Teaching and Learning ModelA guide to understanding teaching and learning at SACS

Collective E�cacy

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Creative

Teaching Di�erentiation

Recon

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Communication

Professional

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SustainableAchievement

Instruction

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AssessmentExperience W

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Tolerance

Character

Community

LearningIntentions

Worldview

Education

Growth Mindset

Appraisal

Coaching

Feedback

Research

E�cacy

Thinking

Practice

Christ centred

Respect

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Heart

Walks

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Care

Our Starting Point

The Model

At St Andrew’s Cathedral School we are passionate about teaching in service of student learning and well-being - it’s at the very centre of what we do. We always want to teach in a way that is well-prepared, that shapes the hearts, minds, and lives of our students, and that is evidence-based.

As such, this model is intended to be a guide for how to plan, teach, and evaluate at St Andrew’s Cathedral School.

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The Three Phases

At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, we see teaching and learning unfolding across three distinct phases.

Plan

This covers

• Planning learning

• Planning experience

• Planning assessment

TeachThis covers

• Instructing

• Practising

• Giving feedback

EvaluateThis covers

• Evaluating learning

• Evaluating experience

• Evaluating assessment

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LearningChristian worldview. We want our

curriculum to present an authentic

Christian worldview. Seek opportunities

for students to ask questions and make

connections to this bigger picture and

plan your programs with a Christian

worldview in mind.

Program planning. It’s important to

think ahead with colleagues, so you

can give an overview of what will be

learned to students. Map out your

learning program in terms of its

scope and sequence.

Learning intentions. It’s important to be

clear on what students will learn in any

given lesson. Clarify your intentions for

the term. Write down the purpose of

each lesson and display it in class so

students can see and refer to it.

Individualised learning. Some students

have special circumstances or needs.

Review the specific plan for these

students to help them in class and plan

to use the suggested strategies and

implement them in the program.

ExperienceChristian character. Routines, rituals

and relationships in our classrooms

shape students’ experience, which

impacts their character and wellbeing.

Plan and implement these with Christian

character in mind.

Use of spaces. We shape classrooms,

and then classrooms shape learning.

Deliberately plan the use of space to

aid routines and learning, and be aware

of available spaces inside and outside

the school.

Approaches To Learning (ATL) skills. Bring the ATL skills to life in classes

through specific routines for

communicating, self-managing,

socialising, thinking, and researching.

AssessmentSuccess criteria. Students must

understand what good looks like.

Plan clear and measurable success

criteria for each lesson so students can

appreciate their accomplishments and

gauge their progress.

Pre-assessment tasks. Be ready to

check-in with students along the way.

Plan to check learning from the previous

lesson and regularly assess progress.

Assessment tasks. Good assessment

spans diagnostic, formative, and

summative tasks. Plan these tasks so

they are cumulative and interleaved;

test whether learning is occuring.

Plan

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Teach

InstructionCheck prior learning. Connecting

lessons to prior knowledge supports

mastery learning. Use questions and

quizzes to connect the lesson to what

has been taught before.

Focus the lesson. Learning intentions

and success criteria are crucial for

orienting students. Focus students’

minds on challenging learning

objectives and what success in that

learning looks like.

Teach expanded vocabulary. Students

need to move from “basic” vocabulary

to “explicit” and “specialist” vocabulary

at all levels. Present the rich vocabulary

you want students to access up front,

and monitor use in discussion

and writing.

Explain and model. New learning is best

acquired through clear explanation and

worked examples or models of what you

want students to produce. Use visuals

to aid explanation and demonstrate or

model an expert example.

Questioning. Letting students engage

in dialogue and questioning deepens

understanding and knowledge. Use and

model factual, conceptual, and

debatable questions for students.

PracticeGuided practice. Students need

opportunities to practise and

demonstrate learning in a scaffolded

way. After explaining and modelling an

exercise, supervise their practising, and

allow them to ask questions.

Independent practice. To accelerate

expertise, students need to practise

independently. Provide practice time,

where students inquire and apply

learning to a different context then

are given time to grapple with this.

FeedbackListening. It is vital for teachers to

know their impact. Gauge if learning

is happening by listening to feedback

from students, and adjust your

lesson accordingly.

Checking. Checking if the success

criteria are met is an important part of

formative assessment. Gauge if learning

is successful by testing the outcomes in

light of the learning intentions and

success criteria.

Marking classwork. Marking student

work provokes them to reflect on their

progress, understanding how they can

improve. Regularly check classwork and

give class or individual feedback, with

time for students to act on this feedback.

Marking assessments. Marking formative

and summative assessment tasks

provides students with feedback. Keep

these assessment tasks collated so that

progress is visible.

Rewarding. Recognising student

effort and achievement sustains

motivation. Regularly use meaningful

rewards, including merits, as part of the

feedback process.

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LearningReporting and parents’ interviews. We

partner with parents to ensure the best

learning for students. Make your

reporting and interviewing worthwhile,

communicating a concise summary of

progress to date and tangible ways to

support improvement.

Program evaluation. Evaluating the

success of the program and adapting

it accordingly is an essential part of

the teaching process. Annotate your

program as you go along, making it a

living document.

Growth Learning Conversations / Dashboards. Setting targets and

evaluating students’ journeys towards

those targets enhances their self-

efficacy. Take part in growth learning

conversations with students and

regularly review the dashboards to

assist your planning.

Learning Walks and Moderating Student Work. Collective efficacy means

learning from one another’s expertise

and being excellent together. Observing

each other teach and discussing and

moderating students’ work are two of

the most powerful ways to do this.

Coaching. Learning Coaches can

facilitate self-reflection on teaching

effectiveness. Engage a coach to elicit

what your next steps are, based on the

achievements of your students.

ExperienceCharacter and well-being. Students

regularly evaluate their character and

well-being, including through surveys.

Use the dashboards to review the

outcomes of these surveys, to better

inform your planned classroom

experience.

Student engagement. If routines are in

balance, students are engaged. Ensure

the mix and rigour of the ATL skills are

right across classes.

AssessmentCollaboration. Drawing on the

knowledge and expertise of peers is key

to improving your craft. Include others

when reviewing the types of diagnostic,

formative, and summative assessment

you have used so you can improve or

vary these.

Assessment review. Assessment needs

to be regularly updated in light of

program changes. Evaluate whether the

timing and type of tasks adequately

assess the development of student

expertise over time.

Evaluate

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St Andrew’s Cathedral School Sydney Square, Sydney NSW 2000 ABN 34 429 367 893

phone +61 2 9286 9500 fax +61 2 9286 9550 email info@sacs.nsw.edu.au

CRICOS Registration: The Council of St Andrew’s Cathedral School 02276M

www.sacs.nsw.edu.au

St Andrew’s Cathedral School:

St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a coeducational K-12 Anglican school, located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.

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