Routines and Expectations  

Fostering exceptional classroom experiences that provide the foundations for all to achieve. 

High Quality Assessment 

Engineering effective discussions, activities and classroom tasks that elicit evidence of learning. 

Powerful Knowledge 

Powerful knowledge enables students to acquire knowledge that takes them beyond their own experiences and inspires them to make positive change in the world around them (Young, 2014). 

Climate for Learning 

Students are welcomed into every classroom and are promptly engaged in their learning. The academy’s routine, expectations and behaviour policy support teachers to ensure a focused and ambitious climate for learning, where all learners can succeed. Student effort and achievement is celebrated through praise and recognition. Students respect the viewpoints of others and feel safe to contribute and make mistakes. 

Diagnostic Assessment 

Teachers plan and utilise diagnostic assessment tools to track student learning, thus adapting teaching and learning, or instruction, to meet students’ needs. “The shorter the time interval between eliciting the evidence and using it to improve instruction the bigger the likely impact on learning” (William, 2015). Teachers use diagnostic tools to tackle misconceptions live in lessons, provide initial intervention and challenge students who grasp key concepts quickly. Diagnostic assessment can come in the form of questioning through whole class response systems, hinge questions and exit tickets to inform future planning. 

Personalised Learning 

Teachers demonstrate an in depth understanding of their students using: Attainment and Reading Age Data, Pupil Passports and Personalisation Plans to clearly consider individual starting points, to ensure the needs of all students are well considered and live in the classroom. Where required, appropriate adaptations to the curriculum and the classroom implementation are made to ensure an inclusive and equitable offer, so that all students are able to access the lesson content and are equipped with the tools to access, retain and recall such knowledge. 

Agile 

Classroom environments are safe spaces which enable students to express their individuality, whilst being open-minded towards the diversity of others. Curriculum planning allows for students to be flexible and creative in their ways of thinking. A curious attitude to learning is fostered, through opportunities to work independently and collaboratively to explore personal viewpoints, consider new and different perspectives, challenge assumptions and problem solve. Students are encouraged to take risks and explore multiple solutions. 

Formative Assessment 

Learning objectives are used to share desired outcomes and teachers systematically check students’ understanding and retention through regular, well-structured self, peer and teacher assessment. Gaps in knowledge are swiftly addressed through responsive teacher feedback - reshaping the lesson or reteaching content to support all learners to make exceptional progress. Opportunities in the curriculum, such as Red Zones and end of topic tests to allow students to deliberately practice and apply their knowledge, to inform subsequent teaching strategies and intervention.  

Logical sequencing 

Our knowledge rich curriculum has been carefully planned to sequence learning to build secure schema. In turn, every lesson delivered by teachers contributes to the academy and departmental intent. The sequencing of lessons optimises the students’ ability to internalise the learning. Through utilisation of linking strategies, students are able to find connections from their prior learning and other areas of the curriculum. By exploring the bigger picture of lesson content students are able to understand how their learning fits within a wider context, thus promoting flexible thinking. 

Hard Working 

Students are encouraged to embrace challenge and are equipped with the skills to be resilient and overcome setbacks. We teach students how to become self-regulated learners so that they are able to monitor, evaluate and self-correct. 

Teachers regularly provide opportunities for focussed practice of key knowledge and skills to improve recall, automaticity, speed and accuracy of core concepts. 

Summative assessment and Use of data 

Summative assessments are thoughtfully planned within the Curriculum and designed to gauge students’ long- term retention and transfer of the cumulative knowledge learned in a subject. During assessments students are empowered to demonstrate intellectual confidence by using a wide range of thinking approaches. Teachers use summative assessment data and question level analysis to effectively respond, revisit and retest identified gaps in knowledge pertinent to the class and the individual student, to drive progress. Green for Growth activities may be used so that students have an accurate evaluation of their learning and how they can improve. 

Acquisition, retention and application of deep knowledge  

We embrace learning from cognitive science about memory, forgetting and the power of retrieval practice. Teachers understand that forming deep knowledge in students ensures key concepts are understood and remembered. A logically sequenced curriculum and assessment supports all students in recalling and applying knowledge with precision. Low stakes retrieval activities are a feature of all lessons and opportunities that allow learning to be grappled with  support students to be both critical and creative in the application of their knowledge.