Teaching and learning

Our approach to teaching and learning

Our goal is to create a stimulating and supportive learning environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential. Through high-quality teaching, a well-structured curriculum and a focus on personal development, we aim to inspire a love of learning and equip students with the skills and knowledge they need for future success.

Our aims

To provide a personalised learning journey that reflects each student’s strengths, interests and aspirations
To create a positive learning environment where students feel challenged, supported and motivated to succeed
To equip students with the skills needed to be independent learners and critical thinkers
To make learning relevant to real-world experiences and future career pathways
To share and develop best practices across all subjects to continually raise teaching and learning standards

What we expect from our students

To engage actively in their learning and take responsibility for their progress
To demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to explore new ideas and concepts
To understand how their learning connects to previous and future knowledge
To work respectfully and collaboratively with peers and staff
To develop resilience and confidence in tackling challenge

“Richmond Park Academy will provide a curriculum with social equality and opportunity at its heart, erudition as its aim and our values of pride, aspiration, resilience, kindness and skills at the forefront.”

JAMES WHELAN - PRINCIPAL

Curriculum delivery

Our curriculum is broad, balanced and designed to provide all students with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills. Lessons are carefully structured to build on prior learning, ensuring students know more and remember more over time. A range of teaching methods, including practical activities, group work and independent study, are used to engage students and meet different learning styles.

Supporting progress and achievement

We monitor student progress closely to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Through regular assessments, targeted support and constructive feedback, we ensure that every student receives the guidance they need to succeed. Our teaching staff work collaboratively to share good practices and continuously refine their approach to delivering high-quality lessons.

Marking & feedback
Pupil books will have one piece of work that has been deep-marked once a half-term for non-core subjects and twice a half-term for core subjects.Pupils will be given strengths & an actionable target which they will respond to.

MONITORING
‍
‍Developmental prop ins:
Staff will have a scheduled ‘drop in development' session’ on a two week cycle which focuses on areas of strength as well as a key actionable step which is linked to ‘The Principles of Teaching’. Feedback will focus on specific action steps for improvement.

‍CPD:
All teaching staff attend a comprehensive, research- formed CPD program. Each cycle of CPD (5 weeks) has a key focus, for example, ‘teaching to the top’. Time is given to faculties to apply pedagogy to subject specific contexts.

‍Book-looks:
Book looks happen once a half term to check for the quality of work, marking and feedback.

‍Student voice:
An opportunity, once a half-term, for pupils to give feedback on teaching and learning.

Developing a love of learning

We aim to create a culture where learning is valued and celebrated. Our students are encouraged to explore subjects beyond the classroom through enrichment activities, extracurricular clubs and leadership opportunities. By encouraging curiosity and a growth mindset, we help students develop a lifelong passion for learning.

Lesson phases
Our lesson model is underpinned by research and is based on Responsive Teaching.There are different lesson phases:

‍Recall:
This phase will be present at the start of every single lesson in order to help pupils retain key information they have learned.
‍
‍Input:
This phase gives quality/expert instruction to the desired aim of the lesson or model particular skills/focus of the lesson
‍
‍Checkpoint:
Teachers will use a range of different strategies to ascertain class understanding of the input given. Using these insights they will move those showing ‘mastery’ onto independent practice and support those who do not.

‍Independent practice:
Pupils will practice the skills and content from the input. There will be a combination of fluency and problem solving questions. The teacher will support students throughout this time.
‍
‍Differentiation:
This is a constant focus throughout the planning and delivery of lessons and a range of strategies are used to remove as many barriers to learning as possible and accelerate the progress made by pupils.