Curriculum

                                                  

Curriculum Day - Structured Literacy

Last Monday our staff participated in a powerful day of professional learning focused on deepening their understanding of evidence-based teaching practices that support all learners. The focus of the day was grounded in the Science of Learning, which isa body of research that explores how students effectively process, retain, and apply knowledge.

A key component of the day centred on Cognitive Load Theory, which emphasises the importance of managing the mental effort required when learning new information. Teachers explored how working memory has a limited capacity and can become overwhelmed if too much information is presented at once. To support student success, teachers learned how to design lessons that reduce extraneous load (unnecessary information or distractions), manage intrinsic load (the complexity of the content), and optimise germane load (the mental effort directed toward learning and schema building)

Another key focus of the day was Structured Literacy, an approach to reading and writing instruction that is explicit, systematic and diagnostic. Staff explored how Structured Literacy helps students make meaningful connections between sounds, letters, and word patterns by providing the tools they need to decode, spell, and comprehend language confidently. A specific focus was placed on spelling, where teachers learned how to explicitly teach specific spelling rules and patterns, such as the 8 different ways in to make the 'a' sound.

As teachers investigated into Structured Literacy, there was a strong connection to the role of Retrieval Practice, which involves regularly recalling previously learned content to strengthen memory and understanding. Teachers considered practical strategies to embed retrieval opportunities into daily routines, ensuring learning is not only understood in the moment but retained over time. Teachers had the opportunity to observe particular teaching techniques, whilst also model within small groups.

The day proved to be extremely informative and practical which ensures all of our students receive consistent and high-quality instruction and teaching.