About Us

• Welcome Letter

• Aims & Values
• Disability Equality Scheme
• Exam Results
• Ofsted Inspection
• Online Prospectus
• Term Dates 2008/2009

School Policies

• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Bad Weather Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Drug policy
• Internet Use Policy
• No Smoking Policy
• Teaching and Learning Policy
• Whole School Confidentiality Policy
• Whole School Food Policy
• Whole School Packed Lunch Policy

Teaching and Learning Policy

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Reviewed by Gov Body: TLP Cttee 9 March 2007
Approved or to amend: Approved
Review date: 2009

The King Edward VI School is a unique and truly comprehensive school with students from a rich diversity of backgrounds. We are committed to creating and sustaining an excellent learning culture for our entire learning community. A structure of research, action and review exists throughout the school in order that we consistently work towards excellence in Teaching and Learning. We have high expectations in both teaching and learning to give all students the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

1. To empower all learners, students and staff, to achieve their potential.
2. To ensure that our curriculum is broad, balanced and accessible and provides progression for all students.
3. To develop a learning culture in all areas of the school.
4. To ensure that all staff become reflective practitioners.
5. To create an ethos and structures for sharing good practice to enable the school to progress towards excellence.
6. To develop students as researchers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
7. To use Specialist Status to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

1. To empower all learners to achieve their potential:
   • a high quality CPD programme;
   • a coherent ‘Assessment for Learning’ Policy;
   • promote self-assessment and critical self-review;
   • development of Specialist tutor role;
   • Learning to Learn programmes for all students;
   • use ICT as a tool for effective learning.
2. To ensure that our curriculum is broad, balanced and accessible and provides progression for all students:
   • Secondary Strategy group;
   • ‘Teaching for Success’ programme;
   • Use of RATE to make the curriculum accessible;
   • 14-19 Group
   • Option choices pre- and post-16
3. To develop a learning culture in all areas of the school:
   • Teaching and Learning working parties made up of staff from all areas of the school;
   • training days for Teaching Staff and School Improvement Staff (support staff);
   • Teaching and Learning monthly newsletter;
   • peer observation and coaching programme for all Teaching Staff;
   • student ‘Learning to Learn’ days;
   • senior staff give Teaching & Learning their highest priority;
   • develop role of subject and year leaders in terms of teaching and learning;
   • Department meetings all include sharing good practice
4. To ensure that all staff become reflective practitioners:
   • Career Development Seminars for all staff;
   • a support and development programme for teachers in their early years;
   • a ‘research/action’ culture where learners are empowered to trial and evaluate new ways of teaching and learning;
   • ensuring that all students and staff are aware of their preferred learning styles and how best to use them;
   • peer observation programme;
   • Teaching & Learning as a standard agenda item for all team meetings;
   • promote a coaching programme.
5. To create an ethos and structures for sharing good practice to enable the school to progress towards excellence:
   • language of learning used in dialogue and through correspondence within and outside school;
   • Leading Edge research and networking;
   • department reviews and walk-throughs
   • performance management cycle;
   • involve parents in their children’s’ learning via Tutor Days, Subject Support Evenings, Newsletters and regular grade updates;
   • work collaboratively with partners.
6. To develop student researchers to improve teaching and learning
   • Train students as coaches;
   • Student research on aspects of teaching and learning
   • Students involved in Department Reviews
   • Students attend Working Parties
7. To use Specialist Status to improve teaching and learning
   • To use Arts Status to inject more creativity in our teaching and learning
   • To use ICT to enhance teaching
   • To use ICT to maximise student learning
   • To work in cross curricular ways to enhance teaching and learning
   • Use the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust to seek best practice internationally to enhance our Teaching and Learning

• departmental reviews and walk-throughs;
• line management of departments by senior staff;
• questionnaires and discussion with staff and students;
• integrate our School, Department and Year Improvement Plans with our Leading Edge and Specialist College Plans in an annual cycle of review;
• ensure that improving Teaching & Learning is at the heart of all review and planning.
• To seek external validation of our teaching and learning via external awards, prizes and competitions.

To enable the above we have identified what we believe constitutes effective Teaching and Learning and have identified what we mean by high expectations.

The Characteristics of Effective Teaching

• Teachers enhance their general effectiveness when their teaching is purposeful, efficient, clear, structured and adaptive
• Appropriately high expectations are of paramount importance
• Good teaching involves more than just exposition and arranging activities; the nature of the interaction should be carefully designed, with differentiation matched closely to learners’ actual abilities and needs
• An effective teaching atmosphere encourages learners to value and draw on their own experience
• Good lessons are carefully planned and involve students participation as often as possible
• Effective teaching and learning regularly features a suitable balance between class, group and individual work
• Effective teaching is complemented by fair discipline, positive reinforcement and explicit formative feedback

• set high expectations;
• are good at planning and set clear objectives for each lesson;
• employ a variety of methods and strategies throughout the lesson;
• have clear strategies for student management;
• manage time and resources wisely;
• set individual targets with students and work with them to improve;
• employ a wide range of assessment techniques; and
• link homework to work done in the lesson and set it and mark it regularly

Learning is effective when it:

• occurs in an orderly, stimulating, attractive, safe and supportive environment;
• allows them to see the purpose of what is to be learned;
• deepens their knowledge and develops new cognitive skills;
• makes clear connections with other subject areas and other learning activities;
• encourages listening to the ideas and views of others;
• provides opportunities to apply any new knowledge and skills;
• stimulates the application of initiative and imagination through solving real¬life problems;
• sets time aside for reflection and the establishment of further lines of enquiry; and
• develops self-esteem and self-sufficiency

High expectations are demonstrated when:

• teachers begin from a stance that students ‘can do’ rather than the opposite;
• attention is given to establishing a school culture which 'demands', for example, a determination to secure and sustain orderly and constructive behaviour;
• teachers know students’ best standards and look for them;
• every effort is made to reflect hi9h standards in the learning environment and in the use of learning resources;
• tasks are set at a variety of levels, including reasonable 'stretch';
• the promotion of students’ self-esteem is seen to be as important as their academic attainment;
• the development of thinking skills is evident in the classroom;
• time is set aside in lessons to allow pupils to think through issues and prepare responses;
• teachers balance praise with constructive criticism; and teachers use effective questioning techniques.