Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..…1

Rationale ………………………………………………………………………..….1

Aims ………………………………………………………………………………...2

Ethos …………………………………………………………………………….…2

Curriculum Design…………………………………………………………….….3

Learning, Teaching and Assessment…………………………………………3

National Support for Assessment …………………………………………….4

National Qualifications…………………………………………………………...5

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………5

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………6

Appendix 1 ………………………………………………………………………...7

What is an AifL School? ……………………………………………………….7

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West LothianCouncilEducation & Cultural Services

Policy Learning & Teaching

Author Ann Durnian

Service Education Development

Last Updated October 2010

Introduction

West Lothian’s commitment to providing high quality education is stated in the authority’s corporate plan. In the priority “improving opportunities for young people” the council commits itself to: create ‘learning communities’ within our schools that focus on increasing what young

people achieve and involving them more in their communities, by getting pupils, parents/carers, school staff and our partners to take part.

support and challenge all our pupils and students, and the wider population of WestLothian, to become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens, and to help them contribute effectively to society.

RATIONALE

The purpose of an authority policy on Learning and Teaching is to promote a common understanding amongst all school staff who are involved with children and young people of what constitutes good, effective practice which will support the vision that West Lothian has for its young people. The contexts within which learning takes place varies from school to school, sector to sector. However this policy acknowledges that there are principles of learning and teaching which have universal application. The learning and teaching policy should be read in conjunction with the Council’s Equalities Policies in order to ensure that all learning and teaching meets the needs of all pupils, and that supporting information can be made available to parents in a way that meets their needs. Teachers should consider barriers to involvement arising from additional learning needs, language, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and transsexual orientation and how these can be overcome. This will apply to social needs, as well as learning and teaching needs.

This policy should also be read in conjunction with other authority policies and national publications which provide more detailed guidance. These are listed at the end of this policy.

The school policy should reflect the guidance in this document and should cover the following areas:-

Ethos Quality of curricular provision Quality of courses or programmes including cross cutting themes Quality of teachers’ planning Provision of high quality learning experiences Meeting pupils’ needs including those with additional needs The role of assessment in supporting learning The self evaluation process and quality assurance

AIMS

To endorse the values, principles and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence. To ensure well planned, high quality courses and programmes of work which

motivate, stimulate, maintain pupil interest and provide appropriate challenge and progression.

To ensure that planning focuses on learning experiences, learning outcomes and personal learning planning.

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To ensure the use of a wide range of teaching strategies which meet pupil needs by creating an ethos of positive discipline, providing opportunities for interaction and regular feedback and taking account of recent developments in pedagogy.

To deliver dynamic and purposeful learning opportunities which demand active involvement and develop independence and pupils’ responsibility for their own learning.

To ensure assessment is built into planning; focuses on specific learning outcomes, allows all children to evidence their learning and informs next steps and reporting mechanisms.

To articulate with the Council’s policy ‘Continuum of Support’ in meeting pupils’ educational needs.

To promote, in partnership with staff and parents/carers, high expectations of pupils’ achievements.

To develop the purposeful use of ICT to support learning. To outline the systematic review and self evaluation strategies which support staff

and learners’ development and ensure continuous improvement.

Ethos

The establishment of an inclusive, positive learning environment and an ethos of achievement at classroom level are keys to effective learning and teaching.   Effective learning and teaching is also dependent on the relationships established at classroom level through interactions between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves in group or whole class settings. Effective partnerships between parents/carers and schools are essential in ensuring that learners make the best possible progress.

Putting the pupil at the centre of planning for effective learning and teaching ensures West Lothian teachers meet the needs of all pupils in all our classrooms and places of learning.

West Lothian encourages a partnership approach to support delivery of effective learning and teaching: - in partnership with parents/carers, teachers and pupils; in partnership with other agencies; in partnership with all staff through Quality Assurance processes and Improvement Planning.

Curriculum Design

West Lothian Council Education Authority endorses the values, principles and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence.

Schools should:

Develop systems to ensure that, at all stages, the curriculum provides all learners with breadth, depth and progression.

Ensure continuity and progression at transition between stages and in particular where stages involve transition between nursery and primary; primary and secondary.

Ensure that the curriculum reflects the principles of relevance and coherence and includes partnerships e.g. those with the business community and with higher and further education to support this.

Provide a range of opportunities for pupils to exercise choice. Provide opportunities for staff, pupils and parents/carers to contribute to the

evaluation of the curriculum. Consider the contribution of visiting teachers. Take account of the cross cutting themes involved in cross curricular activity.

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Learning, Teaching and Assessment

The classroom experience should reflect the expectation of West Lothian Education Services that the pupil is at the centre of the learning experience and an active participant in his or her own learning. In planning for learning, teachers should take into account the wide continuum of needs and the requirements set out in other relevant documents and policies e.g. the Equality Policy.

West Lothian’s long standing commitment to assessment as integral to the learning and teaching process was affirmed through the Succeeding Together strategy which committed the authority to:

using assessment to improve learning experiences each pupil having ownership of their own learning ensuring effective communication on learning between schools and parents/carers.

All teachers and other staff working within the classroom should be familiar with, and embed in their practice, the principles of the Assessment Development Programme summarised below.

Learners learn best when they:

understand clearly what they are trying to learn and what is expected of them are given feedback about the quality of their work are helped to understand how to go about making it better are fully involved in decisions about what needs to be done and who can help them.

Refer to Appendix 1 for details on ‘What is an AifL School?’

It is the responsibility of the teacher to:

ensure that children’s/young people’s prior learning is built upon through using information gained from appropriate assessment procedures.

Provide a range of stimulating and motivating approaches to learning and assessment which should be active and collaborative in focus.

Provide quality feedback on how to improve. Ensure that a range of assessment approaches allows all children/young people to

demonstrate their learning in regard to knowledge and understanding, skills, attributes and capabilities.

Provide opportunities for children/young people to be involved in reflecting on, planning and evaluating their own learning and that of their peers.

Support out of school learning through varied, stimulating and enjoyable home learning tasks.

Maintain and regularly review records of progress. Provide parents with clear information on their child’s progress, next steps in

learning and how they can support their child’s learning.

It is the responsibility of school leaders to support teachers in planning and providing high quality learning experiences by:

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Providing opportunities for professional dialogue, collegiate working and networking to facilitate sharing good practice and moderation of standards.

Ensuring that the school’s resources are allocated to most effectively meet learning needs.

West Lothian supports its schools in monitoring and evaluating their provision and progress through a programme of standardised diagnostic assessments in English and Mathematics. These assessments provide teachers with useful supplementary information about the learning needs of individuals and groups. The data from these assessments also provides Education Services with information which allows a continued focus on raising attainment by:

Providing a baseline against which authority progress can be monitored. Tracking the attainment of particular groups of children. Facilitating the effective allocation of additional resources and support.

West Lothian Education Services will review the use of this additional assessment as the national support to assessment develops.

National Support for Assessment

The National Assessment Resource (NAR) will play a key part in developing teachers’ and learners’ understanding of standards and progress within the experiences and outcomes of Curriculum for Excellence. All teachers need to be familiar with how to access the resource and to identify suitable assessment exemplars which will inform their understanding of standards and support the development of assessment appropriate to the children’s/young people’s learning.Schools require to further develop their internal systems for moderation of standards across stages and to participate in local and national opportunities for sharing standards.

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) will provide information about standards in literacy and numeracy nationally through sampling across all authorities. West Lothian schools are encouraged to participate in the SSLN and to provide feedback on the survey to the Scottish Government.

West Lothian welcomes and supports the involvement of classroom practitioners in the development of national support to assessment. Such involvement is a valuable CPD opportunity and head teachers are encouraged to development of national support to assessment. nominate teachers to participate and to encourage the sharing of the learning with colleagues within the school and through cluster and networking opportunities.

National Qualifications

West Lothian Council has encouraged schools to adapt both the content and the pace of the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils. Curriculum for Excellence formally provides for flexibility for individual schools to meet the different routes that young people will take moving from the broad outcomes of level 3 to the more specialised senior stage. The authority will continue to encourage innovation to support personalisation and choice and to work with schools in the rigorous evaluation of new approaches.

Conclusion

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This document has been produced to assist school/clusters in their review and development of learning and teaching. The contents of the policy will be reviewed within 2 years or sooner to take account of changing needs and future developments at national and local level.

Bibliography

West Lothian Council Policies http://edweb.westlothian.org.uk/

Continuum of Support Quality Assurance Equality CPD/SDR

Other publications

Journey to Excellence

Curriculum for Excellence Building the Curriculum 3 A framework for teaching and learning www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/buildingthecurriculum/guidance/btc3/index.asp

Curriculum for Excellence Building the Curriculum 4 Skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/buildingthecurriculum/guidance/btc4/index.asp

Curriculum for Excellence Building the Curriculum 5 A framework for assessment www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/buildingthecurriculum/guidance/btc5/index.asp

Learning Together Series HMIe www.hmie.gov.uk/Publications.aspx

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Appendix 1

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