heart of heartlands lessons

where everyone wants to teach

5th January 2018

A group of teachers at Heartlands High School shared what we want a great teaching and learning culture to look like. This first blog post encompasses their ideas. The write up is by Adam Seldon, history teacher.

At Heartlands High School we are committed to creating a teaching and learning culture in which teachers can continually improve their practice and are committed to do so. We want to create a flourishing community of teachers in which effective practice and subject expertise are valued and celebrated. This thriving teaching and learning culture will in turn impact on both the progress of students and the value they place on education as one of life’s most precious gifts.

For teaching and learning to flourish behaviour for learning systems will be followed by all teachers consistently so that disruption does not harm learning. Senior leaders will support classroom teachers in ensuring these high standards of behaviour are maintained. A further foundation is that in a hectic school schedule, time will be prioritised to allow for meaningful forums where discussion between colleagues and departments can take place to collaborate and critique curriculum plans. There will be a culture of honesty in these conversations to ensure strategies that are deployed have a positive impact on student outcomes. Time will be given too to allow for a culture where teachers seek expertise, research and training beyond our school and for these findings to be shared with colleagues. The leadership team will support teacher wellbeing and efficacy by sharing and encouraging strategies that are time efficient, proven and do not unnecessarily add to teacher workload.

Research supported strategies will form the bedrock of teaching and learning. Teachers can often get into habits that are either unproven or proven to be ineffectual so we want to create an honest culture that seeks to both challenge and inspire teachers. Meaningful research will be shared with teachers, in such a way that teachers are given practical strategies that can be easily implemented into their practice. Heartlands teachers are expected to independently read about teaching and learning and feedback to others. Teachers are further supported to get into new habits through the creation of longer-term goals to improve their practice, and specific actions they will implement on a regular basis and update accordingly. Teachers are constantly encouraged to further improve themselves, to combat the widespread problem that teachers can plateau in effectiveness after a few years in the job.

Heartlands aims to cultivate teachers that are passionate about their subjects, that seek to teach exciting lessons which engage learners and teachers that are willing to be innovative so they and those around them can learn. Teachers know the importance of supporting their students to make the progress and obtain the qualifications they need. However, the wider school environment, the extra-curricular opportunities, the character development, are all core to the learning process, rather than being separate to it so every child can flourish in the future. We want every child to achieve the educational outcomes they are capable of and so that they leave Heartlands with a lifelong love of learning.