Learning and Teaching

St Augustine’s is committed to providing all pupils with the highest quality of learning experiences which lead to high levels of achievement and consistently raise attainment. We expect every teacher to be an excellent classroom practitioner, for no child deserves anything less.

Challenge and Enjoyment

Staff continually plan pupils’ learning to ensure it is challenging, engaging and motivating. Our curriculum encourages high aspirations and ambitions for all of our pupils. At each stage of the school, learners of all aptitudes and abilities experience an appropriate level of challenge, enabling each child to achieve their full potential. They are active in their learning and have opportunities to develop and demonstrate their creativity.

Breadth

All of our pupils have opportunities for a broad range of experiences. Our curriculum is organised to enable them to learn and develop through a variety of contexts within the classroom and through other aspects of school life. Out of school visits and guest speakers are arranged throughout the year to enhance and reinforce the children’s learning.

Progression

All of our pupils experience continuous progression in their learning within a single curricular framework to ensure a progression of knowledge and skills. We recognise that not all pupils progress at the same rate and differentiate our teaching and learning programmes to meet pupil needs.

Depth

There are regular opportunities for our pupils to develop their full capacity for different types of thinking and learning. As they progress, we seek to help them develop and apply increasing intellectual rigour, drawing different strands of learning together and exploring and achieving more advanced levels of understanding. Staff use their knowledge of higher order thinking skills to facilitate deep learning.

Personalisation and Choice

Our curriculum responds to the individual needs of pupils and supports particular aptitudes and talents. It gives our pupils opportunities for exercising responsible personal choice as they move through the school. All pupils are regularly encouraged to extend their learning through the promotion of personalisation and choice in class project work. This provides opportunity for children to learn and develop specialised knowledge and skills.

Coherence

Our pupils’ learning activities combine to form a coherent experience. Staff ensure there are clear links between the different aspects of pupils’ learning, including opportunities for extended activities which draw different strands of learning together.

Relevance

We work hard to ensure our pupils understand the purposes of their activities. They are encouraged to see the value of what they are learning and its relevance to their lives, both present and in the future. We plan regular themed days/weeks as well as whole-school mini topics. These support staff in unpacking the Experiences and Outcomes in innovative ways to make learning experiences relevant to real life.