Learning Environment

Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations. A facilitative learning environment is an environment:

In which people feel they are respected In which people feel they are accepted Which promotes and facilitates the uniquely personal and subjective nature of learning Which consistently recognizes people’s right to make mistakes and learn from them In which people are encouraged to trust themselves as well as external sources In which evaluation is a co-operative process with an emphasis on self-evaluation Which encourages openness of self rather than concealment of self Which encourages people to be proactive

We believe that a stimulating environment sets the climate for learning, as an exciting classroom promotes the independent use of resources and high quality work from the children. We ensure that the children have the opportunity to display their best work at some time during the year. Our on-going monitoring is based on ensuring we all meet shared expectations regarding these. Dates for monitoring will be given within the yearly outline.

Key Expectations:

12-15 pieces of children’s work displayed on every board Title and brief description about the topic and work produced on every board Learning prompts and open questions to aid the children’s engagement – minimum 5 higher order open

questions per display board Book Corner – changed every 2 terms to reflect the topic being studied Behaviour chart displayed Thinking chair area Feedback Code displayed All classrooms should be left tidy before any children leave for break, assembly or the end of the day All work is mounted, punctuation is correct and neatest handwriting demonstrated 1 display each of the following:

- Maths - English - Curriculum (History or Geography) - Science

Questions to consider:

What is the first thing a visitor would see when they walked into your room? Is it the best part?

Does your classroom celebrate the children’s learning and achievements? Is there sufficient children’s work?

Does your classroom cater for the differing and emerging needs of all your pupils?

Tidy teacher’s desk/area – does this set a good example to the children for keeping classroom tidy?

Displays: Displays are used both to showcase the children’s best work, whilst others are interactive, allowing the children to engage, add work to and use it as a learning tool. Each class teacher is responsible for organising displays within their own class. Teachers will also have responsibility for particular boards outside of classrooms and in the hall. Displays should be changed on a regular basis in line with agreed “Yearly Outline” to ensure the classroom environment remains a stimulating place in which the children will learn. Displays are changed to ensure no work is displayed from more than one term prior, e.g. at the start of Term 3 all displays from Term 1 need to have been changed.

Display boards should have backing paper and a border. Please ensure that no work, picture or prompts overlap the border or extend beyond the perimeter of the display board. All display materials should remain within the boarder. If the backing paper is damaged, it will need to be replaced.

Please staple work to display boards to ensure a high quality finish. It is suggested that you staple at 45 degree angle so that staples can be removed prior to the next display with ease and will be less likely to damage the backing paper.

Display should include the subject title, a teacher explanation of task, key words and at least 12-15 pieces of children work.

All boards need to back with a border and work needs to be mounted neatly (approx. 1cm mount). Children should not be asked to do this.

All work should also be legible on either lined or plain paper. You can use paper with borders but please do not use paper with printed backgrounds as this detracts from the children’s work

Presentation: Each classroom is a reflection of the teacher and the children rather than just the children. The classroom is also where you will meet other teachers and parents/carers to discuss issues that will often touch on you as a practitioner. It is much easier to persuade other parties about the quality of your practice when you can turn around and point to the simple indicators.

Classrooms are always tidy and de-cluttered All storage draws, trays and areas should be clearly labelled so as to encourage pupil independence as well

as for ease of tidying and replenishing/monitoring use of resources. Pupil monitors should maintain standards regarding resourcing and the tidying of the learning environment.

Surfaces are to kept clutter free with cupboard tops, sinks and windowsills not used for unattractive storage of clutter.

Please consider carefully the message sent out by the teacher’s desk in any classroom. The desk should model practice and be kept clear and well organised so other teachers can find files and resources easily.

All classrooms have a range of dictionaries and fiction and non-fiction books, as well as working walls relating to literacy and maths, which should be kept tidy but in a place which is easily accessible for children.

Book Corner:

All classrooms must include an engaging, useable & inviting Book Corner The display of the book corner should be linked to topic work and should be changed once every 2 terms

– please see the yearly overview for deadline dates Books are to be organised and labelled, and children should learn to respect the books in the classroom

by taking responsibility for the Book Corner being kept tidy Prompts, vocabulary and open questions to engage reading – minimum 5 higher order open questions A clear title and description of what the children have been learning including the main learning

objectives of the topic and clarifying any cross curricular links