Teaching and Learning
Our students are at the heart of everything we do at Byron Court Primary School. We pride ourselves on developing the whole child through a variety of experiences and opportunities, and we set high standards for all pupils. Staff are committed to delivering a broad and rich curriculum, engaging teaching, strong relationships and positive partnerships.
We have a Drama and Dance studio, a recently built DT facility, state of the art sporting facilities and a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities. Music is delivered by a specialist teacher and children have opportunities to learn to play a range of instruments. We also develop speaking and
listening (oracy) skills through debating, and pupil voice through School Parliament, Prefects and Peer Mediators.
Curriculum
We aim to ensure that all our pupils receive a truly excellent education and develop the confidence and love of learning that will allow them to take their place in the world as responsible citizens of the future. At Byron Court we want children to develop into well-rounded citizens with a host of
strong character traits that will emerge through being immersed in a knowledge-rich curriculum.
We believe that children learn best when:
- The spiral curriculum provides clear progression, supporting the layering of new knowledge on secure foundations and enabling children to build secure schema. (For example, see how the concept of water develops here)
- Lessons involve learning from cognitive science such as retrieval practice and low-stakes quizzes.
- Specific vocabulary is taught in all subjects and strong language skills reinforces all learning.
- Visits and visitors are planned to expand and enhance classroom learning as well as giving children opportunities for personal development
- Cross-curricular links are emphasised so knowledge and skills can be developed across subjects.
- Each year group has opportunities to perform in sport, music, dance and drama events, showcasing learning and talents.
Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.
In Key Stages 1 and 2 the core subjects are; Maths, English, Computing and Science. The Foundation Subjects are; Art, Music, Physical, Education, Religious Education, Geography, History, Spanish, Design Technology and Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE).
More information on specific subjects can be found in the school Prospectus.
Pedagogy
Teacher expertise lies at the core of the delivery of the curriculum and teachers are actively encouraged to engage in ongoing professional development, learning from current research and each other. This reinforces effective classroom teaching, with teachers able to deliver content with
clarity, confidence and precision. Direct teaching is combined with appropriate pupil tasks to enable pupils to practise and consolidate their understanding before being introduced to new ideas.
We believe that children learn best when:
- Teachers have high expectations of all children and provide appropriate scaffold to support all children to be independent learners.
- Lessons begin with a recap of prior learning.
- New learning is engaging and introduced creatively and in small steps.
- Pupil effort, resilience and participation in learning is maximised through a range of strategies, including effective questioning, class/group/peer discussions and writing opportunities.
- Lessons are adapted according to the needs of the children following in-lesson assessment.
- There are opportunities in every lesson to be active, reflective, collaborative and resilient learners.
Assessment
The purpose of feedback and assessment is to:
- inform the teacher of a child’s attainment and planning
- inform a child of how well they have done and what they need to do next
- motivate a child through celebrating success
We believe that children learn best when:
- Feedback within the lesson is used to shape the course of the learning and inform levels of support
- All adults working with the children are involved in giving feedback.
- Children are given opportunities to respond to feedback and make improvements to their work.
- Feedback and assessment are used to inform future planning and target setting
- Giving children opportunities to assess their own and each other’s work builds children’s metacognitive skills.
Examples of assessment can be:
- Verbal/written feedback within a lesson
- Self- and peer-assessment
- Written feedback after a lesson
- Whole class feedback
Online Learning
In the event of a school closure (or children absent from school due to Covid), the school is committed to providing continuity of education to its learners and will do so through a process of remote (online) learning through Showbie. The school will provide remote learning for pupils that are not able to attend school so that no-one need fall too far behind. We are fully aware that these are exceptional times and would encourage staff, children and families to be mindful of their safety
and wellbeing first.
How Children Learn
Children learn by observing, listening, exploring, experimenting and asking questions. Being interested, motivated and engaged in learning is important for children once they start school. It can also help if they understand why they're learning something. As children grow, they’ll enjoy taking more responsibility for their learning, and getting more involved in making decisions about learning and organising activities.
There are a number a learning theories that each have a different approach to how children learn.
Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1998) refers to the process of how we store information in our
memory, and what can help and hinder it. Through the year, we will offer Parent Coffee Mornings
to share how these learning theories can support our teaching of children.
