The Learning Page

Staff Learning This Term

Much of our newsletter focuses, quite rightly, on what our students are learning. But our students aren’t the only learners at our school! Behind the scenes, our staff are continually learning, refining their practice and working together to strengthen teaching across the school.

This term, our staff professional learning has focussed on two key topics. The first is embedding our new approach to Humanities, Science and Ready for Life (as outlined previously in the newsletter). Our second is Checking for Understanding - the different ways teachers gather information during a lesson about what students know and understand. All of our teachers, including both classroom and specialist teachers, have also received individual mentoring in this area, providing an opportunity to reflect on and further develop their classroom practice. Together, our teachers have been refining how we plan questions at key points in lessons and create opportunities for every student to think and respond, rather than hearing only from the students who put their hands up.

Checking for Understanding happens throughout a lesson. You might see students responding on mini whiteboards, discussing an answer with a partner, using gestures or explaining their thinking aloud. These strategies give teachers valuable information in the moment. Do students need another example? Is there a misconception we need to address? Are they ready to move on to independent practise? Rather than waiting until a piece of work or assessment is completed, teachers can respond immediately to what they see and hear.

This ongoing focus is about making sure that learning is visible to both students and teachers. Regular checks help us identify misunderstandings early, provide additional support or challenge where needed, and make informed decisions about what comes next. Ultimately, they help us answer one of the most important questions in every lesson: Are all of our students learning?

ICAS Results

We have been informed that parents have received their child's ICAS results. We are very proud of how participants went.

ICAS contacts families directly using the email address provided at registration to share the results. If you are waiting, please check your email inbox and your junk folder. Later in the year, ICAS will also provide printed certificates and results. These will be distributed by the school.