Great Teaching @ Penketh
Vision for Teaching and Learning
Our core beliefs centre on academic excellence and holistic development which then in turn lead to improved life chances for our pupils. We will strive to deliver great teaching which enables all pupils the opportunity to make excellent progress. We value the importance of life long learning in staff and pupils at Penketh High School.
We believe in:
· A broad, rigorous, ambition and high quality curriculum for all pupils
· Developing cultural capital through knowledge linked to the best that has been throught and said in each subject discipline
· Teachers having excellent subject knowledge which leads to academic progress in pupils
· Teaching being evidence based and affording teachers the opportunity to reflect, review and apply their pedagogical knowledge of great teaching
· Professional learning which challenges our thinking and allows for practice and feedback to improve how we teach.
Three core values that will underpin our work in teaching and learning
Trust – we believe that high levels of trust lead to better performance as professionals.
Empathy – teaching is complex and constructed of many different elements. Through understanding this we are able to discuss the complexities of the job at a high level.
Integrity – teachers will only improve through effective feedback, where integrity sits at the centre of the feedback we provide to each other.
The six components of great teaching (Coe, 2014)
1. (Pedagogical) content knowledge – strong impact
2. Quality of instruction – strong impact
3. Classroom climate – moderate impact
4. Classroom management – moderate impact
5. Teacher beliefs – some impact
6. Professional behaviours – some impact
How will we develop great teaching?
Professional development opportunities that are carefully designed and have a strong focus on pupil outcomes have a significant impact on student achievement.
Our teaching will be grounded in a strong research evidence base, where leaders in the school will share their knowledge of expert teaching to direct teachers towards evidence which has impact on pupil progress and outcomes
We recognised that there is no one size fits all approach to developing great teaching so subject domain focused teacher development sits central to our practice, where professional are able to discuss, plan and implement practices which are specific to their subject area.
Research clearly indicates that the quality of teacher instruction has the most impact on pupil achievement. The Sutton Trust report that
‘the effects of high-quality teaching are especially significant for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds: over a school year, these pupils gain 1.5 years’ worth of learning with very effective
teachers, compared with 0.5 years with poorly performing teachers. In other words, for poor pupils the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is a whole year’s learning.’
We will therefore invest our time in the ‘best bets’ which are most likely to lead to improved pupil outcomes, which is developing high-quality teaching, particularly teacher instruction.
What will teachers engage in?
1. Professional dialogue
2. Deliberate practice
3. Reflection
Key components of effective professional learning
1. Duration – minimum of 2 terms – often longer
2. Rhythm – grasp the strategy, implement, follow up
3. Designed for participant needs – needs to be aligned to day to day activities and aspirations we have of our students
4. Shared sense of purpose – positive learning environment, time and consistency are key
5. Alignment – teacher learning needs to align with student learning.
