A great revision and retrieval tool, allowing for students to create digital flashcards that can be used in several different ways. Students under the age of 13 will sign up using a parent’s email address to keep them informed. (https://quizlet.com/gb )
• Sutori – An online timeline creator that allows students to build, interact and share their own timelines. (https://www.sutori.com/en/teachers )
• Educake (paid for resource) - Enables teachers to assign auto-marked quizzes aligned to the curriculum while students complete these online to reinforce learning. (https://www.educake.co.uk/ )
• Seneca Learning – Supports in assigning interactive, curriculum aligned retrieval and homework tasks. Students benefit from engaging learning that adapts to their progress and boosts knowledge retention. (https://app.senecalearning.com/ )
• Magic School – Empowers teachers with AI driven tools to streamline planning, differentiation and feedback, all while students benefit from personalised learning and support. (https://app.magicschool.ai/tools )
• Question Well – Allows teachers to instantly generate high quality quizzes and formative assessment questions from any given text or video. (https://questionwell.org/ )
Students and staff at the Academy are supported in their ICT and AI development by a specialist leader of digital education.
5. Continuing Professional Development
5.1 INSET Intent
Staff at the Academy pride themselves in being proactive and well informed in relation to their chosen profession. Similarly, the leadership team prides itself in supporting all staff
members to aspire to be the very best teachers and educators they can be. Continuation of professional development is pervasive throughout the Academy and is structured to have the individual teacher and their needs at the heart. Inclusiveness for the teacher and their development is in the line management of staff’s appraisal projects and the training provided by leadership.
Accessing external training continues to be constructive in providing relevant and meaningful pastoral and academic support for LHA students. Staff continue to participate in available training opportunities. Access to CPD continues to help support progress in the LHA strategic development plan areas, (a) Leadership and Management, (b) Quality of Education, (c) Behaviour and Attitudes and (d) Personal Development.
Individual support and coaching, using IRIS (ITT, ECT, new staff, non-specialist, all staff)
PICO Appraisal Projects support all staff in conducting their own professional reading and research into a strategic area for development for the Academy, or an area for personal development. Research is supported through accessing external training that supports needs.
Whole School INSET is focused on the Academy's strategic areas for development based on quality assurance and internal research.
Subject specialist training of subject teams is an expectation of the role of all subject leaders.
Collaborative networks and relationships support CPD, e.g. Penwortham Priory.
Implementation
Whole school INSET is prepared by the leadership team with the support of key staff and teachers and support staff with specific responsibilities in relation to the Academy’s SEF. This collaborative approach considers the following in relation to any focus for INSET:
• Staff voice – meetings, surveys and professional discussion
• Student voice – surveys, findings of quality assurance activities
• Parent voice/engagement – surveys and comments are listened to
• Quality assurance activities, e.g. learning talks, subject explorations, leadership interviews, work/assessment sampling, curriculum sampling, meeting discussions, line management meetings
• Up-to date reading
• Up-to-date research (the senior leadership team reads and follows the meta analysis of the Education Endowment Foundation
• External consultation where appropriate (e.g. Lancashire consultancy service)
• External networks of professional support.
5.2 Appraisal
Research indicates that teacher appraisal is most effective when it:
• Prioritises development over high-stakes accountability
• Employs multiple evaluation methods
• Reduces administrative burden
• Promotes teacher autonomy
• Implemented by well-trained leaders
The Education sector has been encouraged to shift from a high-stakes, compliance-driven appraisal process towards one centred on professional learning, development, and trust. At the heart of this shift is a simple but powerful idea: people create the value in our schools When staff feel supported, empowered and trusted, outcomes improve not only for them, but for the students they serve .
While the Academy appraisal system is very robust and is based on professional accountability, it has been further revised over the years to ensure that the focus is on staff development and well-being. It promotes the concept of staff autonomy and the development of self-efficacy. The move towards setting consistent objectives (as opposed to targets), which are linked to whole school develop foci, with direct links to bespoke CPD, is aimed at developing quality first teaching across the Academy. Technology now also plays a greater part in the appraisal process moving forward with greater links to the coaching programme and use of IRIS system to further help support/develop staff.
All staff complete a PICO project annually as part of their appraisal and CPD. PICO projects are personalised and based on research practice. PICO refers to the stages of professional practice that the individual teacher moves through within the academic year:
• P – Pupil/population or problem identified and researched
• I – Intervention innovated
• C – Comparisons made
• O – Outcomes (and impact) evaluated and shared.
Line managers play an active role in supporting staff to locate appropriate reading, research and training for their PICO projects which must be evidenced in appraisal meetings. The process is a positive and professional one in which objectives are set collaboratively, and staff are encouraged to be proactive about issues that they perceive within the school community.
5.3 Coaching
Instructional coaching is now firmly embedded across the academy and plays a vital part in objective two of the staff appraisal document regarding quality of teaching and learning: “Further develop the process of self-reflection and the need to adapt lesson design to challenge all learners. All staff engage in the Academy’s coaching system/use the IRIS programme.”
Intent
Instructional coaching provides individual support, improves practice, increases confidence and allows professional growth. Engagement with Iris also encourages staff to be reflective of their own teaching, which can lead to areas of strength and development identified. Iris and the coaching system in general allow for effective adaptations to be made in the classroom and for good practice to be shared across the academy. Most importantly though, it improves student learning. All staff partake in the coaching cycle and embrace the Academy’s ethos that teachers never cease to explore successful learning for all.
Implementation
Staff are observed by their coaching partners for approximately ten minutes using Iris Connect. This platform provides staff opportunities to further develop specific elements of their teaching practice and CPD through the use of video technology, expert-curated resources and adaptive pathways. Iris provides teachers with evidence-informed frameworks to successfully develop, adapt, and embed new skills in a way that’s suitable for their individual contexts and levels of experience.
This year will also see the introduction of subject specific and whole school priority groups with the Iris Connect database. These groups will provide an online resource bank where key teaching and learning strategies are promoted by departments, faculties and across the academy.
https://www.irisconnect.com/uk/
The table below outlines the stages after the paired coaching observations have taken place.
1. Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance
2. Subject Curriculums
Staff can view each other’s curriculums on the School Curriculum SharePoint. The links to the different subjects are within this appendix for your convenience.
• Art and Photography - Art and Photography.pdf
Business Studies - Business Studies.pdf
Computer Science - Computer Science.pdf
Design Technology and Engineering - Design Technology and Engineering.pdf
English - English.pdf
Food Preparation and Nutrition - Food Preparation and Nutrition.pdf
French - French.pdf
Geography Geography.pdf
History - History.pdf
Maths - Maths.pdf
Media Studies - Media Studies.pdf
Music – Music .pdf
Music BTEC.pdf
Music GCSE.pdf
Performing Arts - Performing Arts.pdf
Physical Education - Physical Education.pdf
Science - Science.pdf
Spanish - Spanish .pdf
3. Homework Guidance
4. Metacognition Learning Profiles
5. Character Advancement Programme
Character Advancement Programme 2025/26
What are the rewards?
All students must achieve their Silver CAP Award if they are to be invited on the end of year rewards visit/Year 11 prom.
Year 10/11 students must have their Silver Award if they want to apply to be a Prefect.
Year 10/11 students who want to apply for the Head Student/Senior Prefect roles must have their Silver/Gold Awards.
Students who have received their Bronze/Silver/Gold Awards will be prioritised for any residential educational visits. Platinum/Gold prioritised first.
Students who have received their Bronze/Silver/Gold Awards will also be prioritised to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Platinum/Gold prioritised first.
Bronze Award
2 half terms achieving the Bronze CAP standards.
Silver Award
4 half terms (Years 7-10)/3 half terms (Year 11) achieving the Silver CAP standards. Students will be invited on the rewards visits/prom and entered in the raffle draw for 1 free reward ticket (1 per year group).
Entry to the end of term rewards prize draw.
Gold Award
6 half terms achieving the Gold CAP standards. Students will be invited on the rewards visits/ Year 11 prom and entered in the raffle draw for 1 free reward ticket (1 per year group).
Entry to the end of term rewards prize draw.
Platinum Award
6 consecutive half terms (3 terms) achieving the Platinum CAP standards. Students will be invited on the rewards visits/prom and entered in the raffle draw for 1 free reward ticket (1 per year group).
Entry to the end of term rewards prize draw.
How do I achieve the CAP awards?
Bronze Award Standards
2 half terms of achieving the following criteria:
• Positive behaviour points total/balance on Synergy.
• 5 or less consequences per half term.
• Zero isolations/internal exclusions/suspensions in a half term.
• 95%+ attendance for each half term.
• 2 lates or less per half term.
Silver Award Standards
4 half terms (3 for Year 11) of achieving the following criteria:
• Positive behaviour points total/balance on Synergy.
• 5 or less consequences per half term.
• Regular participation in extra-curricular activities.
• Zero isolations/internal exclusions/suspensions in a half term.
• 95%+ attendance for each half term.
• 1 late or less per half term.
Gold Award Standards
6 half terms of achieving the following criteria:
• Positive behaviour points total/balance on Synergy.
• 3 or less consequences per half term.
• Regular participation in extra-curricular activities.
• Zero isolations/internal exclusions/suspensions in a term.
• 95%+ attendance for each half term.
• Zero lates.
Platinum Award Standards
6 half terms of achieving the following criteria:
• Positive behaviour points total/balance on Synergy.
• 2 or less consequences per half term.
• Regular participation in extra-curricular activities.
• Volunteering.
• Zero isolations/internal exclusions/suspensions in a term.
• 95%+ attendance for each half term.
• Zero lates.
6. Tiered Behaviour System
Tier Time
Conduct Card No
Sanction –
Log on conduct card N/A
Lunchtime Detention 10 mins
Respect – Chewing gum
Respect – Poor uniform
Commitment – 1 late in a week (form tutor to action)
Commitment – Lacking pride in appearance
Commitment – Laptop not charged
Commitment – No reading material
Citizenship – Littering
Citizenship – Lack of table manners
Accountability – Missing equipment
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action - Conduct Card
Respect – Inappropriate language
Integrity – Not following instructions
Integrity – Lack of empathy
Integrity – Acting before thinking
Integrity – Low level disruption
Teamwork – Lack of contribution to a team
Teamwork – Dismissive of others in a team
Teamwork – Lack of respect in defeat
Accountability – Not taking account for actions
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action – Tier A Tier B SFT
Lunchtime Detention 20 mins
Afterschool Detention 30 mins + Reflection Activity
Respect – Lack of manners
Respect – Disrespectful
Integrity – Disruptive behaviour
Integrity – Supporting & encouraging bad behaviour
Commitment – 2 lates in a week (SFT to action)
Citizenship – Unsafe behaviour
Accountability – Missed Tier A detention
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action – Tier B
Commitment – 3+ lates in a week (SFT to action)
Commitment – Internal truancy
Citizenship – Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour
Citizenship – Damage to property
Accountability – Missed Tier B detention
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action – Tier C Tier D
Integrity – Full conduct card
Integrity – Lost conduct card
Accountability – Missed Tier C detention
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action – Tier D Tier E
Afterschool
Respect – Abuse relating to disability
Respect – LGBTQ+
Respect – Racist incident
Respect – Misogynistic Language
Integrity – Social media incident
Commitment – External truancy
Commitment – Bus/transport incident
Citizenship – Physical assault (student)
Citizenship – Physical assault (adult)
Citizenship – Sexual misconduct
Accountability – Not responding to report card
Accountability – Prohibited item
Accountability – Mobile phone/earphones
Accountability – Missed Tier D detention
Accountability – LHA Way Teacher Action – Tier E
Escalate for repeaters
7. Cumulative Behaviour System
8. Assessment, Recording and Reporting Calendar – 2025-26
9. ‘How We Learn’ Poster for Learning Routines
10.Metacognition Prompts Grid
11.The ‘Five a Day’ Principle for SEND Learners
12.SEND Guidance for Mainstream Schools
Number
13.Common Mathematical Methods
• The four operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide)
When adding and subtracting all students need to use the column method. The column method is a mathematical way of carrying out calculations in which the numbers you are calculating are written with each digit in the correct place value column.
When working with decimals you need to ensure that a zero is added as a place holder.
When multiplying whole numbers students should use the grid method.
e.g. 65 x 74
4200 + 350 + 240 + 20 = 4810
When multiplying decimals students should multiply the numbers up by a power of 10 first to create integer values. They should then use the grid method before dividing their answer down at the end by the same powers of 10 that they multiplied up by.
e.g.0.39 x 5.6
0.39 x 100 = 39
5.6 x 10 = 56
1500 + 450 + 180 + 54 = 2184
2184 ÷ 100 = 21.84, 21.84 ÷ 10 = 2.184
When dividing use short division, e.g. to work out 8785 ÷ 7.
Start with 8 ÷ 7. 8 ÷ 7 = 1 remainder 1. Write 1 above 8 and carry the 1 to the next digit to give 17
17 ÷ 7 = 2 remainder 3. Write 2 above the 7 and carry the 3 to the next digit to give 38
38 ÷ 7 = 5 remainder 3. Write 5 above the 8 and carry the 3 to the next digit to give 35
35 ÷ 7 = 5. Write 5 above the 5
8785 ÷ 7 = 1255
If we are dividing a decimal by an integer, we can use short division method to obtain the answer.
If we are dividing a number by a decimal, we can adjust the division problem to make the decimal an integer. We can treat the division like a fraction and find an equivalent fraction
which has an integer denominator. The easiest way to do this is to multiply both the numerator and denominator by the same power of ten. This equivalent division will have the same answer as our original problem.
• The priority of operations
In mathematics, an operation is an action such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In a given mathematical expression, the order in which we carry out a calculation is important. The wrong order of operations will often lead to the wrong answer.
BIDMAS is an acronym which tells us the correct order in which we should carry out mathematical operations:
Brackets
Indices
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction
e.g. Evaluate 2 + 4 x 3 – 1
First you need to calculate +4 x 3 = 12
Replacing this in the calculation gives 2 + 12 – 1. Addition and subtraction have the same priority so this can now be calculated from left to right.
So 2 + 4 x 3 – 1 = 13
• Percentages
No calculator methods are taught by finding 10% first everytime by dividing the starting value by 10. Once 10% is known other values can be found. E.g. 5% = 10% ÷ 2, 20% = 10% x 2, 25% = 20% + 5%
On a calculator students should use the % function which varies from position to position on different models.
e.g. 15% of 60 students would type 15 %button x 60 to give 9.
To turn a score into a percentage this first needs writing as a fraction and then this should be multiplied by 100.
e.g. 42 out of 60 would be 42 60 x 100 = 70%
• Using calculators
We ask all students to purchase the Casio FX83GT or FX85GT. These models have recently changed to FX83GT CW and FX85GT CW.
User guide from Dr Frost Maths for Casio FX83GT and FX85GT.
Algebra
• Using and interpreting algebraic notation
Algebraic notation is a system for writing mathematical expressions and equations using letters, symbols, and operations.
It can be used to solve problems posed in worded form or added to the annotation of a diagram in geometrical problems to make a solution easier to find. Writing expressions using algebraic notation is a skill vital.
To do this we must first understand how to convert a mathematical expression in word form into algebraic notation. We need to know how to apply algebraic notation to the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
The expression “2 more than m” can be written as m+2, “5 less than h” can be written as h 5 and “a less than 3” can be written as .3 a.
In algebra, when numbers and letters are written next to each other it indicates that they are multiplied together. For example, we write 4×a as 4a.
Multiplication is commutative so 4×a is the same as a×4, but that does not mean we write a4. When using algebraic notation for multiplication we always put the numerical coefficient before the letter. When letters, or numbers and letters, are being divided, they are written in fraction form.
For example, y÷3 would be written in algebraic notation as �������� 3
So if we had a problem that said the length of a rectangle is one more than 3 times the width. We could write l = 3w + 1 where l is the length and w is the width.
• Solving Linear equations
An equation is a mathematical expression that contains an equals sign. There are two sides to an equation, with the left side being equal to the right side. When solving linear equations it is important to emphasis that you must do the same operation to both sides of the equation. There are 4 main types of linear equations that we may need to solve:
• Coordinates
Coordinates are written as (x, y) meaning the point on the x axis is written first, followed by the point on the y axis. The point at which the two axes intersect is called the origin – the coordinates of this point are (0, 0).
Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change
• Scale diagrams and maps
A scale diagram is an accurate enlargement of an object that has scaled lengths of the original. Scale diagrams are mathematically similar to the original object. The scale used will depend on the reduction or enlargement of the object. Typically the following scale ratios will be used. Scales always give cm : cm measurements:
A medium sized wall map of the World
Scale: 1:30,000,000 which represents 1cm on the map to 300km in real life
A road map for motorists
Scale: 1: 250,000 which represents 1 cm on the map to 2.5km in real life
An Ordnance survey map for walkers or hikers
Scale: 1:25,000 which represents 1cm on the map to 250m in real life
An architects drawing
Scale: 1:100 which represents 1cm on the map to 1m in real life
If you have to calculate using an image from a diagram you must measure the distance accurately with your ruler. You then use this information in the scale to calculate the real distances or sizes by multiplying by the scale factor. You may then need to change the units of your final answer from cm using length conversions, multiplying to move to a smaller unit and dividing to move to a larger unit.
1cm = 10mm
1m = 100cm
1km = 1000m
For example, on a map the scale is 1:200. The distance between two towns is 6cm on the map, how far is it between the towns in real life in metres.
6 x 200 = 1200cm
1200 ÷ 100 = 12m
• Expressing quantities as ratios and fractions
A ratio is a way of comparing two or more similar quantities, by writing two or more numbers separated by colons. The numbers should be whole numbers, and should not include units. For example, mortar for building a brick wall is made by using 2 parts of cement to 7 parts of sand. Then the ratio of cement to sand is 2to7, and is written as 2:7.
In the cement example the ratio 2:7 can be used to show the number of parts of cement out of the total number of parts by writing the fraction 2 7
Geometry and Measures
• Calculating perimeter, area and volume
Perimeter is the distance around the edge of a shape. Perimeter is calculated by adding all of the sides of the given shape.
If working with a compound shape you first need to work out the missing sides.
There are some missing lengths we need to work out first. We can look at the vertical lengths. The missing vertical length is 7 cm because 11 4=7. We can then look at the missing horizontal length. The missing side is 5 cm because 7 2=5. Adding all of the sides now gives 2+7+5+4+7+11=36cm
Area is a measure of the space inside a 2D shape. Students are expected to know the following areas of common 2D shapes:
Volume is a measure of the amount of space inside a 3D shape. Volume of a cube/cuboid = length x width x height
Volume of a prism = area of cross-section x length. The cross-section is the two dimensional shape repeated throughout the prism's length
e.g.
The cross-section is a triangle. Area of a triangle= ½ ×b×h = ½ ×2×7=7 m2
Volume = area of cross-section x length = 7 x 6 = 42cm3.
• Measuring angles
Angles measure the amount of turn required to change direction. We measure angles using a protractor using degrees.
Statistics
• Calculating mean, mode and median and range
A measure of average is a value that is typical for a set of figures. The range isn’t an average but is a value that tells us how spread out the data is. Finding the average and range helps you to draw conclusions from data.
The median is the middle value - To find the median, order the numbers and see which one is in the middle of the list.
The mode is the number that appears the most. - To find the mode, order the numbers lowest to highest and see which number appears the most often.
The mean is the total of the numbers divided by how many numbers there are - To find the mean, add all the numbers together then divide by the number of numbers.
The range is the difference between the biggest and the smallest number - To find the range, subtract the lowest number from the biggest number.
e.g. Find the mean, median, mode and range of the data: 6, 3, 100, 3, 13
Median – Putting the data in order gives 3, 3, 6, 13, 100 and so the median is 6.
Mode - 3, 3, 6, 13, 100 and so the mode is 3
Mean - 6 + 3 + 100 + 3 + 13 = 125, 125 ÷ 5 = 25 and so the mean is 2
Range – Biggest value = 100, smallest value = 3, 100 - 3 = 97 and so the range is 9
• Constructing bar charts, pie charts, pictograms, scatter graphs and vertical line Graphs
Bar charts must only be used for either qualitative data or quantitative discrete data (data that can be counted and has a finite number of possible values). E.g. days of the week, number of students in a class. Bar charts must have a gap between the bars. If the data is continuous (measured) then there will be no gaps and it is called a histogram.
When drawing a pie chart the following steps must be followed:
1. Add up the total frequency (e.g. Total frequency = 13 + 12 + 9 + 11 = 45
2. Divide the 360 by the total frequency. This gives you what one item/person is worth (e.g. 1 item = 360 ÷ 45 = 8o)
3. Multiply your answer by each value in the table (e.g. angle column below)
4. Check your angles add up to 360o (104 + 96 + 72 + 88 = 360 o)
e.g
x 13 = 104
x 12 = 96o
x 9 = 72o
x 11 = 88o
A scatter graph is a graph of plotted points that show the relationship between two sets of data. By looking at the diagram you can see whether there is a link between variables. If there is a link, it is called correlation. If asked to describe the relationship of the data in the graph below you would put ‘The higher the maths mark, the higher the English mark’.
Positive Correlation - The points lie close to a straight line, which has a positive gradient. This shows that as one variable increases the other increases. The line of best fit has approximately the same number of points on either side.
Time Series Graphs
Negative Correlation - The points lie close to a straight line, which has a negative gradient. This shows that as one variable increases, the other decreases. The line of best fit has approximately the same number of points on either side.
No Correlation -. The points do not lie close to any straight line. This shows that there is no connection between the two variables.
A time series graph is a line graph of repeated measurements taken over regular time intervals. Time is always shown on the horizontal axis. On time series graphs data points are drawn at regular intervals. Time series graphs help to show trends or patterns. The points are usually joined with straight lines that creates what is sometimes called a jaggedline graph. In science the line used needs to show the trend and can be a curved line that best fits the data you have, ignoring any anomalies – this is not the same as a line of best fit on a scatter graph.
e.g. Maths – dot-to-dot with straight lines Science – smooth curve showing the trend
