20th January 2020

 WoW: subsidiary

 

Communication Focuses

READING	WRITING	ORACY
Reading widely Reading for pleasure	Spelling of subject-specific vocabulary Use of WAGOLLs to model/scaffold (visualisers, mini-whiteboards)	Purposeful and structured communication with others

Open Door Week!

Teaching and Learning Priorities

Climate for learning – students will be enthused by their learning and will be focused, absorbed and attentive (DMC).

Vocabulary – the words that we use and expect the students to be able to use in context, to succeed in their lives beyond Walton le Dale High School (ACH).

Purposeful Interactions by all – if students are communicating, it must be purposeful allow their needs to be met.  Interactions should enhance the learning of ALL students at ALL times (CRO).

This Week:

• Open Door Week –  Spend just ten minutes walking around school.  Drop in on a colleague.
• Trainees – meetings commence on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 1
• NQTs – Meetings usual slots this week.
• Pastries and Progress Wednesday – SLT will cover duties so that all can attend.
• CPD for new staff, NQTs and Trainees - SEND provision, Inclusion, IQM, Dyslexia-friendly status, TA support in lessons: 23^rd January in D14 with JMA (postponed from last term). No longer than 45 minutes.  Please let JMA know if you are attending. Thanks.

Reflect on Your Practice:

The key three words of our new T&L Policy are: Feedback – Plan – Teach. 

As we continue to walk-through policy, we clarify the nature of ‘Feedback’ expected across school.  As always, feedback invited (RLO).

Feedback… has two key purposes: to allow students to make progress over time; and to inform future planning and teaching.

Continued from last week’s TLD

3. Feedback must be regular

 

Marking frequency should be in line with the published policies online.  If the time taken to mark a class set of books is out of proportion with the amount of time that the class collectively spends on responding to the feedback then something has gone wrong.  If students do not engage with the feedback then there is no impact. 

• Class Feedback templates available in lots of formats online.

 

4. The whole-school marking policy must be actively used and discussed with students.

 

The laminated Written Communication Policy should be displayed in every classroom on A3 in buff coloured paper.  When used by everyone, it saves time and explanation.  The students must feel that they work is marked in the same way across the school.  Abbreviations from the policy should be written in the margin in green pen. When teachers deliver feedback to students and refer to the policy, students must be prompted to look at the policy within their planners (or in their exercise books, if appropriate).  

Where teachers notice a common error, intervention in-class will be planned and delivered.

 

The Written Communication Policy 2019-20 (modified in June 2019)

These codes will be used by teachers and students to correct the basic accuracy of written work in all subjects.

SYMBOL	WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
U	Underline headings
C	Add the missing or amend the misplaced capital letter
P	Add the missing or amend the misplaced punctuation mark
SP	Correct the spelling error

 

Expectations:

• Do you make your expectations clear before a task?  (i.e. when writing a letter or a persuasive article?)
• Do you actively reinforce the importance of accurate written or spoken word?  For example, emphasising the need for correct sentence punctuation in one-sentence answers or correcting ‘we was’ in pupils’ speech?
• Do you point out spelling, grammar or punctuation issues as you walk around the class?

 

Top Tip Schedule

 Subject Heads, please ensure that someone from your department is ready to share a ‘Top Tip’ on the designated date. 

 

W/C	Day	Department
06/01/20	WEDS	Humanities - interleaving
13/01/2020	WEDS	SENDCO - JMI
20/01/2020	WEDS	Pastries and Progress Open Door Week
27/01/2020	MON	Careers
3/02/2020	WEDS	Maths
10/02/2020	FRI	Computing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CPD Cascade

Study Groups 2019-20

A reminder of the key focuses within departments:

• Expressive Arts – improving engagement in Year 9
• Computing – Developing the use of Teams to allow learning beyond the classroom
• Mathematics – recall and retention
• Art – Engagement of boys
• English – use of knowledge organisers
• MFL – Speaking examination – extended pupil responses; Listening and reading: developing confidence
• Humanities - progress of middle attaining boys
• PE  – Link between theory at KS3 and KS4
• Technology – Developing the use of homework at KS3 to prepare students for KS4 course
• Science – personalised learning plans for each student in each science.

 

Open Door Week

This provides the perfect opportunity to think of a focus and to go looking for ways of using it/adapting/implementing it.  Ten minutes spent doing this, although sometimes difficult to find, will be invaluable and possibly save you a lot more time.  Please pass on your gratitude to your colleagues by writing them a praise postcard (in the staffroom) if you see something worth stealing and don’t forget to take a raffle ticket so that you can be in the draw for a CPD reward. Thanks in advance to anyone who opens their door.