Learning Policy - Hornbill School, Brunei

NOVEMBER 2018

L e a r n i n g P o l i c y

H o r n b i l l S c h o o l

2HORNBILL SCHOOL POLICY

Learning Observations – Drop-ins13

Learning Observations - Peer to Peer Review

12

Background11

Learning Observations – Peer to Peer 11

Learning Observations – Formal10

Parental Partnerships8

Every Lesson A Language Lesson7

Basic Skills7

Learning Environment6

Continuity6

Flying Lessons – Learning to Learn6

School Compass Aims5

Principles of Outstanding Learning5

Principles of Building Learning Power4

p a r t 1Learning

p a r t 2Learning Observations

Expectations of Home Learning14

Key Principles14

Aims14

Walks and Deep Dive Days14

Learning observations – SGC including Learning

13

p a r t 3Home Learning

Time Allocations15

Questioning & Next Steps 17

Key Principles16

Aims16

p a r t 4Feedback

Responsibilities18


Hornbill School’s Mission Our values led, multicultural school promotes a happy, safe & caring environment that is committed to helping all children experience success, whatever their background or abilities. Our children build their learning power as part of a learning community in which they all become resilient & self-assured whilst achieving the highest standards om all they set out

to do. The health, safety and wellbeing of every child is our paramount concern.

Building Learning PowerHornbillers are caring, courteous citizens of Hornbill School who are powerful learners because of their: curiosity, creativity and courage and their reflective, resilient and energetic ability to communicate and explore.

BackgroundThis policy sets out Hornbill School’s intentions and aims for learning. In creating one succinct policy for learning it removes the need for the following original individual policies:

• Teaching and Learning Policy• Lesson Observation Policy • Effective Feedback & Marking Policy• Parental Partnership Policy• Personalised Learning Policy• Homework Policy • Basic Skills Policy• More Able Gifted & Talented Policy• Triangulation Policy

W hat is Learning? It is the construction of knowledge, acquisition of skills and enculturation of practices through study, experience, or being taught.Learning is a process or a journey. A self-directed learning process is arguably the most powerful model for facilitating and inspiring individual, group and organisational learning and development.

At Hornbill School we provide a learning process to empower children to guide themselves through their personal learning and development journey.


Principles of Building Learning Power

At the core of Hornbill 2.0 is the refocus of our school as a Learning to Learn (L2L) Community and to Build Learning Power (BLP).

We believe that children can be powerful learners when they:• Are encouraged to be Curious about their learning, ask detailed

questions and unpick responses.

• Are encouraged to develop their individual learning style and be Creative by thinking outside of the box when solving learning problems.

• Develop the capacity to Communicate with others through listening, questioning and suggesting ideas. They are encouraged to work well individually, co-operatively and collaboratively.

• Can Reflect on and evaluate their learning including opportunities for children to consider the quality of their learning and their targets for future progress.

• Are encouraged to be Resilient and persevere when tasks are difficult and to use their learning partners for support if they are unable to help themselves.

• Are praised for having Courage to develop new skills, push themselves harder, take charge of their learning journey and Explore their learning potential.

• Are Energetic about their learning and are active participants in their learning journey.

• Are valued, respected and encouraged to develop themselves as learners.

• Are actively involved in and understand the task undertaken. The Learning Objective (LO) is shared and discussed with the class. Success Criteria (SC) is developed and revisited with the class.

• Form positive relationships with the teacher, other adults and their peers.

• Use resources effectively. This includes selecting appropriate resources to support their understanding of the task in hand.

A Building Learning Power School has Active Learners not Passive Students.

LearningP A R T 1

A teacher has more impact on a child’s learning than any other factor controlled by school systems, including class size, school size, the quality of support assistants and intervention programmes or even which

school a child is attending.

BLP is an approach to helping young people to become better learners, both in school and out. It is about creating a

culture in classrooms—and in the school more widely—that systematically cultivates

habits and attitudes that enable young people to face difficulty and uncertainty

calmly, confidently, and creatively. Students who are more confident of their own

learning ability learn faster and learn better. They concentrate more, think harder, and

find learning more enjoyable. They do better in their tests and external examinations.

And they are easier and more satisfying to teach.

Professor Guy Claxton


Principles of outstanding learning

Our aim is that all children will receive outstanding learning opportunities each and every day. We recognise that all children are entitled to experience teaching which enables them to achieve their fullest potential as learners. At Hornbill School, through successful teaching and learning opportunities we aim to develop independent, lifelong learners.

All staff have a responsibility to deliver lessons where the teaching and learning is of the highest quality and the needs of all students are met.

To ensure a consistency of learning in all classes we expect the following to be evident in all classrooms: 1. Teachers show a deep subject knowledge.2. Teachers provide a range of activities to challenge children – to help them achieve beyond their

own expectations.3. Differentiation – teachers plan lessons to ensure that all pupils make at least good progress

through a unit of learning4. Adults provide timely and accurate feedback that moves learning forward with opportunities

for children to respond.5. Adults provide a range of teaching techniques to support effective independent and collaborative

learning.6. The learning environment praises and promotes all children. For more information please see

the Aide Memoire - Appendix All adults are well deployed to support, scaffold and encourage learning

7. There is a partnership between the staff in each year group/classroom.

School Compass Aims

The following three aims from the School Compass are related directly to this Learning Policy:

Pupils Learn Through Quality Experiences which are Project-Based & Research-DrivenOur pupils are participants in project-based learning which leads their learning journey. A natural part of a child’s curiosity is exploring - everywhere they go and, where possible, how to get there. This is a natural part of a child’s curiosity - and an important 21st century skill.

All Learning is Rigorous, Relevant and Real World - 3 RsPupils develop knowledge when learning is rooted in real context and includes an emotional attachment. Our flexible learning spaces encourage learning outside of the normal classroom environment. These include: Art Studio, Cyber Zone, Culinary Arts, Da Vinci Lab, Science Lab, Peace Garden, Reflection Garden, Sports Hall, Drama Studio, Eco Space, Trim Trail, FE Action Zone & Music Studio.

Pupils Learn in Global Classrooms - Citizens of the WorldWe make a conscious effort to integrate learning that connects the classroom to our community. This includes the local, national and international community; collaborating with people in other countries and from other cultures.

Where possible, technologies will be made available so that pupils are able to connect easily with people around the world.

We Learn Through Quality

Experiences

We Are Citizens of the World

We Learn From Relevant & Real World Opportunities


Flying Lessons - Learning to FlyThere are four principles of metacognition which are used by teachers when planning a pathway of learning: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluating and Reflecting.

During the planning phase, learners think about the learning goal the teacher has set and consider how they will approach the task and which strategies they will use. At this stage, it is

helpful for learners to ask themselves:

‘What am I being asked to do?’‘Which strategies will I use?’

‘Are there any strategies that might be useful?’‘Are there any scenarios / strategies that I have experienced previously that could be used now?’

During the monitoring phase, learners implement their plan and monitor the progress they are making towards their learning goal.

Children might decide to make changes to the strategies they are using if these are not working. As children work through the task, it will help them to ask themselves:

‘Is the strategy that I am using?‘Why?’

‘What is effective / ineffective?’

During the evaluating phase, children determine how successful the strategy they used was in helping them to achieve their learning goal. To promote evaluation, students could consider:

‘How well did I do?’‘How efficient / effective was the strategy?’ - ‘Why?’

‘Why was it efficient / effective?’‘What didn’t go well?’ ‘What could I do differently next time?’

‘What went well?’ ‘What other types of problem can I use this strategy for?’

Reflecting is a fundamental part of the plan-monitor-evaluate process. Encouraging learners to self-question throughout the process will support this reflection.

ContinuityOutstanding learning opportunities in year groups occur when all classes in the year group follow the same procedures and outcomes for children.

Whilst we encourage teachers to teach in different styles, all general routines will remain the same across year groups. An example of this: one class using WALT and the other using LO.

Hornbill expects all teachers to use: Learning Objective (LO) and Success Criteria (SC).

Learning EnvironmentWe believe that the classroom and school environment contributes most effectively to the quality of children’s learning when:

• Resources are appropriate, sufficient and accessible.• The learning environment facilitates movement and is flexible enough to be adapted to

the needs of the activity.• Interesting displays which are attractive, informative, interactive, and value the

children’s work at all levels or abilities.• The classroom is rich in print and number – including clearly labelled trays and bags

etc. • The books and equipment/materials, which the children use, are kept to a high

standard.• The culture of all children in school is reflected and respected.


Basic Skills We believe that learning Basic Skills is an integral part of every pupil’s entitlement to the National Curriculum and is essential for academic achievement and personal development.

The Basic Skills Agency defines Basic Skills as:“the ability to read, write and speak in English and use mathematics at a level necessary to

function and progress at work and in society in general.”

We teach Basic Skills:• to enable pupils to access all areas of the curriculum;• to enable pupils to communicate effectively;• to ensure pupils make good progress in their learning;• to foster the enjoyment of English and Mathematics; • to be able to express their views, ideas and opinions, and their learning through pupil voice;• to prepare pupils to meet the challenges of everyday life and to participate in society; and• to provide a foundation for lifelong learning.

Every Lesson a Language Lesson Bilingual EAL learners at Hornbill School come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Some have arrived at school having had a certain amount of exposure to the English language. Some have developed literacy skills in their home language. Some have comparable schooling to their age equivalent peers; others may have their educational experience interrupted or a late start in education.

Pupils who are learning English as an additional language have skills and knowledge about language similar to monolingual English speaking pupils. Their ability to participate in the full curriculum may be in advance of their communicative skills in English.

At Hornbill School, all staff take appropriate action to help pupils who are learning English as an Additional Language by embedding an ethos of Every Lesson a Language Lesson.

This entails:

a) staff taking the time to consider the language of learning in their classroom – the routine words and sentence structures that they are using and also the subject specific language of the curriculum that the learners will encounter. Staff should also be actively noticing the language used by their learners, identifying common misconceptions and repeated grammatical errors to support before they become fossilised.

b) consideration of the process of language development towards tasks that learners are required to engage with – a listening, speaking, reading and then writing sequence is most supportive of EAL learners.

It is worth noting that the strategies employed in the ‘Every Lesson a Language Lesson’ approach are beneficial to all learners and the support of their language development.

Engaging pupils in their own learning is considered to be a crucial aspect of learning. For pupils who are learning English as an Additional Language we ensure that we are:• empowering pupils to be able to ask questions about language in order to learn new words, clarify

their meanings and be further able to reuse them appropriately in different and new contexts.• instilling in pupils a working awareness of the language they are using and learning in order that

they are actively ‘noticing’ language. • empowering pupils to use and develop effective EAL learning strategies. • valuing their first language and to continue to develop it for a wide range of purposes including as

a tool for learning.


Parental PartnershipsWe believe that the partnership between home and school should be strong in order to fully support each child’s development. As such parents/carers are welcomed in school, kept well informed and are fully involved as partners in their child’s education.

Parents should: • Feel that their views about their child’s learning are listened to and acted upon where

appropriate• Be kept up to date with their child’s progress and know how they can help at home• Have opportunities to continue/extend their own learning through Family Learning

Programmes (FLPs). • Be comfortable in approaching school staff• Have opportunities to come into school and join their child’s learning which include:

• Induction events for new parents/carers (including joint parent/child play sessions, home visits and meet the teacher)

• Open Afternoon for new and existing parents/carers to see the school at work• Curriculum Days and/or Junctions to share the learning with their children

• Child, Teacher and Parent Consultations in October and February to provide parents/carers with up-to-date information on their children’s progress and set targets

• Meetings to discuss, evaluate and update RIASEN plans for children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

• Special assemblies, Class Assemblies, Leavers Assembly, Remembrance Service & Badge Award Assemblies

• School Plays and Nativities• Christmas Concerts, Hindu celebrations such as Dashain & Tihar and other religious celebrations

such as Chinese New year etc.• Educational Visits

Hornbill Helping Hands All parents/carers are automatically members of Hornbill Helping Hands and we are enormously grateful to this group for their hard work and commitment in raising funds for our school.


30THINK

YEARS

We can’t state explicitly or emphatically what the future of learning will look like because things are moving so fast. But we can extrapolate some general characteristics from current trends.

For example, in the future our learning could be even more …

• digital rather than analogue / ink on paper• informal• online and less dependent on local humans• mobile• networked / interconnected• multimedia• self-directed / inquiry-based• individualised / personalised• computer-based and software-mediated • open / accessible• project-based• simulation– or game-based

What will Learning look like in the future?

How do we design and organise our learning environments to reflect these characteristics? And if we don’t, can we have any hope of staying relevant to

the needs of students, families, and society?


Principles of Learning Observations

At Hornbill School we aim to keep formal classroom observation of learning & teaching to the minimum. However, this is an essential part of our triangulation process.

As part of our commitment to developing a Community of Learners, Hornbill School will encourage Peer to Peer Observations to support teachers CPD and to encourage professional dialogue relating to how learning happens in the classroom. Therefore formal lesson observations will only occur this academic year (2018/19): • As part of visiting SIP / Link IA visits.• External moderation including HMI. • For new teachers joining Hornbill School.• As part of restoring efficiency or capability procedures.• As part of PM / Appraisal where a teacher has asked for a formal

observation. • As part of developing BLP / Learning Power procedures where a

teacher would like to share this with a member of the SLT.

Where formal observations occur there will be:• a set focus which will be agreed / shared at staff meetings at least

2 weeks before the lesson observation.• an agreed time (if appropriate) • an understanding that observations will take place in an atmosphere

of supportive collegiality• two observers

Do school leaders have to carry out formal or informal observations of lessons? There are no specific requirements for schools to carry out formal or informal observations. However, school leaders are held to account over the standards of learning within the class. The Education (School Teachers’ Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2012 require maintained schools to appraise teachers’ performance annually. This includes appraisal of progress towards objectives, and against the Teachers’ Standards. However, there is no specific mention of observations in the regulations

In the case of capability procedure, the Headteacher will identify lessons to be observed and follow the capability procedures policy, as set out by MOD Schools. Information gathered during observations will be used, as appropriate, for a variety of purposes including to inform school self-evaluation and school improvement strategies in accordance with the school’s commitment to streamlining data collection and minimising bureaucracy and workload burdens on staff.

LearningObservations

P A R T 2

Formal classroom observation of learning & teaching, as with any other School

Improvement activity, will take place in the context of an agreed school schedule for

monitoring and evaluation. As part of this, teachers should expect that from time to

time, School Leaders, Educational Advisors and external assessors will observe their

lessons. Teachers have a right to expect this to be carried out sensitively, unobtrusively

and professionally.


Classroom observations will only be undertaken by persons with QTS. In addition, in this school classroom observation will only undertaken by those who have had adequate preparation and the appropriate professional skills to undertake observation and to provide constructive oral and written feedback and support, in the context of professional dialogue between colleagues. Feedback will take place in most cases within 24 hours and will include the teacher and all persons who observed the lesson. At Hornbill School this is normally a member of the Strategic Leadership Team and the Learning Phase Leader. However, there may be on some occasions when for reasons of training and developing Middle Leadership Capacity, other members of staff will be present during the observations. Oral feedback will be given during directed time in a suitable, private environment – where possible this is the teacher’s classroom. This is a conversation aimed at helping the teacher to move forward not merely a recall of the lesson. Written feedback will be provided within five working days of the observation taking place. If issues emerged from an observation that were not part of the focus of the observation as recorded in the planning and review statement these should also be covered in the written feedback and the appropriate action taken in accordance with the regulations and guidance.

Learning Observations - Peer to Peer (Background)One of the best things teachers can do to improve their teaching is to look outside their own classrooms. A teacher’s classroom instruction style is perhaps one of the most important and least well-understood factors contributing to teacher effectiveness.

Observing other teachers is a key part of development; it improves teachers’ own self-awareness of their skills…It is paradoxical that opportunities to observe teachers and classes are presented more often to those who already train teachers, rather than teachers themselves. In many ways these trainers need to observe less to aid the development of teachers who are actually in the classroom.

Building Learning Power – Adults Our BLP Community aims to allow teachers to become effective evaluators of their own practice. This forms the basis of our move towards Peer to Peer reviews. Hattie’s ‘Holy Grail’ for effective peer to peer review is: • The teacher’s mind frame is critical to self-development and effective peer to peer review - teachers

see it as their role to evaluate their effect on learning.• Effective teachers changing what is happening when learning is not occurring.• Teachers make calculated interventions when learning is not occurring, providing students with

multiple opportunities and alternatives to learn, at both surface and deep levels.• Teachers knowing and understanding when success occurs.• Knowing the students prior learning and adapting teaching to develop this.• Having passion for learning - this is more than just being charming and joyous! Hattie argues that

passionate teachers are thrilled by achievement and frustrated by challenges.


Learning Observations - Peer to Peer ReviewOur focus for Peer to Peer Reviews is to support teachers in improving their classroom practice and, ultimately, learner experiences. This will be carried out using iPad technology so that teachers can review themselves as well as others.

Peer to Peer Review observations provide opportunities:• To share best practice• For the observer to self-assess his or her own future training needs• The idea behind the ‘IT route’ is that reviews can be carried out on an informal basis and there is

no expectation that the observer will provide a grade following the observation.• Following an observation of themselves the teacher who has been observed can evaluate their

own lesson. Teachers can rewind and re-watch segments of their lessons while at the same time asking the who, where, what, when, why questions of self-development including:

• How could you have done that better?• Why did it happen?• What will you do next time?• What have you learnt?• What will you do better next time?• What went well?• What went not so well?

The following programme is planned to support Peer to Peer reviews throughout the academic year 2018-19:

Term 1To help all staff experience this new style of review and to overcome initial concerns, Term 1 will be considered a trial term to iron out the ‘kinks’ of both the programme of review and of the technology. All staff will be placed into collaborative partnerships for the academic year. From within these partnerships learning pairs or triads will be developed. These will be known as Review Partnerships.Between the start of October and the end of November staff are asked to record 4-5 teaching sessions on their iPads (please book out the tripods and microphones with the IT department). Staff will review their teaching on their own (however, mentors can be provided if required). Staff will be asked if they would like to provide one 10-15 minute segment of their teaching based on an area for discussion which will be shared at a Review Partnership Meeting.Outcomes of the Review Partnership Meetings will be shared at staff meetings.

Focus of the recordings: For the trial period (term 1) staff can chose any aspect of their teaching or the child’s learning. This might be: • A small group of children• A focus on the amount of teacher talk• A focus on the style of teacher questions• Use of the LSA in the classroom• How Blooms is used to encourage deeper thinking• Think Pair Share session to see who is and is not participating within the class• How to speak ‘Learnish’

If a teacher would prefer direction in their first session they can discuss this first session with their Learning Phase Leader.

Term 2Teachers will be asked to record a session of the learning within their class for 20 minutes. Review partners will observe each other’s teaching - picking up on areas of development from Term 1 (two members of the partnership will observe the third teaching).Time will be provided for personal discussions which will include strengths and areas of development.

Term 3Aspects from Term 1 and 2 will be combined for a second round of review meetings and observations.

IT support will be made available during staff meeting time in October to support those teachers who require assistance in setting up or reviewing their videos.


Learning Observations - Drop inTo support a Community of Learners and individual teachers CPD in developing learning opportunities in classrooms the focus of the school is to support Peer to Peer Reviews. However, in addition to the observations shared above, the Strategic Leadership of the school (and other leaders with responsibility for teaching standards) may ‘drop in’ to lessons to:

• Evaluate the standards of teaching.• Ensure that high standards of professional performance are established and maintained.

However, to ensure that teachers do not feel under pressure from visiting leaders the following protocols are in place. Drop-ins will be:

• Collegiate, formative and developmental. • On a ½ termly basis.• Typically lasting no more than 15 minutes.

Following a ‘drop-in’ observation, the teacher will be emailed written feedback by the end of the next working day. Feedback will be evaluative and supportive. Where developments are needed a timeframe of support will be provided. Feedback will be an informed professional dialogue which builds on self-evaluation and shared exploration of the information provided by the observer – it will be timely and precise.

Teachers can use evidence from drop-ins and/or from peer reviews for performance management should they wish but members of the SLT will NOT be able to use this as part of the appraisal process.

Learning Observations - SGCLesson Observation – SGC Learning Walks, Deep Dive Days and / or visits from Link IA and SIP as part of school development

To support the leadership and governance of the school, members of the School Governance Committee (SGC) will visit classrooms to become familiar about the school and its

developments or aspects of the curriculum. These visits will be planned in advance in consultation with the headteacher, governor and teacher and will not be counted as observations. Governors will not evaluate teachers.

Learning walks take place in order to collect evidence about teaching and learning, evidence of progress and areas for development and to support the practice of teachers through peer coaching. They are intended to be developmental and constructive and are a whole-school improvement activity.

• A programme of learning walks is clearly outlined on the termly Monitoring and Evaluating Timetable showing the date, time and focus of the learning walk and who will be conducting it.

• The purpose or focus of a learning walk will be explained to all relevant staff prior to its commencement. That purpose or focus will not relate to the performance of an individual.

• Learning walks will be conducted with minimum disruption to teachers and pupils and follow the learning walk protocols.

• Learning walks will be undertaken in a supportive and professional manner at all times. • Teachers will be given the opportunity to see any written records which have been made during the

learning walk.


Home Learning Aims

• To involve parents and children in learning together.• To support learning in school by providing further

opportunities for pupils to develop their skills and abilities across the curriculum.

• To help children become more confident and independent in their learning.

• To help prepare our pupils for transfer to secondary school where homework is an expectation of all pupils.

• To support the raising of standards of achievement throughout the school.

Key Principles

• Home Learning should be an enjoyable experience for children and parents.

• Home Learning includes a range of tasks but also includes children and parents sharing books together and older pupils reading independently.

• Home Learning can give parents a greater insight into what their child is learning at school.

• Teachers will set home learning which supports the learning of children in school and is matched in content and time and quantity to the age, ability and needs of the pupil.

Expectations

Foundation Stage 1Children and parents are introduced to sharing books from school. Children and parents are invited to choose a book from the library to take home, look after, and read together on a daily basis.

Foundation Stage 2Reading together is expected to continue in Foundation Stage 2 (FS2). This includes sharing stories as well as reading scheme books. A reading diary is used by both teachers and parents. Activities linked to the area of the curriculum being taught during the week or practice of specific skills in maths or English may be given to the children weekly. Some activities will involve bringing completed tasks back to school.

FLPs will be held which target areas of need and offer ways to support children at home.

HomeLearning

P A R T 3

The most comprehensive research on homework to

date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris

Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between

homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed

better in school.


Time AllocationsThe Secretary of State for Education has recommended the following amount of learning (work) which could be carried out at home:

Age Time (each night)4 to 5 year olds 20 minutes (incl. 10 minutes reading)5 to 7 year olds 30 minutes (incl. 20 minutes reading)7 to 9 year olds 40 minutes (incl. 20 minutes reading)9 to 11 year olds 50 minutes (incl. 20 minutes reading)

Key Stage One A vast majority of activities require no written work or formal recording. Typical Home Learning includes:• Sharing books with parents each night• Practising key words for reading and/or spelling • Counting activities and number bond practice• Number/word games• Shopping and money activities• Weighing, measuring and capacity practice• Looking out for things at home on a specific theme (e.g. 2D shapes or objects made from different

materials)• Looking out for things on the way home from school or in the immediate locality e.g. shop names

or house numbers• Collecting items of interest for use in the classroom

Key Stage Two Typical Home Learning includes:• Reading for at least 20 minutes each night• Sharing books and other texts with parents or reading independently each night• Learning spellings and times tables• Finding out more information about a Pathway being studied using books, computers or by

talking with adults or older siblings• Written pieces linked to learning in school • Mini-projects linked to the Learning Pathway • Maths investigations/exercises linked to the aspect of maths being taught at school• Activities from other areas of the curriculum including art and design technology• Revision, practice and preparation for SATs and other assessments


Aims of Constructive FeedbackPupils learn from achievements & their mistakes through reflective feedback.

Our teachers support pupils learning by providing positive, critical, relevant and timely reflection on their learning

to support pupils next steps. We give specific feedback which is individualised as we know this has one of the highest effects on student achievement.

As a school, we see the greatest impact when we agree, adopt and maintain a consistent approach which is age and ability appropriate.

At Hornbill School we believe that pupils learn from achievements and their mistakes through reflective feedback

Our teachers support pupils learning by providing:• positive, • critical, • relevant and • timely reflection on their learning.

BackgroundThis Reflective Feedback section has been developed in conjunction with the teaching staff following an INSET session looking at best practice, existing practice, reading relevant research and considering the needs of our pupils.

The re-labelling of this section of our Learning Policy from ‘marking’ to the broader term ‘feedback’ is more than just window dressing.

Marking quite obviously presupposes a ‘mark’ on the page; whereas much of our daily pedagogy consists of oral formative feedback.

Verbal feedback has the unassailable strength of being instantaneous in comparison to the delay of written feedback. Regardless of what learning and teaching activity are being undertaken, verbal feedback is integral to learning and progression.

Hornbill School has a unique context; high mobility of both staff and pupils means that achieving continuity and consistency across year groups and between Learning Phases is an ongoing challenge. The purpose of this policy is to offer guidelines to staff on the way in which we respond to children’s learning. To be effective this policy needs to be clear, manageable and consistently applied

Feedback of Learning

P A R T 4

All feedback is Useful and

Precise not global and vague.


All feedback should close the gap between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood.

(John Hattie 2007)

We give specific feedback which is individualised as we know that this has one of the highest effects on student achievement. All feedback is useful and precise not global and vague.

All reflective feedback is underpinned by this section of the policy which all pupils and staff follow on a day to day basis.

The aim of this policy is to:• ensure clear understanding of the purposes of feedback• ensure procedures and processes of effective feedback to pupils are in relation to their work.• To maximise progress and support pupils in further developing their learning powers.

Effective reflective feedback is integral to good teaching and learning processes. By empowering pupils to be actively involved in the process it helps to embed learning swiftly and leads to pupils being able to demonstrate mastery of concepts. Pupils own feedback and self- assessment is used to inform future planning. Quality feedback whether verbal or written will deep thinking and reflection.

Principles Principles of quality feedback includes:

• Verbal Discussion between learner and facilitator• Teacher Assessment • Self-Assessment • Peer Assessment

Questioning & Next StepsQuestioning lies at the heart of learning and teaching and we use it in a variety of ways, e.g. to assess a child’s starting point so that teaching can be adapted to meet their needs or to probe their understanding of a new area of learning. We recognise that although there is a place for closed questions, open questions are best for encouraging more complex and higher order thinking.

In all learning spaces the Blooms Digital Taxonomy Wheel is displayed. Questioning of children remains a major focus for our teaching staff and is an area that we constantly strive to improve

We use a variety of methods for selecting which children will answer questions, e.g. random selection, framing specific questions for individual children and the thumbs -up approach. We also use ‘learning partners’ or ‘buddies’ and approaches such as ‘think, pair, share’ so that children can discuss and rehearse their answers.

What does this look like? What does feedback look like at Hornbill School?

• All learning in books is acknowledged to show that it has been looked at – this can take the form of teacher initials.

• Pupils will have the opportunity to look over their own learning and try to spot and address any ‘mistakes’ with the support where necessary of learning partners or adults in the room.

• Learning that has taken place is used to highlight any misconceptions and inform the teachers


planning for future lessons • Children will self-assess or peer assess their own learning – Year 2 upwards on a regular basis

with Year 1 working towards this in Term 3. The outcomes of this will be recorded clearly in the children’s books.

• There will be a focus on identifying one’s own errors and editing or redrafting work after feedback from the teacher

• We will engage in strategic ‘minimal marking’. The teacher starts with the assumption that no pupil actually needs much help to edit their work, aside from the scaffolding and modelling you’ve already done in the lesson, and does as little as they need to help them edit. It works on the basis that the whole point of feedback is actually to ‘feed forwards’, and ensure the pupil knows what to do next time. Pupils who need more help on something get a prompt when the teacher looks at their books. Teachers write ‘missing words’ or ‘full stops’ so the pupil knows to focus on that.

• Children will be encouraged to use the learning partner system in order to help them with their work – first they try to correct their own work, then they speak to their learning partner, if they are still finding something difficult they then approach and adult for further clarification.

• Any feedback whether written or verbal should be motivating, personalised and refer to specific achievements.

• Children should be able to answer clearly when questioned about their own personal learning journey – What can I do? Where am I at? Where next?

Non –Negotiables for any feedback

• Learning is acknowledged and verbally discussed with children on a daily basis (VF is recorded to indicate this has happened).

• Any comments recorded in books reflecting discussions is to be completed in clear legible handwriting

• Basic skills are always corrected (date, title and any technical vocabulary)• Adults model high expectations at all times• Links are made verbally to the layers of learning with children being encouraged to talk about

their learning using these terms• Children are given opportunities to reflect on their own learning and challenge their thinking• In their books children should have the learning objective/question if it is not on display in the

classroom and any feedback should be specific to this• Children have access to relevant success criteria and should be referred back to this frequently

throughout the learning journey. This can be generated by the teacher but we fully support teachers creating this with the children as part of the process of the lesson.

Deep markingOne piece of learning per week per child will be deep marked with the child. The comment recorded in the child’s book will reflect the conversation that takes place.

ResponsibilitiesIt is the responsibility of the class teacher to ensure that this part of the policy is consistently carried out, including enabling pupils to respond to feedback tasks.

It is the responsibility of all staff working with pupils to ensure the feedback section of the learning policy is consistently adhered to across the school.

Learning Phase Leaders have the responsibility for monitoring that the policy is being consistently carried out in their particular Learning Phase. Likewise the Inclusion Leader has responsibility to ensure the policy is appropriately adapted and implemented for SEND pupils.

Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring of the policy will be led by the Headteacher and SLT as appropriate. It will be monitored for whole school consistency and evaluated for impact on pupils’ outcomes.


Equality of OpportunityAll pupils are entitled to receive feedback in accordance with this policy.

SEND and Inclusion Effective feedback must be accessible to all pupils and will reflect their individual needs and abilities. This may mean supporting pupils to read comments or may mean recording verbal feedback and response. Such requirements should be identified in a pupils RIAISEN as required.

Review of this section We will implement this section of policy for a trial period of one term (review and make any changes March 2019) and allow staff the time to get used to and evaluate the new approach. Thereafter this section of the policy will be reviewed regularly in order to ensure it is meeting the needs of our community.

When we review this we will:1. Gather feedback from staff. Ask teachers the following questions:

a. Has the change had a positive impact on your workload?b. What changes have you implemented to the approach that you could share with other teachers?c. How are pupils responding to the new approach?

2. Revise our approach as necessary in conjunction with the views of the teaching staff as a whole


20THINK

YEARS

There are many factors influencing what schools may look like in 20 years: unprecedented global forces and unforeseen technologies and paradigm shifts in the ways students want to learn and teachers want to instruct. One can

predict that the future of education will require educators to be more entrepreneurial, collaborative, creative and innovative. Additionally, learners will be even more tech savvy, demanding, confident and focused as consumers of education.

It’s important to think about what we can do as teachers to prepare for the future, so we can improve areas of need today

What will schools look like in the future?

In addition to personalisation, students will want to have a greater voice in their education. Since higher levels of thinking and learning require more

student ownership, education will become more project based. Schools will need to allow students to choose what they learn, how they learn and what

projects they participate in.


Lesson Observation – Peer to Peer Observations research evidence - Think Piece by Professor Robert Coe

Observing other teachers is a key part of development; it improves teachers’ own self-awareness of their skills. It is paradoxical that opportunities to observe teachers and classes are presented more often to those who already train teachers, rather than teachers themselves. In many ways these trainers need to observe less to aid their own development than those who are just starting out as teachers.

We’ve all done it: observed another teacher’s lesson and made a judgement about how effective the teaching was. Instinctively it feels valid. I am a good teacher. Observation produces a strong emotional response

When we sit in a classroom we absolutely know what we like. It is hard not to project our own preferences for particular styles or behaviours onto the situation, and compare what we see with what we think we would have done. Unfortunately, what we like may not correspond well with what helps others to learn.

Learning is invisibleMany people claim that you can tell whether children are learning by observing what happens in class-rooms. We may think that if we focus on what the students are doing, rather than the teacher’s perfor-mance, we will see learning happening. But learning is invisible and if we don’t judge it by teacher be-haviours, we have to rely on observable proxies for student learning. I have listed some of these before:• Students are busy: lots of work is done (especially written work)• Students are engaged, interested and motivated• Students are getting attention: feedback, explanations• Classroom is ordered, calm and under control• Curriculum has been ‘covered’ (presented to students in some form)• (At least some) students have supplied correct answers (whether or not they really understood them,

could reproduce them independently or knew them already).

Of course, they are all related to learning but it is quite possible for any or all of them to be observed without any actual learning taking place.

There is a growing community and political consensus about the ‘importance of the teacher’ and there are many products available that purport to tell teachers what to do. There are many checklists, tool kits and programs available to schools – some of them well researched, others not. We have reached a time where teachers want to stop doing what doesn’t work and where they want to use their professional expertise on what does.

Increasing each teacher’s capacity to redesign and assess their own practice demands new ways of think-ing, opportunities for deep collaboration and the willingness of school leaders to engage with academic and professional partners who will challenge, reflect and provide evidence for each school to create its own evidence-informed practices and protocols.


Research from Iris Connect - Observation and self-awareness are key ingredients Staff CPD.

The following comments have been provided from Iris Connect following the first trial project in 11 UK Schools using cameras to support CPD and share classroom learning:

The overwhelming majority of teachers who took part believed that the intervention was a good use of their time and had improved their practice.

During the seven-month pilot, 8 of the 11 participating schools chose to engage with the project further.

Following the trial period 10 of the 11 participating schools reported that they would continue to use IRIS Connect after the pilot had ended.

What was the impact?On the basis of a range of evidence from videos of lessons, interviews, and ‘before and after’ surveys, the evaluation has found: moderate evidence of change in school climate, strong evidence that filming pro-moted discussion of teaching and learning, evidence of change in teachers’ thinking and positive evi-dence of changes in practice.


GUY CLAXTONSPEAKING LEARNISH - developing a language for learning

Guy Claxton neatly coined the term speaking “Learnish” to encompass the language of learning used in the classroom. Just like learning any language, it takes time to build up a range of vocabulary and a fluency with the children; and just like anything else you model in the classroom, students are quick to pick up on and use the language you model as a teacher. The language adults use and the way they use it is the backbone of classroom ethos and creates the “depths of the learning culture” in a classroom.

BECKY CARLZONThis dictionary of “Learnish” that I now use (fairly!) fluently and consistently in the classroom.

The key words here are fluent and consistent.

T O P I C

Speaking Learnish

Learning Policy - Hornbill School, Brunei

Documents

Transcript of Learning Policy - Hornbill School, Brunei