Our Approach to Teaching and Learning
Our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy reflects the fundamental principles that we use to plan and deliver all teaching across the curriculum. Our teachers are highly trained to design and deliver expert plans that weave together effective approaches and strategies for learning. Our pupils learn exceptionally well as a result of this.
At Heyes Lane Primary School, we believe that:
- Pupils learn best when they are empowered to develop skills of autonomy – learning the skills, attitudes and habits of highly effective learners.
- Pupils learn best when learning is positive, active and creative. Lessons have a clear purpose that fosters curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
- Pupils learn best when teaching reflects four key aspects of highly effective learning: F.A.C.E (Feedback, Autonomy, Challenge, Engagement) ensuring progress in the short, medium and long term.
- Pupils learn best when strong assessment for learning and NOW feedback during lessons informs teaching. There is provision for support, repetition and extension of learning for each child, at each stage of the learning sequence.
- Pupils learn best when the learning environment is ordered, the atmosphere is purposeful and children feel safe and emotionally ready for learning.
All teaching and learning is effectively designed to ensure our
- Pupils are confident learners.
- Pupils have the language and confidence to talk about their learning.
- Pupils show ownership for their own learning and progress and take increasing responsibility in planning and organising their work.
- Pupils use the ‘Learning Sequence’ structure to understand and take responsibility for consolidating and extending their own learning.
- Pupils challenge themselves and have high expectations of themselves.
- Pupils have the skills to assess and evaluate their own work and those of their peers and to make improvements.
- Pupils engage in Home Learning and practice activities and are well motivated to do so.
- Pupils who work well both independently and other groupings.
We believe in developing Learner autonomy. Metacognition plays an important role in our classrooms. Pupils are aware of their own learning at all times and are encouraged to talk about their progress and learning on a daily basis. Our pupils are taught to evaluate and assess their own learning. As the pupils move higher up the school, there is a greater emphasis on autonomy where the pupils have the flexibility to decide what and how they are going to learn something through our workshops and split provision models of learning.
We want learners who are positive, active and creative, Lessons are designed to facilitate these skills. These three aspects underpin our Learning Skills
We want our pupils to think for themselves, to work with others to solve problems and to be confident to share ideas and to take risks. Our lessons are active and cognitive and through our enquiry –led curriculum, pupils explore and understand knowledge and concepts within thought provoking and stimulating questions.
We believe that learning is better when it is social. Therefore our teaching sequences promote collaboration and discussions. Through an Active Questioning approach, we expect all our pupils to engage in rich discussions, express their point of view and to be accountable for their role in a group exercise. They are taught to consider points of view and to engage with these.
The Learning Sequence
We understand the pedagogical importance of the learning sequence .We teach ‘with the end in mind’ and our pupils understand their learning sequence from the very beginning. This enables learning to have a clear, step by step and visible pathway that can be followed easily.
Feedback and progress checks allow for the regular management of understanding and tells both the teachers and the pupils whether there is a need to repeat, practice or deepen… This makes success in learning clearly visible.
Sequences of lessons are carefully built to progress towards the outcome. Teachers at HLPS are expertly trained to a high standard to deliver lessons that facilitate this sequence effectively. Aspects of feedback, autonomy, challenge and engagement, and are the 4 cornerstones to our teaching.
We believe that children learn best when learning contains the following:
- Teachers have high expectations of all children’s learning and provide appropriate scaffold to support all children to achieve.
- Lessons begin with a recap of prior learning. This may be through quizzing, a short writing task or a quick classroom discussion.
- New learning is then presented in an engaging and creative way, in small steps and through carefully planned explanations
- Pupil participation in learning is maximised through a range of strategies: no hands-up, mini whiteboards, effective questioning and lesson delivery that is concise and engaging
- Lessons are shaped according to the needs of the children: sped up or slowed down or levels of support adjusted following in-lesson assessment
- Opportunities to practise new learning are embedded so that new knowledge is internalised and new skills become fluent and automatic
- Pupils are given significant time to learn new skills and have time to practice those skills
- Practice is guided initially, with levels of support being gradually withdrawn to foster pupil independence
Our teachers are highly trained and knowledgeable in both the subjects they are teaching and the understanding of pedagogy and learning. These two areas of expertise, in alignment with our curriculum design, ensures that our teaching is highly effective, motivating and enables our pupils to make the exceptional progress that they do.
Remote Education Plan
January 2021 Remote Learning Plan: Parents
This plan replaces our former plan, V2: Remote Learning plan: Parents (September 2020) and will be in operation as long as school is closed to all but our Priority Group pupils.