Playing Learning and developing p29 – Child centred planning and assessment
Children are at the centre of all planning. We are skilled in recognising the different stages in children’s play and learning and these are thoroughly considered when planning new experiences and opportunities.
Children are highly motivated and fully engaged by the range of rich, challenging play and learning opportunities, offered through a balance of intentional and responsive planning.
Leadership p10 – Staff skills and knowledge
We have a clear understanding of how children learn and develop, having high aspirations for children’s achievements.
Learning teaching and assessment p41 – Planning and assessment
Our planning for children’s learning is both responsive and intentional to ensure an appropriate balance of child-led, adult-initiated and adult-directed experiences. We take account of children’s ideas, interests and needs and use imaginative and appropriate ways to involve them in planning learning.
Learning teaching and assessment p42 – Tracking and monitoring
Our robust tracking systems demonstrate children’s progress over time and identify where further support is required for individuals or groups of children. This data informs our planning to ensure we provide breadth, depth and challenge across the curriculum for all children.
QI 2.3 p36-37 Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Features of highly effective practice
Learners receive high-quality feedback and have an accurate understanding of their progress in learning and what they need to do to improve.
Planning is proportionate and manageable and clearly identifies what is to be learned and assessed.
Assessment approaches are matched to the learning needs of learners and are used to support them to demonstrate where they are in their learning.
A quality body of evidence is used to support assessment judgements and decisions about next steps.
Processes for assessment and reporting are manageable and very effective in informing improvements in learning and teaching.
Tracking and monitoring are well-understood and used effectively to secure improved outcomes for all learners, including the most deprived children and young people and those who are looked after
Challenge questions
How confident are we that all learners experience activities which are varied, differentiated, active, and provide effective support and challenge?
How well do we communicate the purpose of learning and give effective explanations for all learners?
How well do we apply the principles of planning, observation, assessment, recording and reporting as an integral feature of learning and teaching?
How well do we make use of a range of valid, reliable and relevant assessment tools and approaches to support the improvement of children and young people’s learning?
How well do we record, analyse and use assessment information to identify development needs for individual learners and specific groups?
QI 3.2 p50-51 Raising attainment and achievement
Features of highly effective practice
Attainment levels in literacy and numeracy are a central feature of the school’s priorities for improvement and are raising attainment.
Very good progress is demonstrated through robust tracking of attainment over time in all curriculum areas and at all stages.
The school’s data demonstrates our current learners are making very good progress.
Confident teacher judgements together with benchmarking and an appropriate range of assessments are leading to improvements in attainment
Challenge questions
How well is our focus on literacy and numeracy leading to raising attainment across the curriculum?
How well do we use evidence from tracking meetings, professional dialogue and assessments to measure progress over time and in particular at points of transition?
How well is assessment evidence used to inform teacher judgements?
Slide 7
What is the balance of child initiated, adult initiated and adult directed play in your setting?
How can this be adapted to ensure better experiences for children.?
……describes ‘Intentional promotion’ as a model of supporting the learning needs of each child. This is intrinsically linked with Responsive Planning, which uses each child’s interests and ‘agency’….Section 6
Section 6 – Putting Pedagogy into Practice
Section 7 – Ensuring quality through critically reflective practice p 80-87
- Practitioners who recognise that young children learn through play with responsive adults who plan experiences which extend learning and understanding,
- Practitioners who extend learning based on an understanding of developmental stage and interests, rather than providing adult directed activities that have little meaning for children,
- Quality settings which understand the learning possibilities afforded by the interactions, experiences and spaces we facilitate for the children so that their learning can be both responsively and intentionally planned for, supported and extended,
- Quality settings which have a good knowledge of what the Early Level of Curriculum for Excellence provides, and facilitate developmentally appropriate experiences that build on what children already know and can do,
- Quality settings which plan experiences that engage children in challenging, risk appropriate play,
