St Mary’s CE Primary School, nestled in the heart of Truro, Cornwall’s only city, is a single-form entry school dedicated to providing an exceptional educational experience. Central to this commitment is our Sunrise Curriculum, a cornerstone of our pedagogical approach, designed to meet the unique needs of our pupils.
Drawing on a range of educational research, including Barak Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction (2012), our curriculum refines how lessons are structured and delivered, with the goal of ensuring that every child receives the best possible support throughout their learning journey.
Building on this foundation, St Mary’s Effective Teaching and Learning Model has been crafted to translate these principles into consistent, impactful classroom practices. The model focuses on strategies such as structured lesson sequences, live modelling techniques, and rigorous checks for understanding – all of which are integral to driving pupil success.
In this article, I would like to share some practical strategies that have been developed and implemented at St Mary’s, including how we tailor teaching practices and support staff development through targeted CPD, coaching, and collaboration.
Despite challenges, the positive feedback from staff and pupils reinforces our commitment to continually enhancing our approach.
Teaching and Learning Model
Our Effective Teaching and Learning Model is the foundation upon which we build successful pupil outcomes. This model was developed with a clear goal – that every lesson, every day, is a powerful and effective learning experience for all pupils.
Our approach is rooted in both educational research and the specific needs of our school community, with a focus on structured, deliberate teaching practices that enhance learning at every stage.
The Teaching and Learning Model is influenced by cognitive science and evidence-based teaching strategies. Research on cognitive load theory (e.g. Kirschner et al, 2018) , the importance of retrieval practice, and the benefit of explicit instruction informs our methods.
We have adopted a structured approach that breaks down learning into manageable phases – “I do, we do, you do” – ensuring that pupils are guided from initial instruction to independent practice in a way that maximises understanding and retention.
We drew on research highlighting the positive effects of scaffolding in the classroom (e.g. Van de Pol et al, 2015). For example, retrieval practice is a core component of our model, based on the understanding that regularly recalling information strengthens pupils’ memory and aids long-term retention.
This research-backed strategy is integrated into our lessons to support knowledge consolidation and help pupils build on what they have previously learned.
Our model is designed to meet the diverse needs of pupils. We recognise that every child brings a different background of knowledge and skills to the classroom. Therefore, the model begins by linking new learning to prior knowledge, allowing us to build on what pupils already know (see Willingham, 2009).
This connection not only activates existing knowledge but also creates a strong foundation for new learning, ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their starting point, can access and engage with the curriculum.
For instance, in our reading lessons, we use structured approaches such as echo reading (where the adult reads a text aloud and the child repeats it) to model fluency, timed reading exercises to build speed, and direct vocabulary instruction to enhance comprehension.
These techniques are integrated to scaffold learning effectively and address individual needs, further supporting pupils in developing their reading skills. For more, see the Education Endowment Foundation’s Improving literacy in key stage 1 research summaries (EEF, 2020).
To further support consistent engagement with learning behaviours, our EYFS teachers and SENCO collaborated to develop standardised visuals for the “I do, we do, you do” phases. These visuals, available both digitally and in laminated form, help children to consistently engage with the appropriate learning behaviours throughout each lesson section.
On show: A year 5 printing display celebrates pupils’ outcomes
Staff development
The quality of teaching is directly linked to the professional growth of our staff. CPD is a vital component of our approach.
Our CPD programme is tailored to address both individual and collective needs, offering workshops, training sessions, and access to educational research. These opportunities are designed to enhance subject knowledge and refine instructional techniques, with a particular focus on the Effective Teaching and Learning Model.
Coaching and collaboration play a vital role in embedding these developments into everyday practice. We aim to foster a culture of open dialogue and peer support, where teachers regularly observe each other’s lessons and engage in reflective discussion.
Through coaching, staff receive personalised feedback and guidance, helping them to identify areas for improvement and celebrate successes. Collaborative planning sessions further support this process, allowing teachers to share ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and align their strategies. This collective effort ensures that our teaching practices are continually evolving, grounded in both research and the shared expertise of our dedicated team.
A prime example of the value of our approach can be seen in how we address the challenges of scaffolding. For instance, one of our teachers demonstrated a well-prepared resource designed to facilitate scaffolded direct instruction for creating an information poster in geography. This resource allowed for a clear and succinct delivery of the content. Impressed by its effectiveness, a colleague replicated this approach in a different subject, adapting the resource to suit their own classroom needs.
This sharing of strategies highlights the practical benefits of our model and how successful techniques can be adapted across various subjects to enhance teaching and learning.
The growth of our staff is central to the success of our teaching model. As headteacher, I have been inspired by how our teachers have not only embraced CPD but have also actively integrated it into specific aspects of our Effective Teaching and Learning Model.
Their commitment to polishing and refining their practice through reflective processes has empowered them, giving them agency over their pedagogy and the outcomes for our children. This sense of ownership and the drive to continually improve is what truly motivates our staff.
Flying solo: A pupil undertakes ‘I do’ independent practice
Coaching
A notable development in our coaching culture is the role of an experienced member of our staff who recently completed the National Professional Qualification (NPQ). His new role has evolved into a key component of our coaching and reflection process.
This staff member now leads coaching sessions and provides invaluable support to his colleagues, enhancing their reflective practices and preparing them effectively for their coaching sessions. His expertise has become a cornerstone of our approach, facilitating deeper reflection and continuous improvement across the team.
We have structured our CPD around SMART targets, concentrating on key components of our model such as assessing for understanding and implementing cold-calling.
Each CPD session is planned to provide targeted learning opportunities, including video reviews of specific focuses to enhance understanding. We also allocate time for teachers to implement these strategies in their classrooms and use staff meeting time to address well-being and workload.
To reinforce this learning, teachers are encouraged to share their experiences in chosen subjects through a coaching approach. These coaching sessions focus exclusively on the pedagogical strategy, ensuring that observations remain focused and do not devolve into general reviews of teaching and learning.
To support this targeted approach, coaching colleagues use a specially designed template that aligns with the CPD content, highlighting how effectively the strategy is being applied.
After each session, joint reflections allow teachers to identify areas for further development, often leading to a second coaching session on the same focus. Many teachers have requested this additional support, particularly when applying strategies like “I do, we do, you do” in subjects where they feel less confident, such as art or geography.
This led to a teacher demonstrating some incredible direct instruction for creating Myan masks where all children could draw on all the skills taught in the lesson sequence, and their knowledge from history, to understand the importance of the art they emulated. The outcomes were fantastic.
This iterative process, supported by middle leaders and a culture that celebrates continuous improvement, is gradually shaping a unique pedagogy – one that is research-based and tailored to the specific needs of our pupils.
Through this approach, our teaching practices are not only being refined and developed, but are also becoming deeply embedded in the fabric of our school, ensuring that they consistently lead to better outcomes for our children.
In it together: Two pupils take part in a ‘we do’ paired working activity
Assessment
Additionally, our approach involves continuous assessment and scaffolding, tailored to the individual progress of each pupil. We check for understanding throughout the lesson, using techniques such as cold-calling and think-pair-share to ensure that all pupils are engaged and can demonstrate their comprehension.
By identifying gaps or misconceptions early, we can provide targeted support and adjust our instruction to meet pupils where they are.
One of the core principles of our model is setting clear, achievable objectives that align with the national curriculum. Before introducing new content, teachers at St Mary’s meticulously plan lessons to ensure that learning objectives are suitably challenging and directly tied to national standards.
This careful planning process includes checking prerequisite knowledge, addressing any gaps or misconceptions, and preparing resources that will support the lesson’s objectives.
This structured approach ensures that pupils are not only taught content but are equipped with the skills and understanding needed to meet and exceed curriculum expectations. By setting high expectations and providing the necessary scaffolding, we help pupils develop confidence in their abilities and encourage them to take ownership of their learning.
Final thoughts
The rationale behind the Effective Teaching and Learning Model is to provide a consistent, research-informed framework that empowers teachers to deliver high-quality instruction. This model is designed to be practical and adaptable, ensuring that all pupils can succeed and thrive in their learning journey.
- Louise Stevenson is the headteacher of St Mary’s CE Primary School in Truro.
Headteacher Update Autumn Term Edition 2024
- This article first appeared in Headteacher Update's Autumn Term Edition 2024. This edition was sent free of charge to UK primary schools in September 2024. A free-to-download digital edition is also available via www.headteacher-update.com/content/downloads
Further information & resources
- EEF: Improving literacy in key stage 1, 2020: https://buff.ly/3sAqkUW
- Kirschner et al: From cognitive load theory to collaborative cognitive load theory. In International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 13(2), 2018.
- Rosenshine: Principles of Instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know, American Educator, Spring 2012: https://buff.ly/3YOKpsf
- Van de Pol et al: The effects of scaffolding in the classroom: Support contingency and student independent working time in relation to student achievement, task effort and appreciation of support. Instructional Science, 43(5), 2015.
- Willingham: Why Don’t Students Like School? Jossey Bass, 2009.