Learning Development Plan 2022-23

Overview for Parents and Carers

Our Learning Development Plan is reviewed annually to enable the headteacher, leadership team, governors and the MAT trust board to analyse how well the school is doing and to identify areas where improvements are needed. Our plan is based on an action-research model and is underpinned by the key questions that we are trying to answer following a detailed analysis of recent outcomes for the children in our school.
2021/22 was another unique school year which highlighted the following key questions and areas for improvement. These areas form the three key priorities for our current 2022/23 Learning Development Plan.

Quality of Education

Priority 1 – To refine our curriculum design, ensuring a clear focus on planning and sequencing cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for all learners within the context of a relevant and ambitious curriculum.

Why? – In 2019 we began to explore the introduction of Harmony principles within our curriculum. Following a period of significant disruption and challenge, as a team we are now in a stronger position to resume our focus on the planning and sequencing of cumulative knowledge in all subject areas, whilst maintaining a focus on an ethos that is more relevant now than ever before and reflects the importance that we place on mental health, wellbeing and learning from the natural world. Reading has been  prioritised this year as we embed our introduction of Little Wandle, alongside developing further relevance and diversity within our overall reading curriculum. Outcomes in maths and writing have been significantly impacted by the last two years and core subject leaders and their teams are focused on further targeted work to aid recovery.

Desired Outcomes for Children – All children access a broad, balanced, relevant and courageous curriculum which reflects our high expectations for all, our response to the impact of the last two years, and the paramount importance of children’s mental health and wellbeing in an ever changing world.

How have you influenced this area of development? – Feedback from our parents in July 2022 indicated that the curriculum that we provide and our targeted provision for children with specific needs are highly valued across our community.  However, it is also clear that some parents feel that communication around pupil progress could be improved. We want all parents to feel confident in knowing how best to support their children’s progress and to engage in a regular learning dialogue and will be offering  more regular opportunities to visit children in their classrooms and the development of a number of new parental engagement initiatives this year.

Behaviour and Attitudes / Personal Development

 

Priority 2 – To embed our whole-school Relationships / Behaviour policy and mental health and wellbeing strategy. To further develop our understanding of core values, their place within the curriculum and their role in developing intrapersonal, interpersonal, societal and global wellbeing.

Why? –  Although we are confident in our use of effective behaviour management techniques in school we are increasingly aware of how these may differ from what parents perceive as ‘discipline’. As a school we are facing an increasing number of challenges linked with mental health and wellbeing for children and their families, particularly as a result of the global pandemic. We now need to ensure that the application of our Relationships / Behaviour policy is communicated well to parents. We are also shining a monthly spotlight on our core values this year as we raise their profile and use our new ‘ripples’ graphics to guide wider conversations around values.

Desired Outcomes for Children – Skilled and consistent therapeutic behaviour management is evident from all staff groups and our community as a whole are able to articulate the key principles of our whole school ‘Relationships’ ethos. Children, staff and families are able to articulate our school values and a deepening understanding of their relevance at personal, local and global level. Children live, breathe and share their understanding of our core values through their actions, words and roles in their communities.

How have you influenced this area of development? – Feedback from our parents in July 2022 indicated that although parents felt that behaviour was good overall many of our parents said that they didn’t know what the school did, particularly in terms of anti-bullying strategies as their child had never been bullied. We hope that through further development of this work there will be a greater level of communication about our policy and approach, and a shared understanding of our mental health and wellbeing strategies and how these can be used to support families at a time of significant challenge.

Leadership and Management

 

Priority 3 – To further develop and strengthen the role of strategic leadership and governance in securing improvements in teaching, learning and outcomes for children with a particular focus on curriculum implementation and outcomes.

Why? – Following a time of transformation within our leadership team, further work is now needed to ensure that both middle leaders and governors begin to play a more significant role in securing accountability within specific focus areas across the school. The school’s professional growth model reflects a commitment to growing leadership at all levels and the school welcomes a period of stability to ensure that this valuable model now becomes embedded.

Desired Outcomes for Children – The Wessex MAT, Governors and middle leaders make an effective contribution to the overall leadership and management of the school leading to improved quality of education and outcomes for pupils.

How have you influenced this area of development? – Your feedback in July 2022 indicated that over 99% of you were confident in the leadership and management of the school. We are incredibly proud of this and want to ensure that this is sustained. As we continue to establish our place within the Wessex MAT and our Headteacher’s  role in further developing support for others within the MAT, we hope that parents will realise the  ambition behind this and the positive impact of this on our own school.

To read our Learning Development Plan in detail please click here.