When we formed the Trust, in September 2014 - St. Mary’s Catholic Academy, an 11-18 school and two primary academies, Christ the King and St. Cuthbert’s - we spent a year thinking through our approach to teaching, assessment (without levels) and learning before we attempted to implement anything. This was critical to thinking through the complex processes that happen within the class room. At the time we viewed the time taken as a luxury; I now consider it an absolutely necessary part of the process. It is too easy for school leaders and teachers to implement without thinking. We are now nearly two years into our implementation phase. I doubt there is anything in this article which will surprise or be new to you. The strength of what we have done is the consistency and excellence with which all staff have embraced and implemented the process. To do it and do it well, we have said “no” to other initiatives and fads.
A HMI who recently inspected one of the academies described our approach, (we call it Data & Feedback Informed Teaching & Learning-DAFITAL), as “innovative and risk taking”. A school leader who visited described it as “inspirational common sense”. The more we implement DAFITAL the more it just seems like a common sense, sustainable and sensible way to develop, implement and improve teaching, assessment and learning.
During our planning year we wrote a series of statements about high quality teaching assessment and learning; these were our “we believe statements”.
We believe high quality:
Teaching
- Is improved by informed collaborative planning and evaluation.
- Is enhanced by teacher’s strong subject and pedagogical knowledge.
- Must be based on high expectations of what each pupil can achieve.
- Requires the establishment of an orderly classroom environment.
- Is enhanced by professional development focused on improving progress and outcomes for pupils.
Assessment
- Must support teaching and promote learning.
- Must help close the learning gap between current and expected learning.
- Must be meaningful and manageable.
- Must raise aspiration and encourage pupils to work hard.
Learning
- Involves the systematic development of knowledge.
- Requires pupils to think hard about what they are learning and respond with perseverance to feedback.
- Requires learners to take responsibility for becoming increasingly independent and interdependent.
- Is enhanced through enriching relationships.