Getting to Good: Improving Teaching and Learning

The school moved to Good in the most recent inspection, and is above national in RWM in those children meeting the expected standard. This builds on the good results in 2015. At KS1, all children are meeting the standard in all subjects, with 21% of children achieving greater depth in all subjects.

We needed to turn around a school where outcomes were not always as good as they could be for children, and to ensure that we had a strategic and sustainable model to provide a good education.

We adopted a simple, but effective, approach to teaching and learning which included:

• Non-negotiables for presentation in books, the learning environment, displays and planning (the Bucklesham Must Haves);
• Shifted our focus to learning behaviours, using the language of learning rather than a task-based language;
• Teaching and learning agendas in staff meetings, rather than administration;
• Re-writing the marking policy to meet the needs of children, not teachers, and is consistent across the school. We are focussing on the progress in the work of the children, rather than the marking itself. This has cut down on teachers' writing;
• Regular monitoring of classrooms and books, SLT timetables and drop-ins;
• Providing support to trainee teacher placements as a way to encourage all staff to improve practice. Even in a small schools, we still ensure we have at least one placement at any one time. We also support students in their first position;
• Ensuring leadership pathways are open to staff;
• Putting teaching and learning as the focus for parental engagement, and modelling this at all times. 

We continue to support and offer training to governors to enable them to take on a constructive monitoring role in the school, involving them in learning walks, staff and pupil perceptions, and book scrutinies. This has really embedded the relationships between staff and governors.