Teaching

The Pioneer Trust ‘Mantra’ sets the expectation that only the very highest quality teaching is good enough for our children. Excellent teaching is focused on; Positivity, Rigour, Aspiration, Commitment, Energy and Standards.

The Policy sets out very clear expectations for high quality teaching, against which all adults working with children are monitored and judged, challenged and supported

High quality teaching:

• Gives pupils some responsibility for their work and independence
• Develops well planned, prepared and paced lessons that maintain high levels of interaction with the class
• Maintains high levels of pupil involvement in tasks
• Creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom through excellent relationships
• Incorporates high levels of praise and encouragement
• Uses a variety of approaches; strategies and techniques are well selected and time is used productively
• Uses home learning effectively; particularly to reinforce and extend what is learnt in school.
• Provides carefully structured activities matched sensitively to pupils needs
• Uses Teaching Assistants to support children with particular difficulties or special talents.
• Provides ample, challenging work stemming from expert knowledge of the curriculum, how to teach it and how pupils learn
• Uses the support of a range of outside agencies
• Recognises the importance of physical learning (kinaesthetic) across the curriculum, alongside visual and auditory stimuli (VAK)
• Uses Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies effectively, adapting plans and altering lessons to meet the needs of pupils
• Shares with pupils the success criteria
• Uses and analyses’ data to ensure the needs of pupils are met

Children learn well in a range of well – planned settings, including; paired learning, individual learning, whole class teaching and in small mixed ability and same ability sets.