Washwood Heath Academy: Teaching and Learning Policy 2017

Washwood Heath A c a d e m y : Teaching and Learning Policy 2017

Reviewed and adopted by the Local Governing Body on: Monday 03rd March 2017. Appendices reviewed and adopted by the Local Governing Body on: Monday 12th June 2017

To be reviewed after two years or following significant changes within a national or local context.

Values: ‘If we can create a culture in which we believe we can all improve, not because we are not good enough but because we can be even better, there is no limit to what we and our pupils can achieve’ Dylan Wiliam.

Aims:  To create a deeply reflective professional learning community, based on research and pedagogical dialogue.  To provide exciting, personalised learning, enabling every student to make good progress.  To offer personalised CPD tailored to the needs, aspirations and levels of experience of all colleagues.  To develop future leaders.  To create a range of opportunities for learning conversations amongst colleagues by viewing learning holistically.

At Washwood Heath Academy every learner matters, therefore we aim to:  Ensure students make progress by personalised learning and highly effective teaching.  Enable students to deepen their understanding and skills in Literacy, Numeracy, SMSC and British Values through the structuring of their learning experiences across the curriculum.  Develop a love of learning which inspires students to become lifelong learners.  Enable students to become actively engaged in their communities.

1  Develop students’ employability skills and facilitate their access to the world of work.  Inspire and enable our students to use new technologies.  Encourage our students to learn from one another collaboratively, through teamwork and dialogue.  Embed formative assessment, thus empowering students to take responsibility for their own learning and support the learning of others.

LEARNING AT WHTC

At Washwood Heath Academy, Teaching and Learning expectations include: A) Teacher  Well-planned lessons with challenging outcomes/objectives and a range of learning activities planning and  Effective teacher/pupil feedback and target setting with DIRT/re-draft opportunities to close the delivery gaps  Celebration of class and pupil progress to inspire and develop a ‘can do’ culture  Use of exemplar material, helping students better to understand how to meet or exceed target grades  Independent learning strategies  Teaching directed towards developing students’ knowledge skills and understanding  Clear lesson assessment criteria for teachers and students differentiated and appropriate for all  Higher-order questioning, engaging all learners  Well-pitched lessons with challenging strategies  Knowledge and coverage of specification ensured  Use of accurate and up-to-date PLCS to plan lessons and close the gaps  Lesson outcomes are relevant to data and PLCS  Adapt learning activities to suit pupils’ needs  Effective use of teaching assistants where appropriate  Use of annotated seating plans to target all learners  Set differentiated homework to challenge all learners  Use regular AFL and formative feedback  Use of learning files to target all learners  Use of appropriate scaffolding in lessons to challenge and support all learners B) Pupil progress Ensure appropriate pace and challenge during lessons and over-time and attainment  Plan and deliver DIRT/re-draft lessons to close the gaps in students’ Knowledge, Skills and Understanding  Provide timely and targeted feedback (verbal and written)  Progress data supports lesson planning  Effective use of varied Assessment For Learning strategies  Use of accurate PLCs and data that promote student learning through targeted teaching and intervention  Use of ability-based seating plans to target all learners effectively (the use of the word ‘ability’ raises interesting questions)  Rigorous moderation of data in department/faculty

2  Use of data from department al assessment programmes to plan sequence of lessons appropriately  Use of standardised assessments to triangulate internal judgements re. pupil progress C) Professional  Effective use of Academy ‘Behaviour for success system- Rewards and sanctions’ Practice and  Students and staff follow school policy effectiveness  Positive rapport with pupils, who feel valued  Calm and controlled, orderly classroom environment, whereby pupils feel confident to thrive  Consistent high expectations through challenge and inspirational teaching  Positive ethos developed by the teacher  Rapid start to lessons with ‘drift’ exercises  Build effective routines with clear expectations of students  Keep up-to-date with specifications, new initiatives, coaching, T&L briefing ideas, and teach- meets  Uphold and reinforce British values and links to SMSC, Numeracy and Literacy  Contribute to school, department and House team priorities  Engage in parents’ evenings, enlisting support and gaining cooperation  Fulfil pastoral responsibilities, as a form tutor, in early intervention and during additional duties before school, at break or at lunch time.  Regular attendance and participation in CPD and directed time activities  Work in partnership to meet the needs of all students including those with SEN/D, EAL, medical needs, CLA and other needs. This includes liaision with the SENCo, EAL Achievement Leader, Student Support Manager, Heads of House and Guidance Managers.  Follow all school policies and procedures  Treat pupils, parents and staff with respect  Support other staff in Department/Faculty/Academy  Lead by example and modelling of positive social attitudes and good conduct  Meet and uphold professional and personal standards of conduct  Promote safeguarding ethos, intervening early to protect students from harm, fulfilling all safeguarding statutory responsibilities

What makes good teaching and learning at WHA:

1. Starters and drift exercises:  Plan the starter as a discrete element of the lesson  Plan for the activity to be brief and keep to your planned timings  Keep instructions clear and concise  Ensure task is accessible to students yet challenging to all to create motivation  Be confident of how it will contribute to the ‘flow’ of learning

2. Challenge:  Encourage pupils to take risks and make mistakes in order for them to learn from them  Maintain pace during the lesson  Ask open, targeted high-order questions  Expect pupils to justify themselves precisely  Provide open-ended decision making or problem solving tasks  Ensure pupil ‘learning through doing’ allows the teacher to act as facilitator, and support specific pupils.  Resources are appropriate and sufficiently differentiated to make all pupils think and learn effectively  Assessment should be challenging, appropriate and rigorously moderated

3  Recognise and celebrate effort and progress before achievement

3. Questioning:  Target questions depending upon pupil capacity to respond  Use PLCs to identify weaknesses and direct questions to pupils appropriately  Ask high-order questions that expect pupils to analyse, evaluate, examine and push the boundaries of their learning  Involve the whole class to allow teacher assessment  Create modelling through effective questioning

4. Modelling:  Ensure the concept, process, knowledge or skill is clear and explicit  Model the thinking process clearly by ‘thinking aloud’  Encourage pupils to ask questions about the process as it is happening  Ensure you scaffold learning with supported structured activities/resources  Build in reflection time for pupils

5. Reflection:  Give pupils the opportunity to think and talk about their learning in small groups before they are asked to contribute to whole-class discussion  Build in waiting time during question/answer sessions  Model the thinking process to pupils first  Plan opportunities for pupils to reflect on their learning during the lesson/over-time  Consistently engage collectively with pupils re HOW to learn and re HOW they have learned (meta-cognition)  Respond to pupil needs through DIRT/re-draft lessons to close the gaps

Monitoring and Evaluation: Through fair and regular monitoring, WHA aims to check the progress or quality of teaching and pupil learning over the year. This is part of the process of ongoing, systematic review in order to support and affirm staff, and assess pupil progress and attainment. Monitoring at WHA includes non-graded lesson observations, lesson drop-ins, and work scrutinies (all as calendared). All forms of monitoring are non-judgemental (no grading) and the emphasis is placed on constructive feedback to staff and students to feed into personalised staff CPD, and support for pupil progress.

How our teaching and learning policy will be implemented: Professional Development for All At Washwood Heath Academy, continuous professional development plays a vital role in school and staff improvement. The best professional development transforms learning, is teacher-centred and supports colleagues in reflecting on their own practice. A key priority which WHA are piloting in 2016-17 is about personalising professional development through paired and small group coaching and debate (dialogue).

This updated Learning Policy reflects the aims of open, supportive CPD through non-judgemental coaching. It will be promoted and sustained through arranging quality CPD workshops on specific teaching and learning strategies delivered by Lead Practitioners for reflection with your ‘buddy’ or SLT line manager during separate sessions.

4 There are 3 main forms of CPD open to all staff on a 3 weekly rotation, to ensure a varied diet of development as below:

However, there are many more opportunities for continuous professional development:

In what circumstances might a teacher be offered mentoring? The WHA Learning Policy sets out expectations of teaching and learning for all teachers. Where there are issues we will provide support so that staff develop and improve their practice. Mentoring will only be offered on the basis of evidence collected through whole school monitoring procedures (as set out in the Assessment Calendar and Appraisal Policy). Staff would not be offered mentoring as a consequence of a single observation/monitoring event.

Some reasons a teacher may be offered informal mentoring may include:

5  Key school expectations are not met. These expectations are linked to teacher standards and are set out in this Policy, Marking and Assessment Policy, Behaviour for Learning Policy and other WHA or WHMAT Policies.  Pupils or particular groups are making poor progress in a lesson or poor progress over time relative to similar pupil-groups because school expectations are not met. This includes concerns where teachers fail to promote equality of opportunity or understanding of diversity which leads to discrimination of individuals or groups of students.  Other reasons for offers of informal support are outlined in the WHMAT Appraisal Policy.

Characteristics of Over and Under Performance:

Over- ● Student current grades are consistently on/above, or close to target grade (many exceeding target by performance summer term) ● Rigorous and accurate data tracking (including PLCS) which is used to target learners to support pupil progress ● Books are marked and up to date in line with whole school policy - regularly providing detailed and accurate feedback and DIRT lessons. ● Homework is always challenging and differentiated ● Incisive questioning ● Exemplary relationships with students - reinforced by student praise ● Effective use of mentors, TAs, and SEN, EAL, HAP reps ● Exceptional levels of engagement. Students are fully self-motivated, interested, active participators, keen, enthusiastic, resilient to challenge, responding to feedback and advice. ● Lessons are varied. ● Teaching is direct where appropriate, but also takes a facilitatory approach as far as possible, leaving the learners having to work hard and struggle to achieve and embed skills and understanding. ● Pace is appropriate, to allow embedding of skill, content and understanding. ● Ability is demonstrated by students clearly through a variety of methods which have been skilfully planned. ● Where appropriate, assessment is used to signal current level of achievement, and signpost next steps to progress towards final outcomes. ● Self-reflective practitioner who uses feedback to continually improve their practice Under ● No progress evident in data, falls below baseline flightpath (Steps KS3, Grades KS4) performance ● Concerns raised following other monitoring strategies ● A lack of teacher engagement with areas for development following feedback from previous monitoring strategies ● Unmarked books - little teacher/student dialogue in work ● Missing whole school / departmental deadlines ● A lack of challenging homework set ● A lack of pace or structure to lessons ● A lack of familiarity with class data ● Little student engagement ● Unable to manage student behaviour ● Concerns surrounding accuracy of data ● A lack of professional conduct

Teaching and Learning levels of informal/formal support

Form of What does it look like Forms of Useful for informal monitoring

6 support 1. SLT Monday evening 10 minute informal Please take notes All staff moderation of discussion surrounding a staff member’s of informal CPD needs strengths and possible areas for discussion that development based upon challenges can be cross- with a particular class/pupils (to feed referenced at a into correct teachmeet attended) later stage

Please hand sign- up sheet to Lead Teacher 2. PM Interim More formal version of the above Lesson All staff Review meeting that involves reference to class observations meeting data and pupil progress and all forms of Lesson drop-ins monitoring feedback collated so far in Class data/pupil order to form a supportive judgement progress Work scrutiny 3. Informal Mentoring log with Lead Practitioner Lesson drop-ins Staff who request support themselves if mentoring log leading to 7th week lesson observation Informal Mon CPD has not covered their needs (to QA the Lead Practitioner). Other observations fully forms of scrutiny could also be used for Joint lesson QA if marking was an issue for example. planning Staff who require temporary soft touch Joint evaluation support for improve specific elements Observing others of T&L 4. Informal More rigorous 7 week (or 12 week) Work scrutiny Staff who are working below expected support plan support plan completed with staff Lesson drop-ins standards as identified by class data member and line manager Progress panels (progress panels) and other forms of (HOD/HOF/SLT). Involves weekly Lesson monitoring meetings with deadlines set and observations followed up as per the plan, minutes Observing others taken for formal evidence. If this level if appropriate of support proves to be unsuccessful, it will lead to formal support for capability. 5. Formal More rigorous 7 week (or 12 week) Work scrutiny Staff who are working below expected support for formal support plan completed with Lesson drop-ins standards as identified by class data capability staff member and SLT link. Involves Progress panels (progress panels) and other forms of weekly meetings with deadlines set and Lesson monitoring and have not shown followed up as per the plan, minutes observations improvement on informal support plan taken for formal evidence. If this level Observing others of support proves to be unsuccessful, it if appropriate will lead to formal support for capability. Noted on staff record. Whole-school assessment of Teaching and Learning: The Headteacher, governors and colleagues currently assess standards and progress within all aspects of the life and work of the school by using the relative ‘Ofsted Outstanding Criteria’. These are set out in the ‘School Inspection Handbook’ (2015). Pages 48 – 50 refer, ‘Quality of Teaching Learning and Assessment’ and ‘Grade descriptors for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment’.

7 The above grade descriptors have been tabulated and after careful consideration and reference to quantitative and qualitative data, each element assigned a RAG (red, amber, green) rating. A copy of the above document may be viewed on request to the Head-teacher.

Review and Revision This policy will be reviewed annually and revised after consultations with all relevant colleagues. It will be submitted to governors for consideration and ratification.

Key Definitions:

Dialogue: It means disciplined ‘listening’ between colleagues in a conversation specifically arranged to promote personal development and good professional practice.

Coaching: Coaching is not mentoring. The coaching sessions at WHA will be in pairs of peers, who chose their own discussion topics according to their own needs. It is non-judgemental and no records will be kept of these sessions as the goal is learning from and with each other.

Mentoring: Mentoring differs from coaching in that it offers a higher level of CPD which will be offered by request, or as a result of a discussion with your SLT line manager. The mentor will be a highly trained Lead Practitioner who supports the mentored colleague in specific areas. These areas are discussed and agreed in partnership within specific time frames with a measurable outcome for the mentee (agreeing time-determined targets for action). It is confidential, informal support and usually lasts for periods of up to 7 weeks.

Appendices One – Homework Policy

Rationale "Homework is not an optional extra, but an essential part of a good education." -1999 White Paper, Excellence in Schools

8 Homework is work that is set to be done outside the timetabled curriculum. It contains an element of independent study in that it is not usually directly supervised by a teacher. It is important in raising student achievement.

Not all homework is done at home; in fact, for some pupils who find it hard to work at home, or for some tasks which may require resources (books, software, equipment) more readily available at school, it is necessary or desirable to carry out the task at school.

Homework enhances pupil learning, improves achievement and develops pupils' study skills and as such is an integral part of the curriculum. It requires careful planning and integration into the scheme of work of each curriculum area. Homework helps to build pupil resilience and independence, and helps pupils to consolidate their learning by reinforcing key aspects of the curriculum.

Aims Homework enables pupils to:

 Consolidate and extend work covered in class or prepare for new learning activities

 Access resources not available in the classroom

 Develop research skills

 Have an opportunity for independent work

 Show progress and understanding

 Provide feedback in the evaluation of teaching

 To enhance their study skills e.g. planning, time management and self-discipline

 To take ownership and responsibility for learning

 Engage parental co-operation and support

 Create channels for home school dialogue

 Build resilience in terms of independent thought and problem solving

 Reinforce key aspects of the curriculum to support with re-call and retention

Schedule

KS3 subjects to set a minimum of 30min homework per week, all homework to be logged on SMHW English Maths Science History

9 Geography MFL PE Skills School Religious Education Technology IT Drama Music Art KS4 subjects to set a minimum of the following amount of homework every week, all homework to be logged on SMHW: KS4 Subject Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 English 1x 60mins 2x 60mins 2x 60mins Maths 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Core Science 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Additional Science 2x 45mins 2x 60mins 2x 60mins Triple Science 3x 45mins 3x 60mins 3x 60mins History 1x 60mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Geography 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Religious Education 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins MFL 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Business 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Sport (BTEC/GCSE) 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Technology 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Information Technology 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 45mins Art and Design 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Music 1x 45mins 2x 30mins 2 x 30mins Performing Arts 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Health and Social Care 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Child Development 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins Media 1x 45mins 1x 60mins 1x 60mins

KS5 subjects to set a minimum 5 hours of independent study work per week, all homework to be logged on SMHW.

Appendices Two – Marking Policy

10  Core subjects formatively mark work every 2 weeks (assessed class work or home work)- Red pen.

 Non-core subjects and core subject shared classes every 6 lessons (class work or home work)- Red pen.

 Post 16 BTEC subjects and Skills School formatively mark every 2 weeks (assessed class work or homework)- Red pen.

 Evidence of re-drafting or improvements following teacher formative feedback. Re-draft work levelled to show impact (this can be self/peer assessed and teacher checked).

 Pupils self and/or peer assess work regularly using green pen.

 All above using new marking proforma in exercise books or stickers provided (for subject that use folders).

 Work scrutiny every 4 weeks (as calendared).

 Music and Drama to film/voice record formative feedback and track on Curriculum plan (KS3).

 PE to use filming for practical assessment work (KS4).

 Target stickers replaced by tracking table in inside cover of exercise books or stickers provided (for subjects that use folders).

 Literacy and Numeracy marking policy to be adhered too and followed, located on inside cover of exercise books or on stickers (for subjects that use folders).