In lessons we want to give our students access to the best which has been thought, said and written in every field of human endeavour so that they are knowledgeable, critical, enriched and well poised to lead fulfilling lives. To this end, we seek to ensure that each teacher in each lesson is able to do the best for each learner, delivering quality first teaching.
Teachers follow the Rushey Principles of Instruction, which are based on research of the most effective teaching and learning methodology, influenced in particular by Barak Rosenshine’s research.
The emphasis of teaching is on Direct Instruction, based on the principle of “I do, We do, You do”, ensuring students have plenty of guided practice, with support and scaffolding, in order to master the new learning, avoid any misconceptions and be able to apply the learning in new contexts.
In all subjects there is an emphasis on memorisation, leading to automatic recall. Memorisation strategies are taught explicitly through assemblies and tutor time, as well as in lessons. Knowledge Organisers are used to identify key information to be memorised as a minimum, and these are shared with parents to support learning at home. Parents are also invited to attend sessions where they can be taught more about the science of learning, and how to support their child’s learning at home.
Professional Learning time is dedicated to giving teachers the opportunity to collaborate on aspects of the Principles of Instruction, observe peers and self-reflect on their own teaching. Quality Assurance processes show the impact of this is that the standard of teaching across the school is very high and teaching is very effective.
The Challenge Partners Review in February stated that “the leadership of teaching and learning is of the highest quality. Best practice within the school is shared and many staff work with other schools both locally and nationally to improve the quality of teaching in those schools.”
The Review went on to highlight the good practice that takes place in our classrooms every day: “High-quality teaching is the norm found at the school”, “Teachers ensure that students make exceptionally good progress by planning well-structured lessons, linked to high expectations of work and behaviour”, “Classes are managed very competently, with well-practised and effective routines”, “Teachers question students skilfully”.
Reading and literacy at Rushey Mead Academy
At Rushey Mead Academy, we are committed to the belief that strong reading and literacy skills are the foundation upon which students thrive, both academically and personally. As such, all teachers are teachers of literacy.
The approach is broken into the following structure:
With a focus on reading as a fundamental skills that unlocks all facets of life, we are proud that despite around a third of students joining us with lower than age related expectations in reading, we offer a highly coordinated approach to ensure that all students have the opportunity to become life long readers.
Our school library, led by our award winning school librarian, champions the vision for reading for pleasure:
- Students have library lessons and reading in tutor time
- The library is open to students before, during and after school
- The catalogue is inclusive and engaging
- Annually, we lend over 15,500 books, averaging 10 books per hour!
Students have said the following about our library:
- The atmosphere is magical. (Y10)
- I like the wide variety of books, from classic novels to graphic novels. The staff are extremely approachable, kind, and always greet you with a smile. I also like the furniture, it is very practical, and the purple chairs are very comfortable, for a quick read on your own. I love using the library, it is one of my favourite, places in the school. I especially love the quizzes and competitions that are run within the library, as there are prizes to be won, Rushey rewards to be earned, and knowledge to be gained. (Y9)
- I like how our school library offered a large varieties of books and has a wonderful librarian that helps every single child. (Y10)
- I like that my school library is open to me to use any time and it benefits me because reading is a key part of life and knowing how to read properly can be a huge benefit in life. (Y7)
- The library staff are incredibly helpful and always kind. The selection of books is impressive with plenty of options for different interests, and the space is well-organised with lots of comfortable places to sit and read. Overall, the library is a great and adds a lot to our school experience. (Y8)
Students with reading needs are supported by a tiered intervention model:
As a result of this, we are proud that reading trends at Rushey Mead Academy buck national trends. In a comparison of school vs national data (from the Literacy Trust annual survey), we found:
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