Teaching and Learning Staff Booklet

Committed to Excellence
Teaching and Learning
at JCS
2018-19

Teaching and Learning Procedures
Teaching and Learning Methodology
All staff have a responsibility to meet the learning needs of all students through high quality
lessons. Staff will actively seek to improve their knowledge and skills through continuous
professional development at whole school, subject team and individual levels. Collaborative
planning during the Tuesday afternoon directed time slots is a mandatory expectation of all staff
that are involved in the learning of students. The three basic principles of Planning, Teaching and
Assessing will underpin what staff do in the classroom (see below for Assessment Procedures)
Responsibilities
Subject Teachers and Learning Support Assistants have the responsibility to plan, teach and assess
for student needs that help to drive their progress. Explicit details of these can be found in The JCS
Learning Expectations Document. They should also ensure that they are following the Behaviour,
Recognition and Consequences guidelines in a fair and transparent manner.
Subject Team Leaders and the Senior Leadership Team have the responsibility to quality assure
that staff are following the expectations outlined in The JCS Learning Expectations Document and
ensure that they undertake the required amount of monitoring following the procedures as
outlined in the Book Monitoring Schedule and Lesson Observation Protocol. Reports for SLT and
Governors will be expected in line with the school calendar of monitoring.
Students have the responsibility to ensure that they arrive on time to lessons, equipped and ready
to contribute to the learning within their classes in a positive way. They are expected to follow the
school behaviour, recognition and consequences and the homework procedures.
Parents and Carers have the responsibility to ensure that their child is ready to learn with the
correct equipment for school, including homework completed to the expected standard.

John Colet School Classroom Expectations
These are expectations for every lesson and link to the Behaviour, Recognition and Consequences
Guidance.
The “Big Three” are the key foci for 2018-19: Consistency; Questioning and Assessment and
Feedback
Consistency
Meeting and Greeting - staff should meet and greet students on entry to the classroom
(peripatetic teachers to greet asap). Uniform should be addressed before students enter the
classroom.
Taking the register - this should be done in the first 15 minutes. Any student arriving late,
minutes of lateness should be added to SIMS.
Seating Plan - This is a working document; it needs to be legible, not neat!
Printed for every class available in a folder on teacher’s desk
Subgroup information - SEN, Disadvantaged, Ability (can be colour coded)
Progress based on most recent learning cycle data - colour code for above (green), below (red), on
(leave blank)
Optional - can add intervention strategies
Reinforce a Positive Relationship - positivity and praise create a productive classroom, and
ensure sanctions kept to a minimum
Presentation of work - Title and date always written and underlined. Diagrams, tables etc drawn
in pencil. All sheets secured in books before the end of the lesson - do the “shake test”
Reflection - Students should be given at least one opportunity each lesson to be able to reflect on
their learning and/or progress made. This can be through the use of MAD time, mini-plenaries or
summative plenaries such as exit tickets or short quizzes. This is to ensure that the learning
objective has been met and to inform planning for subsequent lessons.

John Colet School Classroom Expectations
Questioning (click on for linked document)
Lessons are planned to ensure that questioning drives pupil progress. When
planning, staff consider the needs of learners and plan their questions accordingly.
Targeted questions are used to stretch, challenge and engage the learners in all
lessons.
Assessment and Feedback (click on for linked document)
Formative assessment used to improve learning in every lesson, either written or
verbal. This can include peer and self assessment. Positive feedback will enable
students to develop resilience and respond proactively to guidance. Students must
be told how to improve their learning, meaning that feedback given is personalised
to the student’s needs.

Homework
Homework refers to tasks given to pupils by their teachers to be completed outside of usual lessons.
Common homework activities may be reading or preparing for work to be done in class, or practising
and completing tasks or activities already taught or started in lessons In addition, it may include
more extended activities to develop inquiry skills or more directed and focused work such as revision
for exams. On average, the impact of homework on learning is consistently positive (leading to on
average five months' additional progress).
Responsibilities
Subject Teachers have the responsibility to set regular, appropriate homework and deadlines to meet
the needs of their students. This will be recorded on www.showmyhomework.co.uk on the day that the
work is set, with clear timings to guide the student. A minimum of 2 nights are allowed to complete the
task set. Subject Teachers are also responsible for assessing and giving appropriate feedback to help
the progress of the student. Any missed homework deadlines will be recorded on SIMS and escalate to
STL if this occurs more than once.
Subject Team Leaders have the responsibility to monitor the quality and quantity of the homework set
for each year group within their department and hold Subject Teachers to account if there is an issue.
This may be monitored in conjunction with the Heads of Year. Subject Team Leaders are expected to
make phone calls home if persistent deadlines are missed.
The Senior Leadership Team has the responsibility monitor, through work sampling the effectiveness
of departmental procedures. The Senior Leadership Team will discuss students who persistently fail to
hand in homework on time every two weeks and make phone calls home to students of concern.
Students have the responsibility to ensure that they check www.showmyhomework.co.uk every night
to ensure that they understand the task and can meet the deadline. Students should attempt all tasks,
complete the work to the best of their ability and inform the teacher of any issues in advance of the
deadline. Students are expected to catch up on missed homework if they were absent when the work
was set.
Parents are responsible for supporting the school in ensuring that homework is completed to the
expected standard and it is handed in on time. The student should be provided with a suitable place to
conduct home study, such as a quiet space (no mobile phones) and a desk. The Subject Teacher should
be contacted if there is a problem with the task set.
Duration of Homework
In Key Stage 3, the homework set by each subject should last approximately 30 minutes per piece
unless stated otherwise.
In Key Stage 4 the homework set by each subject should last approximately 45 minutes per piece
unless stated otherwise.

Assessment and Feedback Procedures
The ‘Eliminating unnecessary workload around marking’ Report of the Independent Teacher
Workload Review Group (March 2016), made clear recommendations to schools and Ofsted with
regards to assessment, marking and feedback. The summary of their report outlined that all
marking should be:
●Meaningful: marking varies by age group, subject, and what works best for the pupil and teacher in
relation to any particular piece of work.
●Manageable: marking practice is proportionate and considers the frequency and complexity of
written feedback, as well as the cost and time-effectiveness of marking in relation to the overall
workload of teachers.
●Motivating: Marking should help to motivate pupils to progress. This does not mean always writing
in-depth comments or being universally positive: sometimes short, challenging comments or oral
feedback are more effective. Don’t do more work than the pupils.
Peer/self assessment: Pupil assessment is an important part of metacognition development. If done
well, pupils can reflect on their learning and make good progress. Most pupils will be used to doing
this at primary school - capitalise on this in Year 7 and ensure that Year 7 teachers are using this a
part of their practice.
MAD time: This form of assessment is useful because it offers a range of strategies that allows
individualised self reflection to take place. It is important that teachers use MAD time to not only
allow for pupil reflection time, but also to make marking more manageable.
With both of these strategies, it is important not to fall into the trap of marking again once you have
looked at the work: ‘Accepting work that pupils have not checked sufficiently and then providing
extensive feedback detracts from pupils’ responsibility for their own learning, particularly in
editing and drafting skills. Pupils should be taught and encouraged to check their own work by
understanding the success criteria, presented in an age appropriate way, so that they complete
work to the highest standard.’

Formative Assessment
How do we incorporate the 3’M’s’?
Formative: This involves teachers using evidence of pupils’ understanding and
learning to make decisions, minute-by-minute and day-by-day, about the next
steps in teaching and learning. This evidence could also be used when planning
lessons or differentiating activities for individual pupils. When assessing
formatively, the feedback given by teachers moves learners forward. Students
are developed to be owners of their own learning and support each other to
progress.
What
❏Feedback that enables students to make progress, that without it, they would
not have achieved
Why
❏Encourage progress in skills, knowledge or understanding
❏Build confidence and therefore resilience to difficult challenges
❏To promote ownership of work - with good formative feedback, students are
responsible for their own learning and progress.
❏Opportunity to use therapy to address gaps in knowledge or skills
How
❏‘Not yet’ is used to encourage students to be persevere with learning
❏Written feedback in books to enable progress
❏Verbal feedback (including questioning)
❏Peer feedback
❏Walking Talking Mocks
When
❏Every lesson - written or verbal
❏In depth feedback in books (min. once a half term)
❏On individual basis due to need
Who
❏All students through self and peer assessment
❏All staff (Teachers/LSA/HLTA/Learning Mentor/Inclusion Manager/HOY)

Summative Assessment
The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of
an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.
What
❏Assessment modelled on the final GCSE format of the subject (eg: exam paper or
CA).
Why
❏Summative data will be used as part of the assessment and judgement for LTA
grades.
❏To assess the learning of pupils over at least one term of teaching.
❏To identify any gaps in knowledge, understanding and skills.
❏To update parents on progress (eg: through parents evenings or reporting).
❏To give students experience of exam conditions and the demands they will face
towards the end of their courses.
❏To ensure that students are clear on the layout, question type, skills etc required
for the subject.
How
❏Marking criteria (eg: PLCs) to be shared with students in advance (eg: at the
beginning of a series of lessons).
❏Assessment takes place in exam conditions
❏Departments to standardise marking before returning papers to students and
making LTA grades.
When
❏Termly
❏All students in each year group to sit the same task/paper within a 2 week period
prior to the entry of LTA data.
Who
❏All students
❏All summative assessment must be marked by teachers to quality assure pupil
knowledge and understanding.

Book Monitoring Schedule 2018-19
The purpose of book scrutinies is to allow all school leaders to monitor the quality of pupils’ written work and
assess the following:
● The impact of feedback and assessment on specific subgroups:
○ Disadvantaged
○ SEND
○ Upper Ability
● The impact of “The Big Three” on pupil progress: Consistency, questioning and assessment and
feedback
● The standardisation of grades/levels*
Book monitoring takes place by the STL; together with the SLT link; or STL and another member of department
for CPD purposes.
STL: Once a book monitoring has taken place, meet with your SLT link to discuss the findings. This will include
quantitative data from the monitoring process (eg: % Y/N) and qualitative areas of good practice.
SLT: Feedback to SLT will take place during meetings listed below. This will include quantitative data from the
monitoring process (eg: % Y/N) and qualitative areas of good practice.
Half Term Year Groups Final date for submission By SLT feedback
1 (Sept-Oct) 7 and 11/13 Tuesday 16th October 2018 STL 7th November 2018
2 (Nov -Dec) 8 and 10 Tuesday 11th December 2018 STL 9th January 2019
3 (Jan-Feb) 9 and 12 Tuesday 12th February 2019 STL 6th March 2019
4 (Feb - April) 7 and 11/13 Tuesday 2nd April 2019 STL 1st May 2019
5 (April-May) 8 and 10 Tuesday 21st May 2019 STL 12th June 2019
6 (June-July) 9 and 12 Tuesday 2nd July 2019 STL 17th July 2019
Forms should be completed electronically and emailed/shared with LA/VR and kept on record by STL
for departmental review.

Lesson Observation Protocol from Sept 2018
John Colet School uses developmental observations to provide quality feedback on teaching to help teachers reflect on practice and
develop their teaching. The aim being that all teachers are involved in a continuous cycle of research, development and review.
Observations are always developmental and will be not be graded and only the areas of strength and developmental are reported to the
SLT lead for Teaching & Learning.
Developmental Lesson Observations
Across the year, each member of the teaching staff will have at least one full lesson developmental observation from their line manager,
and two shorter (approximately 30 minutes) observations where the focus will be selected as part of developmental discussions with
your line manager or members of the department. The shorter observations can be by a line manager or as a peer observation in
consultation with the line manager. The aim being that each teacher is seen teaching each term in an academic year. The focus of the
observation is agreed in advance and is usually suggested by the ‘observee’. The observer will comment primarily on the original focus
of the observation and will identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and in consultation with the observed teacher, agree area/s for
development which will in turn provide the focus for a subsequent developmental observation. No grading or rating is issued,
recorded or offered.
It is expected that every member of the teaching staff has carried out at least one observation during the academic year as part of their
continued professional development. These are arranged with colleagues within or across the school. This may be as part of developing
the CPD focus for the Tuesday Collaborative Planning session.
For all observation, the areas of strength and development are shared with the AHT for T&L in order to maintain a central record. This
database is used to help in providing suitable observers depending on the focus of the observation. It will also ensure that every
member of staff is observed AND observes a colleague at some point in the year.
If serious concerns are identified during the observation the line manager and SLT link must be informed before feedback is given to the
observed member of staff.
All new members of staff to JCS must be observed by their line manager within their first half term. If there are any areas of serious
concern identified this must be addressed immediately with the SLT link.
Further intervention
From September 2018, further observations or longer observations may be required to support colleagues who need help with specific
classes or areas of practice. This may be part of an Action Plan or through teacher choice as a CPD activity. Teachers are informed if
this needs to take place through a discussion with their Line Manager. Issues such as those listed below may cause this to occur (this
list is not exhaustive):
●
●
●
their external exam results were not rated as good or above
evidence from learning walks, book audits or Learning Cycle data highlights a discrepancy between the rating and current
performance
there is an issue with one or more of their Teacher Standards
Under these circumstances, further book monitoring or data scrutiny may be required.

Lesson Observation Protocol from Sept 2018
Staff with a ‘Requires Improvement’ Action Plan
Staff with an Action Plan to improve their performance will continue with the conditions of the plan. Observations as well as book
monitoring will be incorporated into any plan.
NQTs
NQTs continue with their own schedule of observations and assessments and are not included in this process. NQT’s need to be observed
at least once per half term and areas of strength and areas of development discussed in detail to support their development as a
teacher.
Recording and Evidencing
A copy of a developmental lesson observation must be sent to the SLT lead for Teaching and Learning, the SLT line manager, the Subject
Team Leader and the person being observed. The areas of strength and development are recorded by the Lead for Teaching and
Learning. This database is used to help in providing suitable observers depending on the focus of the observation and to identify staff
with particular skills that can be shared for good practice. It will also be a log to ensure that every member of staff is observed AND
observes a colleague at some point in the year.