The best teaching happens when a teacher knows every child in their class - their strengths, their interests, their "hooks", any gaps in their learning...

 At Elton, teachers endeavour to assess every child's starting point and work out the best way in which to move their learning on.  As we are a small school, we have mixed year group classes (currently our Year 4 cohort is split between Year 3 and Year 5, based on age) but the principle of best practice remains the same regardless of a child's age or any other "label" - What can this child do?  Are there any barriers to their learning?  What's the best way we can move their learning on? 

For every individual, we have ambition and high expectations, but our knowledge of every child means that our approach to inspiring them to achieve their full potential will sometimes differ.

As teachers, we model how we expect our children to learn; we are all reflective practitioners, continually seeking how to improve, and are happy to admit when we have made a mistake.  We learn from each other, and discuss both informally and formally, the latest pedagogy and advances in education.  We are proactive in seeking out advice, or ways in which we can improve our teaching.  We enjoy strong relationships with a network of colleagues in cluster schools and in professional organisations.  We aim to be outstanding practitioners so that our children receive the best possible start in education.

We believe that the best learning happens when children are given timely interventions to either correct any misunderstandings, or to move their learning on.  Formative assessment (self, peer and teacher) is therefore a fundamental part of every learning opportunity, and children are encouraged to take responsibility for many aspects of their learning.  

This year, as part of our whole-school staff development programme, we are exploring alternative ways of giving feedback and moving children's learning on.