Theme 4: Professional skills
4.i Planning and assessment
4.ii Teaching
Rationale
Learners will make better progress towards achieving learning objectives when they are encouraged to reflect on and develop a sense of ownership of their own learning and given feedback that accurately identifies what they have or have not understood.
Teaching needs to be based on effective planning which takes account of assessment evidence about learners’ progress and prior attainment and uses this to set meaningful and achievable learning objectives which allow learners to build on and strengthen what they have previously learnt.
Standards
4.i Planning and assessment
| C26 | Plan for progression across the age and ability range they teach, designing effective learning sequences within lessons and across series of lessons informed by secure subject/curriculum knowledge. |
| C27 | Design opportunities for learners to develop their literacy, numeracy, ICT and thinking and learning skills appropriate within their phase and context. |
| C28 | Plan, set and assess homework, other out-of-class assignments and coursework for examinations, where appropriate, to sustain learners’ progress and to extend and consolidate their learning. |
| C31 | Make effective use of an appropriate range of observation, assessment, monitoring and recording strategies as a basis for setting challenging learning objectives and monitoring learners’ progress and levels of attainment. |
| C32 | Provide learners, colleagues, parents and carers with timely, accurate and constructive feedback on learners’ attainment, progress and areas for development. |
| C33 | Support and guide learners so that they can reflect on their learning, identify the progress they have made, set positive targets for improvement and become successful independent learners. |
| C36 | Review the impact of the feedback provided to learners and guide learners on how to improve their attainment. |
4.ii Teaching
| C29 | Teach challenging, well-organised lessons and sequences of lessons across the age and ability range they teach in which they: (a) use an appropriate range of teaching strategies and resources, including e-learning, which meet learners’ needs and take practical account of diversity and promote equality and inclusion (b) build on the prior knowledge and attainment of those they teach in order that learners meet learning objectives and make sustained progress (c) develop concepts and processes which enable learners to apply new knowledge, understanding and skills (d) adapt their language to suit the learners they teach, introducing new ideas and concepts clearly, and using explanations, questions, discussions and plenaries effectively (e) manage the learning of individuals, groups and whole classes effectively, modifying their teaching appropriately to suit the stage of the lesson and the needs of the learners. |
| C30 | Teach engaging and motivating lessons informed by well-grounded expectations of learners and designed to raise levels of attainment. |
| C34 | Use assessment as part of their teaching to diagnose learners’ needs, set realistic and challenging targets for improvement, and plan future teaching. |
| C37 | (c) Identify and use opportunities to personalise and extend learning through out-of-school contexts where possible making links between in-school learning and learning in out-of-school contexts. |
Scope
4.i Planning and assessment and 4.ii Teaching
These standards are closely linked to those in theme three and are concerned with applying knowledge and understanding in planning, teaching and assessment, and using a range of teaching and learning strategies to support learning.
For example, aspects of practice covered by these standards might include:
- planning lessons that make progressively challenging demands on all learners and have clear, specific and achievable learning objectives that take into account prior attainment as well as expectations in the next key stage
- explaining confidently the purpose of a lesson and its learning objectives, supporting learners’ understanding of this through the use of questioning and relevant tasks which reinforce lesson objectives
- planning lessons, homework and other out-of-class assignments and activities which allow learners to choose, use and apply skills they have acquired within lessons, for example in literacy, numeracy and ICT
- using information from monitoring and assessment to set targets for progression and improvement in meeting learners’ needs
- using your knowledge and understanding of your subject/curriculum area to stimulate and challenge learners
- adapting your teaching style where necessary to accommodate and recognise diversity and pupils’ different learning needs
- using a range of resources to make personalised provision for learners, such as gifted and talented pupils, or those with special educational needs or disabilities
- managing physical and human resources to support learners and learning objectives
- helping learners to understand the different ways they learn and to think about which approaches are appropriate to the task they are working on
- discussing teaching and learning with learners themselves, their parents or carers, and colleagues and using their feedback to help you develop your teaching plans.
Questions
4.i Planning and assessment and 4.ii Teaching
Prompt questions that can be used for discussion with your induction tutor:
- What preparation and support have you been offered to guide you in planning your lessons or, where applicable, out-of-school learning activities?
- What opportunities have you had to be involved in out of school learning?
- Have you been informed of the different observation, assessment, monitoring and recording strategies used in your school?
- What support have you had to use assessment data and other evidence about learners’ past achievements to set challenging learning objectives and enable learners to identify the progress they have made and what they have to do to improve?
- Have you been supported in taking opportunities such as parents evenings to discuss learners’ targets and learning objectives, and to engage parents and carers in their children’s learning?
- Have you been made aware of the school’s policy on homework and its implications for your practice?
- How have you been helped to use resources in lessons which take practical account of diversity to meet learners’ needs and promote equality and inclusion?
- Have you been made aware of the range of strategies used in your school to engage and motivate different groups of learners?
- What additional support or guidance do you feel you need?
