var body = document.body; body.className += " u-body u-xl-mode"; body.style.cssText += " "; var dataBg = ''; if (dataBg) { body.setAttribute('data-bg', dataBg); } Subjects View allCore GCSEOptional GCSESixth Form Art & Design Business and Economics Child Development Computer Science Design and Technology & Engineering Design Drama English Food Preparation & Nutrition Geography Graphics & Textiles Health & Social Care History Languages Law Maths Media Studies Music PE & Sports Personal Development Philosophy & Ethics Psychology & Sociology RS, Philosophy & Ethics Science222 1495
var body = document.body; body.className += " u-body u-xl-mode"; body.style.cssText += " "; var dataBg = ''; if (dataBg) { body.setAttribute('data-bg', dataBg); } Lessons Lesson Routines Our Ethos Taught not Caught: Learning is intentional, not accidental. Every Interaction is an Intervention: Every moment with students matters. Amplify the Positive: Focus on celebrating successes. Every Minute Matters: Strong procedures and routines create efficient, focused classrooms where tasks run smoothly Doug Lemov, 2014). Why Routines Matter Clear, shared expectations reduce students’ cognitive load—helping them focus on learning rather than figuring out what to do. Managing cognitive load means easing unnecessary mental strain, allowing children to dedicate their full capacity to understanding content. Lesson Phases & Expectations Phase Why? Staff Behaviours Student Behaviours Do Now! "At Sprowston we complete a Do Now as an act of SCHOLARSHIP which retrieves key knowledge and helps us to be ready for our learning today" Retrieve Previous Content; Cold Call to Check Understanding; Adapt and Reteach if needed Meet and Greet on the threshold; Monitor the Corridor; Independent Starter completed in silence; Register taken in the first 5 minutes. Arrive on time to lesson; Equipment taken out in silence; Green Pen of Responses Modelling "At Sprowston we value the subject knowledge of the teacher and understand that they are the expert, so we listen and show RESPECT." Use exemplars and worked examples to explain; chunked into logical small steps; Cold call to check understanding Ensure full attention; Narrate compliance; Address interruptions Sit up straight and track the teacher; Raise your hand to ask questions; Have nothing in your hands unless asked to Scaffolded Independent Practice "At Sprowston we know that understanding comes from practice, hard work and applying what we have learned, so we show INDEPENDENCE and take responsibility for our learning." Success criteria visible; individualised feedback to students; Set time for students to be working in silence with timer visible Narrate compliance; Circulate the room; Take and active interest in student work Be active for the full amount of time given using success criteria; Raise your hand to ask questions or for help; Don't give up when things get tough - ask for help if needed Review "At Sprowston we use the end of the lesson to demonstrate what we have learned and prepare to use movement time with an AWARENESS that our actions impact our own learning and that of others" Summarise learning and connect; Praise the students for compliance; Use exit as reward, while maintaining order Ask to pack away in an orderly manner; Stagger dismissal from the door (check the corridor); Compliment to conclude; Respond to questions when asked; Pack away and stand behind your chairs, Books passed to the end of the row Key Principles Gradual release of responsibility develops student independence over time. Attention is essential for learning; distractions reduce cognitive capacity. Effective routines guard working memory by focusing students’ attention on learning tasks. The Teaching and Learning Cycle Our Teaching and Learning ethos is at the heart of our school, and underpins everything we do. We are dedicated to creating a culture which prepares students to achieve the best possible outcomes in examinations, as well as developing well-rounded individuals who are able to flourish in a rapidly changing world. Our Teaching and Learning approach is based on the best research about what works. In September 2019, we introduced ‘The Teaching and Learning Cycle’ as a structure around which all lessons are built. It divides learning into the following four phases: Contextualising – This means that learning is put into a wider context, so that students can develop their knowledge. This is the part of the lesson where previous knowledge is revisited, where memory and understanding are checked, and where any new learning is carefully introduced and explained. This might be done through quizzing, mini whiteboard activities or key word recall. Modelling – This is the point in the lesson where the teacher will make explicit for students exactly what they are aiming to produce. This might involve talking through an example piece of writing, highlighting a thought process, or demonstrating a new skill. Scaffolding – During this phase of the lesson, there may be opportunities for collaborative learning, so that students can work together to build confidence when approaching unfamiliar tasks. Teachers may provide guidance, such sentence starters or a writing frame, to support and guide first attempts. There may also be frequent feedback to ensure clear progress towards the end goal. Independence – By the end of the lesson, the ideal scenario is that students have grasped the new learning and are able to apply it unaided. This part of the lesson will consist of independent practice to work towards the new skill becoming automatic, so that learning is in depth, rather than superficial. The Teaching and Learning Cycle then begins again. Throughout, its success is also dependent on two key factors: Academic Literacy is crucial. We believe that by giving our students the ability to read and decode language, to write coherently and professionally, and to speak articulately and confidently, we are giving them the best tools to function successfully, both in school and beyond. Behaviour supports learning, and we believe that having the right attitude will lead to greater success. We want our students to be resilient and self-disciplined, logical and proactive, empathetic and creative, focused and reflective. Ultimately, we are endeavouring to cultivate young people who are capable, self-confident and resourceful, and who are well-equipped to face the challenges of the future beyond school. Teaching Calculations Procedure Aims: The aim of this calculations procedure is to ensure as far as possible that students’ experiences of calculations in different teachers’ classrooms are as consistent as possible, to avoid any unnecessary confusion and to ensure that all teachers are aware of what is and is not considered acceptable when modelling mathematical calculations on the board. When teachers model calculations on the whiteboard or in students’ books they are setting an example with the method they use, and also, possibly more importantly with the clarity of their layout, as many students lose marks and make mistakes through bad use of space and poor layout of their work. Over the past few years there has been a very significant change in the methods of calculation used by the Year 7 students joining the school, due to the change in the style of national assessments and the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils now use formal written algorithms much more readily, and pictorial representations such as number lines for addition and subtraction and grid method for multiplication are far less commonplace than in recent years. It is therefore necessary for our faculty to reflect on what the way we can best meet the needs of our students. Finally, the aim of this procedure is not to force learners to change the way they calculate to the one we prefer; if they are able to obtain a correct answer reasonably efficiently they should be encouraged to continue to use the same method and become more fluent in that method and use it to solve problems in various, and increasingly challenging contexts. 1491
