Teaching and Learning at Greythorn

Through our teaching, we aim to equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices and apply their learning to new contexts. Children are empowered to reach their full potential academically in order to prepare them for the future.  

A researched based ‘Teaching and Learning’ model has been created and implemented across the whole school. The implementation of our lesson design ensures there is a consistent approach to high quality teaching and learning throughout and all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes regardless of ability and/or other factors.

Our lesson design is not to be seen and used as a rigid framework, but as a fluid model. A session would typically begin with a ‘Reactivate’, followed by the ‘Teach, Facilitate, Model’. From this point, staff have the flexibility to navigate the model, as is appropriate. 

It is imperative that each learning objective is broken down into smaller granular steps within each lesson in order to support the pupils with the understanding and retention of new learning. 
 
Each teaching point is taught and modelled through the Teach, Facilitate, Model (TFM) section of the lesson design. Pupils are then be given the opportunity to apply each teaching point through the Learn Together (LT) section of the lesson design. This is completed for each teaching point in order to prepare children for Independent Learning (IL).
 
It is important to note that movement between the sections can be fluid. Whilst pre-planned movement between the sections of the lesson design is important, teachers also use AfL (Assessment for Learning) to be responsive to the needs of the pupils. This may cause teachers to return to either TFM or LT before the children begin their Independent Learning.

The rationale behind our lesson design is to ensure the following is in place:

• Develop a Mastery Approach to teaching across the school driven by research (Rosenshine, 10 Principles of Instruction, 2012)
• Clear vision of how we learn at FHP
• Consistency in how we teach across the whole school
• High quality teaching to ensure all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes
• Planning sequences of work which build on children’s learning (storing information in the long term memory and reducing cognitive load)
• Process of teaching allows sufficient time for children to deepen their learning
• Children make connections between prior and current learning, meaning children can recall more information that is stored in the long term memory