Ready to Teach

 

Quality First Teaching

 

Criteria Features
Pupils' progress and learning
  • Detailed planning for learning focused on pupils outcomes, progress and the needs of different groups
  • Appropriate range of differentiation strategies employed
  • Wide range of resources and stimuli used to address a variety of teaching and learning styles - leading to active, enthusiastic engagement in learning by all groups
  • Providing more challenge to extend learning through problem solving, 'having a go', 'taking a risk' attitudes to learning
  • Most pupils make good or better progress in lessons and over a sustained period of time 
Pupils' attitudes to learning
  • High level of motivation and engagement of all pupils
  • High level of challenge and support for all abilities within the class
  • Pace of learning is challenging
  • 'Open ended' tasks encourage pupils to explore, solve problems, take risks and extend their learning
  • Good balance between teacher talk and pupil activity
  • Avoidance of 'over teaching', demanding unrealistic listening spells for pupils and leaving inadequate time for pupils to work independently, make decisions or solve problems
  • Avoidance of extensive 'carpet time' which leads to disengagement or passive leaning behaviors
 Teachers' planning and expertise
  •  Excellent subject knowledge of teachers
  • Effective modelling of expected outcomes
  • Questioning is differentiated, targeted, probing and challenging
  • Pupil outcomes/prior learning informs planning
  • Pupils know what they need to do to improve and make progress
  • Opportunities provided for challenging, open ended tasks which stretch learners and require independence, reliance,risk taking and problem solving
 Teachers' expectations
  •  Pupils take responsibility for their own learning and routinely take care to complete and produce work which reflects their 'personal best'
  • Pupils know that they must respond to teachers' guidance (oral and in marking)
  • Pupils understand that they must not disrupt the teaching process and the learning process 
  • Teachers know in detail the capabilities of their pupils and challenge them accordingly 
 Teaching of RWCM
  • Regular opportunities to practice, revise, consolidate and extend functional skills across the curriculum
  • Pupils understand the relevance of functional skills across a wide range of tasks and activities and links to the wider curriculum and beyond
  • Functional skills are given appropriate prominence in learning plans across the curriculum and are marked/assessed accordingly
 Assessment 
  •  Effective use of assessment in and beyond the lesson - teacher has extensive knowledge of pupils 
  • Mini-plenaries in lessons are a regular and typical feature, guiding learning and impacting on progress in lessons 
  • Planning shows that assessment of prior learning and pupil outcome is used to revise, revisit, consolidate and plan next steps in learning
  • Work is specifically matched to learners' needs - support and challenge are planned for all groups 
  • Opportunities for ongoing assessment and consolidation / extension of learning
  • Targeted questioning which probes, stretches and challenges all abilities
  • Regular opportunities for self and peer assessment
 Marking, feedback and homework
  • Effective marking and evidence of 'response time' wherepupils are given time to correct/improve
  • Correction at the point of misunderstanding
  • Specific feedback provided with guidance on how to improve
  • Homework is regular, consistent and adheres to the School Homework Policy