Teaching and Learning at Bounds Green

1. Aims

This overview provides a strategic summary of five key aspects that underpin Teaching & Learning at Bounds Green

• This document sets out in summary the principles and guidance that
• determine how our school aims to create a rich, stimulating and effective learning environment that educates children to be accomplished, creative and open-minded
• Staff have high expectations of themselves and of all children
• Children are motivated, challenged and engaged making rapid and sustained progress in their learning
• The child is at all times held in mind, creating the right emotional conditions for learning

We believe that a stimulating environment sets the climate for learning, and an exciting classroom promotes the independent use of resources and high-quality work from the children.

Conditions for Learning

Bounds Green Behaviour Policy_Autumn 2020

2. Curriculum

At Bounds Green we aim to provide children with a wide and varied curriculum through a range of experiences. We believe in a creative approach, responding to the individual needs and interests of our children at the same time as ensuring coverage of National Curriculum and EYFS requirements and skills. We want our children to enjoy the challenge of learning through a range of activities, types of learning and making full use of the indoor and outdoor environment where possible.

Curriculum Planning

The ‘Bounds Green Curriculum Overview’ plots the content covered from nursery to year six for each individual year group and each curriculum area; this map covers the content of the EYFS & National Curriculum to ensure full coverage of all subjects through a creatively and thoughtfully linked curriculum ensuring balance and progression across the school.

Medium-term plans are devised for each half-term ensuring cross-curricular opportunities are provided where appropriate. NC curriculum documents and detailed half-termly overviews support planning for English and Mathematics as well as skills/guidance overviews in other curriculum areas.

Short term plans are produced by class teachers on a weekly basis in line with the Bounds Green Lesson Planning Considerations document. Short term plans should not be lengthy, rather precise and focused on response to pupil learning.

Curriculum Statement 2022

3. Teaching and Learning

Characteristics of Learners at Bounds Green

(Created and agreed by Bounds Green School Council)

Engagement

• We will support and actively listen and respond appropriately to our peers and adults
• We will work and learn together as a team
• We will participate in lessons to the best of our ability by: putting our hands up, concentrating, taking part in discussions, sharing ideas and showing pride in our work.

Commitment

• We will achieve our very best in our learning through resilience and hard work.
• We will be good role-models, supportive and encouraging of others
• We will take responsibility for our actions, our and the learning and strive to become independent learners.

Enjoyment and Respect

• We will respect others and ourselves by: showing understanding of each other, being fair and kind towards others and honest
• We will value our differences, talents and the individual backgrounds we come from
• We will value our own environment and grow up to be responsible citizens

Success and Celebration

• Is knowing that making mistakes and taking risks is essential to being a successful learner and is about knowing how to improve our work
• Is being able to discuss and explain ideas, being confident and able to ask questions about challenging learning
• Is applying the skills we learn in school and making great progress in all areas of our learning; where our successes are celebrated through display, our books, awards, assemblies, parent’s evenings, performances, by our peers and teachers and our pride in ourselves.

Characteristics of Teaching at Bounds Green

(Bounds Green Lesson Considerations for details)

• Staff have secure subject knowledge and understanding, and teaching methods are adapted and pitched to provide challenge and support for pupils of different abilities.
• Planning shows an ambition for every pupil to make exceptional progress and achieve their best. It provides logical learning journeys for all to rapidly build on what they are already able to do.
• Timely and repeated use of success criteria as learning unfolds accelerates progress; clear and specific feedback ensures a strong focus on learning that leads to good or better progress.  Each teaching session contributes to continuity and progression in a carefully considered sequence.
• All teaching demonstrates the key elements of good AfL practice; questioning, mini-plenaries, teacher feedback, dialogic talk, addressing misconceptions all lead to learners, regardless of starting points, making excellent progress.
• Staff have high expectations of presentation, quality and quantity of work

Above all we aim to impart independence and a love of learning through our provision, including a fun and challenging developmentally appropriate curriculum.

Planning Considerations

BGR Home Learning Policy

BG School SEND Policy

4. Assessment

‘The overriding principle of good assessment is that it should be clearly tied to its intended purpose. There are three main forms of assessment: in-school formative assessment, which is used by teachers to evaluate pupils’ knowledge and understanding on a day-to-day basis and to tailor teaching accordingly; in-school summative assessment, which enables schools to evaluate how much a pupil has learned at the end of a teaching period; and nationally standardised summative assessment, which is used by the Government to hold schools to account. Good formative assessment ranges from the probing question put to a pupil as they think something through; quick recap questions at the opening of a lesson; scrutiny of the natural work of pupils; right through to formal tests.’

(Commission on Assessment Without Levels September 2015)

EYFS Assessment Cycle

Marking & Feedback policy 2022

5. Monitoring and Evaluation

We are continually striving to improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is of the highest standard. Thorough planning closely matched to pupils’ needs is an essential element of this. Planning will be monitored against the Bounds Green Planning considerations, assessment and marking policies, and subject curriculum planning and guidance documents.

Monitoring and Evaluation