Leaders identify strengths

Fielding’s leaders have been evaluating the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in maths over the last two weeks.  Discussions with pupils about their learning in maths, scrutiny of work in books and visits to see teachers in class have been used to identify strengths in the quality of our work and areas to improve further.  The work of every class teacher has been evaluated by our Year Leaders, Assistant Head, Deputy Head or Head teacher - sometimes with more than one leader in each class to quality assure and check consistency in our own judgements.

Features of the strongest teaching in school include:

• using feedback from pupils before the lesson and checks at the start of each lesson to see what pupils can do and know already
• questioning pupils to probe their understanding of maths and giving them opportunities to discuss their thinking with a partner or in small groups, helping them to reason mathematically and explain their thinking using mathematical vocabulary
• giving pupils a choice of tasks to consolidate their learning, scaffold new learning or deepen their thinking to master maths
• modelling, demonstrating and showing pupils using images and resources to learn and understand new concepts in maths
• a dialogue in books between the child and teacher where pupils reflect on their learning using ‘maths minutes’ and against success criteria and correct their mistakes.

“Teachers have been consistently implementing our ‘blueprint’ for teaching and learning with increasing consistency between classes and age groups over the last year.  Our teaching of maths and children’s progress since the start of the school year has been very strong.  Our new focus on Visible Learning techniques has increased children’s sense of being a learner and in many classes their understanding of teaching and the learning process, “ commented Peter Dunmall, Head teacher.

Teachers will now continue to act on feedback to improve the quality of their work, including working together to support one another and share best practice.

A full report will be scrutinised by the Governing Body after half-term.