SONNING COMMON

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

POLICY No. 63 Version 1

Autumn 2005

POLICY STATEMENT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

 

The staff and governors of Sonning Common Community School fully support the values and aims of the National Curriculum document (pub 1999, p10-13):

Aim 1: The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve.

Aim 2: The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

Children at this school are helped to develop the skills needed to become literate and numerate and to use the resources in the school to support their learning. They are encouraged to think, reflect, reason and find information: thus, as children proceed through the school, they become increasingly independent, skilful and knowledgeable.

At this school children are offered a broad and balanced curriculum. All subject areas are important. Staff make connections between them and plan times when certain areas of the curriculum take priority. This planning recognises that children have different strengths and enthusiasms and will help them enjoy their learning, will engender a desire to learn and introduce them to different learning methods.

At Sonning Common Community School children are given the opportunity to solve problems and be creative, in a secure and stimulating environment, so that they learn in an atmosphere that is often spontaneous and always challenging. Teachers give children learning opportunities to experiment and to make mistakes without fear of penalty, and thereby to gain in confidence and self-esteem.

The school creates a learning environment which will help children to become adults who:

Ø    know the meaning of respect

Ø    can be both independent and co-operative

Ø    have open and enquiring minds

Ø    are creative

Ø    are environmentally aware

Ø    are well motivated, working people

Ø    develop the skills to achieve their full potential at each stage of their education

Ø    contribute to the school and wider communities

Ø    take responsibilities of their actions

 

Principles for learning

The process of learning for children in the early stages of their education should be about developing socially and collaborative play.

These are seen as the foundation blocks for children’s creativity, interest in learning and academic achievement. The school curriculum is designed by the staff in consultation with the governing body. At Sonning Common Community School teaching and learning are underpinned by the school’s Values programme that emphasises and encourages “right conduct, peace, love, truth and non­violence.”

From the foundation stage onward children will have opportunities to develop as individuals, interact in small social groups, as members of a class and as a whole school.

Throughout the school it is recognised that:

Ø    all children and adults are part of a learning community

Ø    teaching takes account of the individual learning needs of each child

Ø    creativity and technical accomplishment are very important aspects of the curriculum

Ø    modern languages and environmental studies are included in our school curriculum

Ø    current research informs learning and curriculum design

Ø    assessment takes several forms:

ü    recording collaborative and individual achievement through children’s performances, displays, talks, assemblies and individual portfolios

ü    summative and formative assessment through recorded work and some formal testing

ü    self and peer assessment by the children

ü    academic, creative, sporting and social achievements are recognised and celebrated.

AMENDMENT SHEET FOR ALL POLICY STATEMENTS

 

POLICY ON TEACHING AND LEARNING

POLICY NUMBER 63 Version 1

 

DATE POLICY RATIFIED: AUTUMN 2005

DATE POLICY LAST REWRITTEN: AUTUMN 2005

 

Review Date	Page	Line	Amendment
Autumn 2005			Policy written