Curriculum Implementation

Curriculum Implementation: Teaching and Learning at Gosford Hill School

Quality-First Teaching and Intentional Inclusivity

How all students learn is more similar than different. Therefore, at Gosford Hill School, to support SEND, PP and EAL students, we use the T&L Cog to strengthen our universal provision built around quality-first teaching (rather than focusing upon individual deficits). Core instruction in lessons is prioritised, as high-quality, whole-class instruction has a disproportionality positive impact upon SEND, PP and EAL students. Lessons should be proactively designed to be intentionally inclusive for all students from the outset, anticipating and removing barriers, whilst ensuring lessons are accessible and achievable for all. Beyond universal instruction and accessible design, any adaptations should be the minimum necessary to bridge identified learning gaps. Where possible, we use temporary, in-class support rather than separate learning tracks. Effective checking for understanding is the backbone of inclusive teaching – this allows staff to build a context-specific approach based upon specific student needs.

If you are interested in the research behind our teaching and learning principles, the following texts outline some of the pedagogical ideas behind it in more detail:

• ‘How Learning Happens’ by Paul A. Kirschner & Carl Hendrick.
• ‘Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction’ by Barak Rosenshine.
• ‘Rosenshine’s Principles in Action’ by Tom Sherrington.
• ‘Teach Like a Champion’ by Doug Lemov.
• ‘Teach Like Nobody’s Watching’ by Mark Enser.
• ‘Teaching WalkThrus: Five-step guides to instructional coaching: Visual step-by-step guides to essential teaching techniques’ by Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli.
• ‘Motivated Teaching: Harnessing the science of motivation to boost attention and effort in the classroom’ by Peps Mccrea.
• ‘Retrieval Practice: Research & Resources for every classroom: Resources and research for every classroom’ by Kate Jones.