`Teaching and Learning Policy



Tre Uchaf Primary SchoolTeaching and Learning PolicyVision Statement and Aims"Tre Uchaf is a positive, inclusive, listening school. Everyone is encouraged to be the best that they can and to make a contribution. The school provides practical, stimulating and new experiences for the children that help them to build confidence, knowledge and a love of learning."We aim to help our pupils to .....Respect themselves, each other, adults and the environmentBe confident in the basic skills of speaking, reading, writing and mathematicsKnow how to find the information they needGain practical skills which will help them in their livesGet along well with each otherBe honest and kind Celebrate the Welsh culture and use the Welsh languageKnow about and contribute to their local community and the wider worldBe safe, fit, happy and healthyUnderstand their own feelings and be confident in saying how they feelEnjoy new challenges, new people and new places and to appreciate diversityBecome more independent and responsible as they grow older LearningLearning begins before children enter school. Families and carers are the first educators. Through working closely with parents right from the start, we find out what the children can do and what they enjoy, to ensure that we build on where they are. This is a key aspect of the work that takes place in the Foundation Phase. This partnership continues throughout the time the children are with us; parents and home learning enhancing progress in school and helping maximise children’s potential. We work hard to develop good relationships with all parents, involving them fully in important issues with regard to not only their child but school life generally.Parents and children are our immediate link with the community and we are very mindful of this. We believe that by working closely together we can do our best for our school and our wider community. We consider ourselves successful at doing this. We celebrate our work at every opportunity. Our website, Twitter account, concerts, assemblies, parents evenings and exhibitions of work are all effective ways of doing this, allowing parents to experience the ethos of our school and what we are all achieving together. Parents of children with SEN are given extra opportunities to have regular contact and to help monitor their children’s progress through discussion of IEPs. We actively involve all parents and work hard to support the needs of our community, seeking parents’ views and talents in a range of ways: inviting them in to talk about something to share their talents, joining lessons once a year with their children to find out what we do, questionnaires, open evenings, PTA events, our Parents’ Focus Group and parent representatives on the Governing body. We are always looking at ways of improving and welcome feedback from all parents. Effective LearnersRecent research shows us that the learning process relies on the stimulation of new connections in the brain and that without new and stimulating experiences, opportunities to learn are lost. With this in mind, we work hard to provide a broad range of experiences within every class, providing challenging tasks, stimulating contexts, quality resources, including ICT, multi- sensory activities, and well planned collaborative and individual learning opportunities. We also carefully consider the provision of whole school experiences in order to maximise the opportunities they offer for enhancing the learning process. Visitors to school, participation in whole school initiatives and fundraising events, extra curricular clubs and the opportunity to share learning and successes through assembly all help to make learning relevant, coherent and stimulating for our pupils.Effective learners need the opportunity to develop certain key character traits which enable them to gain and use knowledge. These include being able to: be curious and confident, be resilient when they hit an obstacle, explore and investigate, experiment, imagine, reason, show self discipline, and be sociable and reflective. Research shows that these “habits of mind” make a good learner and we regularly provide opportunities for these to be strengthened, both in our skill based curriculum and in opportunities outside the classroom, such as our after school clubs, Interest Groups, musical events and sporting activities. In class the emphasis is on skills as well as content, and learning activities are planned to both motivate and inspire. We encourage the children from an early age to develop an awareness and understanding of themselves as learners and to improve their thinking skills. We help them realise that they can become better learners by developing certain traits, including: being independent, responsible, resilient and resourceful. Importantly, we help them to understand the significance of effort. We encourage them to be active in this process and ensure we enable each of them to succeed and be independent at a level appropriate to their maturity. Learning StylesVaried activities are planned which cater for the pupils’ different learning styles and strengths. Auditory, visual and kinaesthetic learners experience their preferred way of learning across the curriculum as teachers ensure there is a good mix of activities from day to day. For example, at KS2, a project on Rainforests might involve children in group discussion and planning a presentation to the rest of the class, an interactive activity on the whiteboard, using the TASC wheel to design and make a model, visiting the role play area, or making rainforest music by using an ICT programme or instruments. Able and Talented PupilsChildren who may have a particularly strong musical, sporting, academic or other talent will have the opportunity to develop their talent within the context of the day to day school curriculum. All skills and talents are valued. School Clubs and special projects provide an extra opportunity for pupils to explore and develop their talents in for example rugby, football, dance, singing, netball, hockey or Welsh. Children in years 2 - 6 also have an “Interest Groups” session, weekly, where children can choose to develop particular skills and talents in drama, cooking, ICT, arts and crafts, first aid, foreign languages and outdoor projects. Able and Talented children who have an exceptional talent are provided with extension or alternative learning activities in class where appropriate (see subject policies). Learning is differentiated to ensure they are being sufficiently challenged. There are also specific opportunities for individuals to shine in events like talent shows, assemblies, pantomimes, public performances, plays, sporting tournaments and art exhibitions.School data is used to identify pupils with the potential to excel in the Core subjects and teachers are made aware of the expectation that these pupils should achieve very high standards. However we do not believe in ‘labelling’ children as they need to believe that ability is not fixed and that nothing is achieved without effort. Children who are very able in academic subjects are encouraged to broaden their experiences and learning opportunities.SENChildren with special needs are provided with individually tailored and suitably differentiated activities, resources and support from staff to enable them to make progress. Class teachers organise and monitor this, using IEPs to record the targets and planned strategies for all children on the special needs register. Our SENCO works closely with all those involved in SEN provision, both in our two Specialist Teaching facilities and in the mainstream, along with our support teacher and Teaching Assistants. All staff at Tre Uchaf are teachers of SEN and provision for SEN is integrated into every aspect of school life at every opportunity. Children in our specialist teaching facilities join their year group peers for a wide range of learning activities, including PE, creative activities, Interest Groups and meeting special visitors. Where pupils have specific learning difficulties such as Dyslexia, ASD or DCD, everyone working with those individual children is well informed as to their needs and as to which strategies will best support their progress. DyslexiaAs a Dyslexia Friendly School we ensure that pupils at risk of dyslexia have the support they need. These pupils’ difficulties and ways in which they are supported in each area of learning are set out in Curriculum Policies.Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)We have pupils who are diagnosed with ASD in both the STFs and in our mainstream classes. They experience a wide range of difficulties and these, along with the ways they are supported, are set out in the Curriculum Policies.TeachingIn the light of the needs of learners outlined in this policy, appropriate and effective teaching is a priority at Tre Uchaf. We believe that the following principles underpin quality teaching. Teachers must work closely with parents to ensure children are happy, confident and making as much progress as possible. Stimulating, well planned and challenging learning activities are provided which enable children to build on what they already do, know and understand. Children are taught about how to become better learners and careful planning ensures they each experience success. Teachers deliver a varied curriculum using a range of strategies to allow children to use their preferred learning styles whenever possible and develop their particular talents. Learning ObjectivesThe learning objectives of each learning experience are shared with the children and reflected upon in an age appropriate way, including through plenaries and during time set aside just for this purpose. Children are often able to contribute to the learning objectives by being asked about what they would like to learn whenever the opportunity arises. Children refer regularly to their own targets and aspirations, some of which can be found within their own books. Progress is measured by reflecting on class and individual objectives and considering to what extent they have been achieved in a range of ways.WALT (We Are Learning To) and WILF (What I’m Looking For) are used frequently in Key Stage 2 to highlight the purpose of a lesson and to support pupils in evaluating their progress.Where pupils are receiving additional support within a small group, specific objectives, usually for a half term, are set and the impact of interventions is recorded by the staff who work with the group.Children with greater needs will also have an IEP, which breaks their targets down into even smaller achievable steps. There may be other adults who are also supporting these SEN children and they will be aware of these targets too. Within our STF’S, individual Education Plans (IEP’S) are central to children’s learning. Children with a higher level of need are assessed on a daily basis and observations and the impact of intervention is recorded in a Target Book. SkillsAt Tre Uchaf we have fully embraced the opportunities that the The Foundation Phase, the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 and the LNF provide, in order to develop a skills based curriculum which helps prepare our children to become lifelong learners. The generic Key Skills that support the whole curriculum and are not subject specific are referred to regularly. Planning for LearningAs we experience the new Literacy and Numeracy framework, we are making good use of the Cornerstones curriculum to ensure that essential skills are taught and practised across the curriculum. Curriculum co-ordinators take the lead in this process. Teacher planning and evaluation is focussed and consistent in approach across the whole school - our STFs adopting a slightly different style in order to meet the unique needs of their learning environments and children. Our ISTF follows the Foundation Phase framework and our JSTF teacher plans using a mixture of Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 Skills and Range, in order to meet the needs of the wide variety of levels of attainment in the class. We adopt a thematic style of teaching which we believe provides a coherent context for many of the learning activities to take place: one or two themes per term in Foundation Phase and at Key Stage Two. Teachers prepare weekly detailed timetabled plans of the learning objectives to be covered and how they are to be met, evaluating the progress made and recording their reflections. These quality evaluations are of paramount importance and inform the next steps in the subsequent learning that takes place. Most importantly, as teachers reflect they identify the next steps for teaching and learning. Plans and reflections are shared with the Head Teacher or Deputy Head teacher, enabling them to have an overview of the teaching and learning that is taking place.Timetables for each week are displayed prominently in classrooms so that teaching assistants have a clear understanding of the purpose of classroom activities.AssessmentAssessment of learning on an everyday basis takes place continuously and is mostly formative. We adopt an “Assessment for Learning” approach. Teachers and associate staff observe and talk to children whilst they are undertaking the learning activities, and regularly identify where they are along with where they need to go and how to get there. These are shared individually or as a class in a variety of ways and children are involved in the process. Different activities will necessitate different kinds of assessment: written work can be marked with strengths and areas to improve clearly noted for children to use next time, role play experiences may involve the teacher observing and making suggestions or asking the children at the end to share what they have been doing and comment on this. A range of resources are used to support the process of review, including: other adults, video, photos, audio recordings and iPad visualisers. The plenary session at the end of a lesson provides the opportunity for children and teachers to reflect on whether the learning objectives have been met. At Tre Uchaf we recognise the importance of helping the children to become aware of themselves as learners - we encourage the children to self assess and peer assess at every opportunity, to be mindful as they learn, of how things are going. Part of this process is talking to the children about what we have been learning. A plan for progression in these skills can be found at APPENDIX 1.For quality assessment and reflection to take place, time needs to be allocated for it and we do this continuously– in plenaries, timetabled sessions at the end of some mornings at Key Stage 2 and during snack time in the Foundation Phase, or other suitable moments. All associate staff working with our children have a good knowledge of the practices that we encourage. They have regular planning meetings with class teachers and with senior members of staff and also opportunities for training. They have good understanding of learning styles, the importance of encouraging effort and play a key role in identifying children with particular needs and talents. They pass on their observations to teachers in order to assist with assessment. All staff involved with SEN pupils are encouraged to record progress in pupil Target Books after each session. They are an invaluable resource. More formal assessments also take place throughout the year and these provide a summative assessment of pupil progress in Literacy and Numeracy. A timetable of these assessments can be found at APPENDIX 2.The Learning Environment At Tre Uchaf, we try to create an enabling environment that allows the best possible chance for pupils to succeed. The whole of the school premises is considered to be the learning environment. The buildings and grounds are made as safe, welcoming and child friendly as possible, so that the children feel they are in a place where they are valued. The shared communal areas display the work of whole school forums, such as The School Council, Eco Rangers, Road Safety Officers and Sport Ambassadors. Excellent examples of work from across the school are displayed on the ‘Bwrdd Bendigedig’ in the Hall.Areas throughout the school are expected to be kept tidy and well organised, encouraging children to develop a respect for their environment. Children are expected to take responsibility for their environment e.g. The Gardening Club make our grounds attractive by growing plants. The outdoors is fully utilised to support learning e.g. our nature reserve gives ample opportunities to develop Science and Art. Playtimes provide the chance to develop PSE e.g. children take responsibility as Peer Supporters for looking after playground equipment. Some rooms which have been specifically designated for the unique needs of our children who have significant Special Needs – Our “Magic room” and Blue Room provide a range of experiences which the whole school can also access if necessary. Classrooms are well organised and set up to encourage independence as much as possible: labelled trays of resources, areas designated for specific activities, communal seating, grouping, learning zones, opportunities for ICT.Displays are created to make the environment look attractive, to celebrate success, share information and contribute to learning. Children are encouraged to produce work of the highest standard for display purposes. This rewards and encourages all children to try their best. Welsh is included in labelling to promote bilingualism whenever possible. Displays are also used as a reference point for learning and referred to regularly. TASC wheels, references to Jolly Phonics, Key Skills, Welsh Weather charts and time lines for example can be found throughout the school. Children’s’ physical well being is also considered at all times – drinking water is always available in every class. Children have a snack of fruit or toast at break time and Breakfast Club provides a welcoming start to the day for those children who need it. A healthy approach to exercise and to eating is promoted throughout the school and throughout the curriculum.The Social ContextEncouraging the children to realise the importance of a confident, positive and hard working approach to their learning is an extremely important aspect of our ethos. Effort is promoted at every opportunity, along with a “can do” attitude. Difficulties are seen as opportunities. Children are encouraged to face challenges with confidence. We focus on developing pleasure in learning and actively foster the character traits that make an effective learner. We are very aware that it is our responsibility to help children become come confident learners, well prepared to achieve their goals in life, whatever they may be. Our aim is to promote happy, confident and hardworking learners, who are not held back by limiting self beliefs about ability or intelligence, but believe they can expand their learning through effort. We also believe it is vitally important that they learn from an early age about the responsibilities they have towards others in our learning community; helping, sharing and developing the ability to be a good group member. As well as fostering their learning and physical needs, we try to take great care of children’s emotional needs, being very aware of how emotions affect a child’s capacity to learn. Personal and Social Education (PSE) is at the heart of the Foundation Phase and PSE is delivered at Key Stage 2 in both a specific and generic way. Activities like daily check ins, P4C, The School Council, assemblies, collaborative learning activities, Restorative Practice, high expectations and promoting The Golden Rules, all contribute to developing caring and responsible people. We try to make time to listen to their worries and personal problems whenever possible, providing a caring environment where they feel valued and respected. We believe this emotional security is crucial if children are to feel ready to learn. Self esteem is promoted through encouragement, praise, sincere recognition of genuine progress, and the satisfaction which comes from every achievement, however small. All adults in the school work hard to develop good relationships with all the children, based on genuine mutual respect. This also applies to our relationships with parents and members of our wider school community. We believe that all we do at Tre Uchaf contributes positively to building confidence, skills, knowledge and a love of learning. By preparing our children for a future where the skills of lifelong learning will be essential, we hope they can go on to live happy and fulfilled lives. ................
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