QA Staff Review Notes

Adaptive Planning

  • Secure curriculum knowledge is used to appropriately adapt shared resources to meet the needs of all pupils.

  • Inclusive classroom strategies are employed.

  • The teacher anticipates and plans to remove barriers to learning.

  • Responsive, live adaptations based on misconceptions in learning are made.

  • Teaching to the top involves providing a high challenge level.

Areas for Development:

  • Lack of exact planning in some cases.

  • Resources are sometimes pitched too high.

Behaviour and Expectations

  • Clear routines for behavior are established.

  • High expectations for behavior are set, with a range of strategies (praise, sanctions, rewards) used to maintain them.

  • Passive learners are challenged.

  • Consistent and calm approaches are used in dealing with behaviour.

Areas for Development:

  • Routined non-negotiables are not always followed.

  • Learners are sometimes passive.

Explaining and Modeling

  • Clear, explicit instruction of tasks and content is provided.

  • New knowledge is well explained (e.g., abstract concepts are made concrete, real-life examples are given).

  • Ideas are reframed to aid understanding.

  • Expert subject knowledge is demonstrated.

  • Success criteria are clearly defined.

  • Live modeling (process and product) is used to demonstrate expectations.

Areas for Development:

  • Limited use of explanation which lacks clarity.

  • Gaps in teacher subject knowledge.

  • WAGOLLs are not always used effectively.

Checking for Understanding

  • Flashback tasks support targeted recall.

  • "Get Ready to" checks assess prerequisite knowledge.

  • Cold calling is used to engage students.

  • Whole-class checking (e.g., mini whiteboards) is employed.

  • Diagnostic questions are used to identify misconceptions.

  • Regular and effective teacher circulation facilitates monitoring.

  • Assessment for Learning strategies are used.

Areas for Development:

  • Flashback tasks are not always tailored to individual needs.

  • Questioning is not always targeted, with reliance on hands up.

  • Whole-class checking is limited.

  • Questions are limited to basic recall, with no deeper thinking required.

Assessment and Feedback

  • High-quality verbal feedback is provided.

  • Books demonstrate a range of assessment opportunities.

  • Regular BRAG (personal best, Rationale, Aim, Goal) marking is used in line with policy.

  • Clear targets address misconceptions.

  • BRAG feedback tasks allow pupils to demonstrate progress.

  • Pupils respond to feedback (purple pen).

Areas for Development:

  • Targets are time-consuming to produce.

  • Lack of communication.

  • Limited assessment.

Developing Mini-Subject Specialists

  • Explicit teaching of vocabulary (e.g., use of Frayer models) is conducted.

  • Re-testing of vocabulary encourages recall.

  • Effective talk is modeled by staff.

  • Key terminology is used by pupils with increasing fluency as part of subject specialist talk and written work.

  • Reciprocal reading model.

Areas for Development:

  • Vocabulary is infrequently revisited and not consistently revisited.

Personal Development

  • Links to relevant careers are made.

  • Subject pathways are embedded in the curriculum.

  • Relevant cross-curricular links are highlighted.

  • Resources and explanations broaden horizons and deepen understanding of topics (cultural capital).

  • Learning activities develop personal attributes (e.g., communication skills, problem-solving, teamwork).

Areas for Development:

  • Missed opportunities for broadened scope.

Specific Instances Noted

  • September 25, 2024: Ashley Curtis (Science, KS4). Adaptive Planning is "Good", other categories are "Just Good." Target - Scaf.

  • September 25, 2024: Hannah Martin (Science, KS4 & KS3, Low Ability). Adaptive planning