The impact of professional learning on improving the quality of teaching in Radyr Comprehensive School
Quick links:
Information about the school
Radyr Comprehensive School in Cardiff, is an English-medium school with 1,409 pupils, 1,157 of whom are of statutory school age. Three point five per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language. Around 14.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average, and around 8.7% have additional learning needs, which is also below the national average. The school’s leadership team consists of the headteacher, two deputy headteachers and three assistant headteachers.
Context and background to the effective or innovative practice
The school has a clear vision to provide the very best learning experiences for all pupils. Improving teaching, and learning has been the key driver for the school’s approach to Curriculum for Wales. The school’s main focus has been on maximising participation and deepening thinking in lessons through simple but effective teaching techniques. This has been supported by formal and informal professional learning where the use of these techniques is modelled by leaders. Leaders use research to inform their approach, considering carefully how it can be applied to the school’s specific context. They evaluate all approaches to ensure they align to their vision, and monitor their impact closely.
In order to inspire a passion for pedagogy and teaching, leaders have encouraged a strong culture of learning among all staff. At the heart of this work has been the determination to promote a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging regular reflection and continued professional learning for all staff. This is modelled by senior leaders, who engage enthusiastically with internal and external professional learning opportunities.
Description of nature of strategy or activity
The school’s internal professional learning model was designed with the specific needs of staff, pupils, and the school’s identified areas for improvement, in mind. National priorities such as the National Approach to Professional Learning (NAPL) and the National Professional Learning Entitlement (NPLE) were also taken into consideration. Staff completed the School as a Learning Organisation (SLO) survey as well as a school-designed survey and the findings were used to design an individualised professional learning programme. This information was cross-referenced with findings from self-evaluation activities such as learning walks, lesson observations, learner voice, and work scrutiny to ensure that these were also taken into account in the design. Extensive research was also undertaken by senior leaders and directors of learning in order to design and implement the most effective approach to improving teaching.
The school’s professional learning approach includes a formal and informal offering. The formal offering involves all teaching staff signing up for a ‘strand’, from a choice of seven, that they follow throughout the year. Each strand consists of one session per half term. Sessions are delivered by leaders from across the school as well as governors with valuable experience in areas such as managing organisational change and improving the use of questioning. Staff are encouraged to evaluate each session and changes are made as a result. For example, a strand on ‘Closing the Gap’ was modified to have a greater focus on additional learning needs (ALN) and a strand for aspiring senior leaders was added. The time provided between sessions provides helpful opportunities for staff to plan and implement approaches so that they improve their practice.
All newly-appointed staff are inducted fully into the school’s approach to strengthening teaching and learning and are supported effectively to understand to develop in line with the school’s expectations. The leads for teaching and learning and directors of learning are experts that share and model approaches so that teachers have the confidence to trial them in the classroom. Sessions are offered on a variety of specific areas. They explore, for example, how ‘cold calling’ can be used to maximise participation and deepen thinking, and how to check for understanding and adapt teaching as a result. In line with findings from self-evaluation activities, a session has recently been added on using written feedback to maximise learner progression.
Informal professional learning consists of half termly teaching and learning newsletters and a teaching and learning Teams page. All staff are encouraged to share and access valuable research via these means. Senior leaders and directors of learning research widely and regularly. They effectively filter and disseminate what is most pertinent to the needs of the school and relevant to the needs of staff. The most notable feature of this is the way in which leaders make research relevant and easily digested by staff. This enables staff to understand how to apply certain approaches in the classroom.
A commitment to continued learning and improvement for all is encouraged through the school’s approach to performance management (PM). This is linked to the professional learning, and teaching and learning models. As part of PM, all staff engage in action enquiry to pursue their own pedagogical development needs and interests. Through this, they are encouraged to take risks, trial new strategies, and collaborate with teachers from other schools. They are asked to act on a ‘read-act-reflect’ model before making use of the Professional Learning Passports on the Education Workforce Council (EWC) website. They record their findings as Professional Learning Experiences (PLEs). In order to model and grow learning leadership in line with the SLO model, staff are actively encouraged to showcase their findings during ‘sharing best practice’ INSET days. Staff disseminate their professional learning and the progress of their action enquiry in faculty meetings so that a culture of enquiry is embedded.
What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?
The school has made notable progress in improving the quality of teaching and learning, as noted in their most recent inspection report. Many teachers plan and deliver effective lessons that support pupils to make strong progress. In a minority of cases, teaching is inspirational and helps pupils to make rapid progress in their knowledge, understanding and skills. Teaching in a number of departments, notably mathematics, English, humanities and MFL, is highly effective and pupil progress reflects this.
Teacher questioning is a particular strength. Teachers generally use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding and to probe and deepen their learning. This has led to improved engagement and attitudes to learning and has also had a positive impact on pupils’ speaking skills.
Senior leaders’ commitment to continued learning for all has led to increased take up of voluntary professional learning opportunities such as the National MA in Education (Wales). The enthusiastic discussions around pedagogy have created a notable change in culture, with many more staff now willing to engage in professional conversations. As a result, staff are more willing to engage with the school’s coaching programme due to the shared belief that all teachers should, and can, be better. This coaching programme enables staff to work together to observe and improve each other’s teaching. Staff value this programme as it focuses on the specific aspects of teaching they are aiming to improve.
How have you shared your good practice?
The school welcomes contact from anyone interested in implementing this approach in their setting.