Learning and Teaching Policy 2018 Page 1 of 14

Red Kite Special Academy

Learning and Teaching Policy

September 2019 – 2020

Date Policy Agreed by SLG – September 2019

Ratified by Governors – September 2019

Policy Review Date: September 2020

Review Cycle: Annually

Version: 2

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IMPACT:

Learning and teaching across all phases is always good or outstanding.

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SECTION 1

Aims: KLF Learning Lighthouses

We believe that education should make a positive difference to the lives of each of our pupils now and in the future.

We recognise and respect that everyone has an individual learning style and we provide opportunities for everyone to develop their potential.

We work as a multi-professional team to motivate, guide and support, so that everyone has access to the very best educational opportunities.

We aim to provide a supportive, secure, educational environment in which inspiring and challenging teaching and learning is actively encouraged.

Everyone’s achievement is recognised and celebrated.

We are part of the wider educational community and are committed to inclusive education.

We provide a clearly structured curriculum within which creativity is encouraged.

We are accountable for our work to governors, parents and most of all to the children.

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SECTION 2 Ethos The ethos and atmosphere underpin the agreed aims of the school, which also work towards meeting the aims of the Primary Curriculum; enabling all young people to become:

successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

We place a premium on enabling the children to be ‘available for learning’. We manage the environment to ensure that they feel safe and secure and we plan activities in order to remove distractions and unhelpful stimuli. Motivation and engagement are essential to secure positive outcomes and in helping us to make sure that every child is ‘available for learning’ at the time when content is presented

Teachers will provide a broad, relevant and differentiated curriculum, which will develop the skills, concepts and knowledge necessary for learning across the wide range of special needs. In the course of their daily work all the staff will contribute to the development of this ethos through: 1. Providing a stimulating and effective working environment at all times, in which each

child can achieve his or her maximum potential. 2. Providing a welcoming environment, in which courtesy, kindness and respect are

fostered. 3. Providing positive role models. 4. Providing a fair, secure and structured environment, in line with the Behaviour Policy of

the school. 5. Working collaboratively through team work and team management. 6. Maintaining purposeful and informative planning, record-keeping and assessment

documents, in line with the school’s record-keeping and assessment policy statement. 7. Effective management of their professional time. 8. Developing links with the wider community, creating opportunity and public value. 9. Providing children with a meaningful curriculum related to the National Curriculum

programmes of study and Early Learning Goals (Early Years Foundation Stage) but differentiated to meet the needs of each individual child.

10. A focus on developing key skills for learning specifically working with others, problem solving and reflecting on learning.

11. Valuing and celebrating pupils’ success and achievements. 12. Reviewing personal and professional development (continuing professional

development) by providing appropriate INSET, training and support from colleagues in order to ensure a high level of professional expertise.

13. Welcoming and supporting teaching and non-teaching students and volunteers. Equal Opportunities In accordance with the school’s Equality Scheme all children at Red Kite will be given full access to the Foundation and National Curriculum, differentiated to meet their individual

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needs. Staff will endeavour to enable all children to reach their full potential irrespective of race, gender, age, ability or sexuality.

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SECTION 3 Day Management of the School The Pattern of the School Day is as follows:- 08.45 – 09.00 Arrival time and registration (some children will arrive up to 9.15 due to

transport arrangements)

09.00 – 09.30 Independent work time, circle time and class assembly as appropriate

09.30 – 10.30 Session 1

10.30 – 11.00 Snack time (PSHE) 15 mins and break 15mins (this to reflect index levels of the children.)

11.00 – 11.55 Session 2

12.00 – 1.00 Lunch and break. Pupils come off playground at 1.00 and have 10 mins in class undertaking quiet focussed activities (Lunch is regarded as an important PSHE session for feeding, self help and social skills)

1.15 – 3.00 Session 3

3.00 – 3.15 End of Day activities (including collective worship and Golden Time) and preparation to go home (PSHE)

3.15 Departure time

Assemblies are conducted in departments to facilitate differentiation and ensure a positive and meaningful experience for the children.

Time Allocation Recognising that engagement and motivation are essential in enabling the children to overcome their individual barriers to achievement, our curriculum is built around themes that stimulate the interest of the children and prompt them to further exploration in learning. A 3 year WOW curriculum cycle A B C is designed to meet the needs of each key stage and is department specific. Teachers follow the agreed schemes of work (medium term planning) with reference to whole school planning to ensure that programmes of study are effectively covered, however always considering the needs of the pupils in their class and therefore the relevance of particular activities. It is acknowledged that many of our pupils require extended time to acquire and practise skills and that progress may take place in very small stages depending upon the special needs of the child. Many of our pupils have additional curriculum needs which will form a necessary part of their total curriculum as detailed in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) and EHC plan targets. These may include physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, development of listening & attention, hydrotherapy, mobility and sensory integration.

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Classroom Management and Organisation Pupil Groupings and Staffing The learning environment will be managed in such a way as to facilitate different styles of learning, with particular regard to the wide range of special educational needs:

Whole class teaching

Group work, organised according to appropriate criteria (i.e. ability, mixed ability, interest, etc)

One to one teaching

Collaborative learning in pairs or groups

Independent learning

Working in mixed groups across a department with different peers and staff

Working with pupils from other schools All areas of the learning environment will be planned for, including the outside areas, in order to ensure opportunities for a range of practical activities, which will develop appropriate skills, concepts and knowledge. Learning support assistants are an essential part of the class team in promoting pupil learning and attainment. This will include supporting and teaching pupils individually, in small groups and sometimes whole class groups, following lesson plans and objectives set by the teacher. These staff will be involved in the whole of the curriculum planning process and attend whole school training and team meetings. Other professionals work in the school. These include physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, teachers for the hearing impaired and the visually impaired. The school also contracts specific Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy and Educational Psychology professionals to optimise provision for individual children. Behaviour Management The school’s management of behaviour is driven by the desire to create opportunity and remove barriers to opportunity and learning and, as such, Red KIte School has adopted a positive Behaviour and Motivation Policy. As outlined in the school Behaviour and Motivation Policy, each class will display a written/symbolic list of the school rules which will be referred to on a regular basis. There will be a strong focus on PSHE work on the importance of these rules valuing the individual, emphasising respect for others and building self-esteem. Where behaviour is a particular challenge for children, a programme focusing on the development of executive functioning skills will underpin their curricular offer. This is designed to enable the children to develop fundamental skills and tolerances which will empower them to engage with learning. These programmes will dovetail into the special provisions for sensory integration and emotional regulation which are prevalent throughout the school.

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Classroom Organisation

The classroom will be organised to facilitate learning and the development of independence. The guidelines for this are detailed in full in the document ‘Creating a Learning Environment for Optimal Learning’. (refer to appendix) The organisation of the classroom and other teaching areas of school will also provide appropriate physical access and access for children with communication and sensory difficulties (vision and hearing). In addition children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) may require particular learning environments and these will be provided for in all classrooms as appropriate. These can include very specific and clearly differentiated learning areas within the classroom, reduced stimuli to prevent sensory overload, and for some, an individual work station. The ideology and methodology of the SCERTS programme (social communication, emotional regulation, and transactional support) further enrich the specialised provision for children. The school also follows the TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication-handicapped Children) approach. A number of classes throughout the school are designed to offer a higher structured environment and teaching is provided to reflect and meet individual needs. Curriculum Planning

Please refer to the Planning, Assessment and Recoding Policy. IEP targets/EHC plan targets

Please refer to the Planning, Assessment and Recoding Policy. Executive Functioning Skills One of the main aspects of our multi-directional curriculum focuses on the meta-cognitive skills required by every learner in order to access learning. Many of our children have particular difficulty in engaging with tasks appropriately and maintaining ordered and purposeful attention through to completion. This constitutes a significant impediment in their learning. In order to overcome these difficulties we have developed a structured and assessed programme of executive functional skills which places equal emphasis on the process of learning as on the content of the lesson itself. Recording & Assessment Assessment at Red Kite is governed by our Planning, Assessment and Recording Policy. Monitoring & Evaluation See Curriculum, Monitoring & Evaluation Policy and Performance Management Policy.

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SECTION 4 Learning & Teaching Optimal Learning Underlying all the teaching at Red Kite are the principles of Optimal Learning. At the start of each year all children will be assessed to determine their preferred learning style(s). Careful planning will then ensure that all pupils’ individual ways of learning are met. All activities on lessons plans will have their main teaching style recorded in order to ensure there is coverage and good balance of all learning styles. In particular the learning styles – visual, musical and kinaesthetic (especially physical and tactile) - have been found to be particularly significant. Three Levels of Learning Another significant focus has been the importance of the 3 levels of learning (from Blooms Taxonomy). 1. Teaching: At this level autonomy may not be very high

Differentiation e.g. groupings, activities, pace/timing, level of support, learning styles

2. Practice: Autonomy should be increasing but support offered at times to give

confidence and reinforce teaching 1. Time 2. Opportunity 3. Variety of activities to practise same skill 4. Setting – with adult support, with peer support, in small group, on own 5. Prompts – visual clues, etc

3. Application: There will be lots of opportunity for autonomy but occasional, planned

support will be provided until competence and confidence in the new situation is established • With different adults, different children • Different situations - in/out of school • Worded in a different way (verbal or written)

Whole School Communication System Refer to Red Kite Policy for Language, Literacy and Communication. Curriculum Visits In order to make the curriculum meaningful and memorable for our pupils outside visits will be made whenever appropriate to support a particular curriculum area. Visitors and agencies from outside school will also be invited into school to support lessons and assemblies. The Educational Visits Co-ordinator ensures that all visits comply with

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Health and Safety Requirements and that the visits contribute positively to children’s learning. Extended Schools Provision The school will offer a comprehensive package of after-school and holiday play scheme provision designed to enhance learning and teaching and create further enrichment opportunities for the children. Training Learning & teaching will be a priority focus for training days, staff courses and for teacher meetings (held fortnightly after school). Learning Processes Children within the school are all at different levels of development and in the course of their learning they develop their skills through a variety of processes. These include:

Investigation

Experimentation

Listening

Observation

Discussion

Questioning

Practical exploration and role play

Retrieving information

Imagining

Repetition

Problem-solving

Making choices and decision-making At Red Kite the curriculum is planned to allow pupils access to these processes, and for them to develop their own strategies to gain knowledge and skills. Resources Classroom Resources: Each classroom will be resourced appropriately for the age and needs of the pupils. This includes ICT provision. Integration As part of the inclusion continuum we aim to provide integration experiences for all pupils. Children benefit from integration in the following way:

access to peer group role models – friendship play, language, skills opportunities to communicate with those who can respond appropriately learning to cope in a less protected/different environment extending their “world” and their contacts with other children and adults working with adults with different skills learning social skills in real situations

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At Red Kite we consider three types of integration: 1. Within School Integration

Within Red Kite School children may work in different classes or within different groupings of children

2 . Experiential and Curricular Integration

This can be social, curricular or a language development experience. This may take place in a mainstream setting, or may involve groups of children from a mainstream school spending time at Red Kite. There are also individuals and small groups of Red Kite children who spend part of their time each week in our partner schools on the campus, usually supported by school staff.

3. Reintegration

Gradual integration and preparation for full time mainstream transfer. This takes place after consultation with parents, usually at the annual review, and is a carefully planned and monitored process.

SECTION 5

Governors’ Role Governors play an important role in the teaching and learning of the school, promoting the beliefs, aims and values of the school. It is the Governors’ role to monitor and review the policy and its practice through:

Regular visits to oversee the delivery of their scheduled subject or current school focus • Reporting to the headteacher and teachers • Reviewing of curriculum and related policies by the curriculum sub-committee and

recommending agreed policies to the full governors. • Reporting to the full governing body • Receiving reports from the Head Teacher, Assistant Head Teachers and Curriculum

Co-ordinators. • Attending INSET • Receiving reports from the site supervisor on relevant issues, in particular health and

safety and following up any relevant issues • Promoting and ensuring, at all times, equal opportunities in relation to race, gender,

class, belief, ability and sexuality. • Promoting and ensuring, at all times, the practice of giving value to and having respect

for all cultures and faiths. Governors are encouraged to have a high profile in the school in order to have knowledge of the needs of the children, the staff, the curriculum, the resources and the teaching within the school. As well as regular planned visits and observations within school, they will be welcomed to assemblies and other school events and invited to join training days.

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Parents’ Role Parents are encouraged to support their children’s learning by: 1. Supporting the school in maintaining a confident and positive approach to learning. 2. Ensuring that their child attends school regularly. 3. Sharing significant information with the teacher that may affect their child’s learning. 4. Supporting their child by attending parent consultation evenings and statutory reviews,

medicals, curriculum evenings and other significant meetings. 5. Supporting their child and the teacher by becoming actively involved in the

implementation of the Individual Education Plan and EHC plan targets 6. Ensuring that all contact addresses and telephone numbers are up to date and correct 7. Agreeing to, and supporting, the home/parent supported learning (Home-School Links

policy). 8. Welcoming staff during home visits, such as before starting in Nursery or Reception. 9. Responding to letters sent home from school. 10. Informing the school of reasons for their child’s absence. 11. Supporting the school Behaviour Policy with emphasis on positive behaviour and

raising self esteem. 12. Supporting extra curricular activities. 13. Parents are invited to complete an aspiration sheet at pre-admission to share their

hopes and expectations for their child’s future at the school. 14. Parents are asked to sign a Home School Agreement at the beginning of each

academic year. Through the work of the school’s Parent Support Advisor and Family Support Workers, we strive to support families to overcome practical difficulties associated with parenting a child who is living with disability. This support takes to the form of training, emotional support, liaison between family and professional services as well as hands-on support (eg transport to meetings). Community Role The community is invited to support the school by:

Enabling integration links to be established with local community schools and schools local to where pupils live. This will be a two way process with Red Kite pupils attending these schools and pupils from those schools attending Red Kite for planned integration lessons. Contributing to activities such as assemblies, artistic events, specialist outings and clubs Presenting themselves as positive role models to the children within the community Organising activities and events throughout the year to extend and deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills Supporting school events Voluntarily helping in the school.

School’s Role In relation to each of the above areas:

• Respond to all offers of support as appropriate • Respect all information given in confidence • Give clear information on aims and objectives of the school and its curriculum • Set up family learning evenings and daytime events

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• Share whole school curriculum and schemes of work • Give reasonable/appropriate access to teaching staff

• Work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure the success of their child, and encourage parental involvement in working out the way forward for their child’s educational future

• Share good practice with parents, colleagues in other schools, professionals and the community.

Review: This policy is a working document and therefore is open to change and restructuring as and when the need arises. Approved at SLG September 2019 Ratified by Governors’ Meeting held in: September 2018 To be reviewed: SEPTEMBER 2020 with related policies