Teaching and Learning
At Wrenn, we strive to ensure that ALL students experience an ambitious, broad and engaging curriculum that will enable them to achieve success. We are a truly comprehensive school, encouraging all abilities and aspirations. With this in mind, we are committed to delivering lessons that are inclusive by design with the understanding that good teaching for SEND, PP and EAL students, is good teaching for all.
Our Quality First Teaching Charter, which is backed by educational research, outlines an approach centred around guided practice that leads to successful independent practice and has a focus on methods that support the retention of information in long term memory.
Every student, every lesson, every day.
The QFTC is delivered through subject specific design, enabling Curriculum Leaders the autonomy to deliver their discipline in the most effective way, given the nature of their subject/s.
At Wrenn, we invest in a high quality CPD provision to ensure that every member of staff can reach their full potential, and in turn, provide our students with the very best learning opportunities. Teaching and Learning is our core purpose and therefore investment in this area is prioritised.
Examples of this include:
- Designated time for Subject Specific CPD – ensuring that teachers have the opportunity to develop their subject knowledge with their faculty teams
- Regular whole school staff development and training
- Dedicated time for our internal Middle Leadership Training
- 15 Minute Wrenn Talks – weekly morning short, sharp deliberate practice sessions focusing on the pedagogical routines consistent across the school
- StepLab (New for 2023-24) – opportunities to develop these pedagogical routines through Instructional Coaching
- Consideration of career aspirations through performance appraisal and Career Stage Interviews – CPD and facilitated opportunities offered wherever possible
- Coaching and Mentoring programmes from our CPD Team
- Well – resourced CPD Library and regular T&L Bulletins
- Cross-trust collaboration and shared curriculum
- Colleague to colleague Developmental Drop Ins/Co-observation
- TDT and CET Partnership Networking
- Commitment to developing our leaders through NPQ programmes
We believe that every member of our school community should be a lifelong learner and we provide a bespoke CPD and support programme to facilitate the delivery of our Quality First Teaching Charter. This outlines our approach to teaching and learning which underpins our ambitious curriculum. Our Quality First Teaching Charter is Subject Specific, ensuring that chosen pedagogies are suitable for each subject area.
QFTC
Quality Assurance
On the back of our Subject Specific Quality First Teaching Charters, our Quality Assurance programme is driven by our Middle Leaders, who are the best placed to drive continuous improvement. There is no formal observation of lessons at Wrenn, instead leaders from across the school will dip into lessons for short periods of time regularly, to both support staff and students and ascertain the daily diet of Teaching and Learning for our students.
The Middle Leader Quality Assurance programme stems from leaders’ Impact Statements and includes:
- Book Looks
- Student Voice
- Post Assessment analysis (and then subsequent Subject Specific CPD as a result)
- Results Analysis
- Behaviour Analysis
These aspects are explored through line management with their SLT link, and support is given to allow Middle Leaders to be able to do this effectively.
SLT run their own Quality Assurance programme in the form of Learning Walks, Book Looks, Student Voice and Reviews but these are used to triangulate Middle Leader processes and support them in achieving their priorities.
