Teaching and Learning at Milton
Teaching and Learning Lead: Mr A Jones
Vision
Our vision for high quality, high impact teaching and learning is to engage, enthuse and inspire - every pupil, every day.
In doing so, we enable all of our pupils to become resilient, resourceful, responsible and intrinsically motivated learners, each with the confidence, skills and attitudes to be successful in learning and in life.
We have a clear framework which underpins and outlines our vision and approach to great teaching and learning; it is rooted in robust research evidence and reflects the very best practice of champion teachers across our family of schools. Our WAT Sunshine Model therefore provides us with clarity, consistency and a common language when we talk about great teaching.
More information about WIndsor Academy Trust’s approach to developing effective teaching and learning and the WAT Sunshine Model can be accessed via the links below:
Our Approach to Curriculum
Our curriculum exists to ensure all pupils, regardless of background and ability, can aspire to 'unlock their academic and personal potential'. It empowers and equips pupils with the knowledge, character virtues and learning skills required to thrive in learning and in life and has been designed to provide access to a broad and ambitious range of subject experiences, anchored by high challenge for all.
Its primary purpose is to enable our pupils to know more and remember more.
Our curriculum exceeds the minimum requirements set out in the National Curriculum and The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils have access to the following areas of learning / subject areas:
Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage:
Prime Areas
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Communication and Language
Specific Areas
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2
Core Subjects
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
Foundation Subjects and Wider Curriculum
- Art and Design
- Computing
- Design and technology
- Languages (Key Stage 2)
- Geography
- History
- Music
- Physical Education
- Religious Education
- Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) inc. Relationships and Health Education (RHE)
All pupils also have access to a programme learning in the following areas:
- Careers and Aspirations
- Forest School
Our Approach to Learning Environments
A high-quality learning environment has the potential to shift possibilities, raise aspirations, and it demands a deep commitment to learning. We believe that the environments that we create at Milton Primary are:
- an enabler;
- a model for greater depth thinking;
- a carefully planned reference point for pupils to help free working memory slots by building long term memory associations;
- a silent teacher;
- inspiring to pupils and staff alike.
To achieve this, staff are responsible for ensuring classrooms are an exciting, stimulating and welcoming place to be. They do this by:
- Arranging furniture and space to create a safe, flexible learning environment, including a carpet focus area if appropriate;
- Creating areas that stimulate interest in current learning and provide a useful reference point in the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding;
- Making sure that equipment is labelled and accessible to promote independent learning;
- Creating a personal and purposeful space for each student to complete their work;
- Teaching children to respect and care for their environment, and expecting them to do just that;
- Ensuring classrooms are inviting and all areas are clear and clutter free;
- Providing an inviting reading area that celebrates a love of literature by both adults and pupils
Our Approach to Assessment
Assessment forms the foundation of all areas of learning and effective assessment is critical to facilitating high-impact teaching because it provides teachers with information about pupils’ understanding and needs.
We use two types of assessment at Milton Primary: formative and summative.
Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment)
Assessment for learning involves generating feedback that is then used to improve pupil performance by enabling teachers to adapt planning to scaffold or challenge learners. It is central to daily classroom practice and is most effective for pupils when it is embedded within a lesson sequence.
Assessment as Learning (Formative Assessment)
Assessment as learning draws on the cognitive principle that pupils are more likely to remember knowledge if they practise retrieving that knowledge over extended periods. This is known as the testing effect. It involves pupils recalling information successfully from long-term memory into their working memory.
Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment)
This involves judging pupils’ performance against age-related expectations. Teachers form these judgements using a combination of assessment tools (tests, quizzes, a pupil’s work in class, etc.).
Pupils in Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 also complete a range of national assessment, as listed below:
| Reception | Early Years Baseline Assessment Early Years Foundation Stage Profile |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Phonics Screening Check |
| Year 2 | Key Stage 1 SATs (optional from 2024 onwards) |
| Year 4 | Multiplication Tables Check |
| Year 6 | Key Stage 2 SATs |