Making the difference Maplewell Hall School We exist to help every student take the steps they need to take to progress along their individual pathway towards Further Education, employment and independent adult life.

or……sucking eggs?

Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his son’s Headteacher. Isn’t this what all parents want, give or take the odd point here and there?

The teaching and learning tank A weapon of mass education Powerful Teachers Trusted Informed Trained Empowered Collaborative A weapon of mass education

What is going on in other parts of the world? Teaching is viewed as a top career – more prestigious than becoming a Doctor or Lawyer. This is based on ‘world class’ CPD Singapore – ‘teach less, learn more’

‘teach less, learn more’ Plan lessons well – personalise to individual needs / matched to skills, interests and styles / matched to prior learning, including diagnostic data and ongoing assessments ‘Hook them in’ – get students interested / make work challenging Cover less of the curriculum, but in greater depth – mastery? Build in time for students to reflect on their learning – strategically and dynamically – provides ongoing feedback Use targeted interventions / homework to plug any gaps in knowledge Link learning to the ‘real world’ – let pupils see the point of doing it Use ‘hinge’ questions at key points throughout lessons, in order for students to clarify their understanding / helps students to identify how they learn best, in addition to strengths and weaknesses

(an extract from our SEF) Maplewell Hall School (an extract from our SEF) Maplewell Hall School aims to encourage all our students to achieve their potential through a culture of high expectations and aspirations for everyone. Learning is at the centre of all that we do and we aim to encourage a commitment to learning that is not based solely on the acquisition of knowledge but on the development of the skills, attributes and values needed to encourage life-long learning and employment. At the heart of our teaching and learning ethos is the creation of an environment which builds young people’s self-belief and confidence through systems of praise for effort.

(another extract from our SEF) Maplewell Hall School (another extract from our SEF) The school sets challenging targets to raise standards for all pupils - Well-focused plans for rigorous and extensive assessment and monitoring developments shows how the school is moving standards forward which impact positively on children’s learning and progress in areas of strength.

How is this achieved? High quality teaching, learning and assessment Be a lifelong learner –never stop High aspirations and expectations from everyone Make learning aspirational – ‘don’t spoon-feed’ High quality, developmental marking and feedback - QA Lesson study – student focused - reflective practitioners Focused teacher appraisals – outcomes linked to SIP/SEF Quality assessment procedures – ‘live’ Dedicated improvement reflection time (DIRT) - stickers Regular work moderation – teachers / depts / leaders Regular progress checks – teacher and leaders Learning walks and lesson observations Growth mind-set – a ‘can do’ approach from all Behaviour for learning – earnt rewards – token economy

It is okay for SEND students making academic progress. Last year Maplewell Hall school was well within the top 1% of special schools nationally for Progress 8 score. Not by chasing it, but by doing the very best for every student.

Nothing is impossible

The secret to successful teaching of pupils with SEND