How Do We Teach At Hardwick Primary School

‘..the cognitive load resulting from a complex task can be reduced by breaking it down into smaller, simpler steps for a learner to complete individually.’ Cognitive Load Theory¹

The Cognitive Load Theory is woven through every aspect of our teaching and our curriculum; the Senior Leadership team, teachers and support staff actively seek its promotion and adoption through all elements of teaching and learning; it underpins everything we do.  

Key aims

As a school we believe that all pupils have an entitlement to achieve their maximum potential regardless of their circumstances. We provide opportunities to break through barriers, increase resilience and ensure that every child in our care is inspired to have aspirations not bound by their societal background.

As a corporate body of professionals, (Senior Leaders, Teachers, Learning Assistants, SEND support staff and administrative staff) we go about ensuring we are committed to providing high quality teaching and learning for the children in our care, raising standards and achievement for all.

We have an agreed approach for teaching and learning in our school.  It provides a template by which consistency of pedagogy is developed and maintained. It also reflects the aims and objectives the school and supports its vision.  Furthermore, our approach is grounded in academic research, particularly that of the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) which emphasises that in order for children to be successful learners, unnecessary distractions and complications need to be strip away; allowing the learning to focus on the key information.  Please refer tot he Teaching and Learning policy which is the resultant outworking of this theory.

Rationale & Ethos

Inclusivity is at the heart of all we do; as a school, we deploy all resources effectively to provide every child with an equal opportunity to succeed. This is achieved through the early identification of barriers to learning; identifying why children are not achieving their potential and then putting in compensatory measures to support the child.

Our priority as a school is to ensure that all children are offered access to appropriate, age related curriculum content, regardless of background or needs. We believe this is best achieved through our high quality universal offer.

The values underpinning our relationships with the children in our school and with other members of staff are vital to ensure an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. The vision and ethos of the school will be contributed to daily by all members of staff through:

• providing a safe, calm and effective working environment in which each child can produce their best work.
• providing a welcoming environment where respect is fostered and dignity upheld.
• providing positive role models effective management of their professional time valuing pupils as individuals, celebrating their successes and allowing them to learn from their mistakes.
• reviewing and maintaining an up to date personal and professional development, ensuring high levels of personal expertise.

[1] John Sweller (1988),  Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning

Link to a useful website on Cognitive Load Theory:

https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load/