Learning to Learn

As well as the help we get from our superhero animal learners in working our learning muscles, we also have some other strategies we use to develop lifelong learning skills.

‘Walt’ and Steps to Success

Lessons from Year 1 to Year 6 have clear objectives – ‘Walt’ (We are learning to) - which are shared with the children. Success criteria, ‘Steps to Success’, are often devised with the children and are used to help focus learning and encourage children to become independent learners, helping them be challenged and to make progress. 

Great Green and Pink to Think!

At Avening Primary School, feedback is seen as a key way to promote learning. We use green marking pens to show where the children have been successful against the learning objectives and success criteria. Where pink is used, the children need to think – ‘Pink to think’.  They are encouraged to revise their work, using a different colour.

Self-Assessment

Children are regularly encouraged to evaluate their own learning. Using the ‘Steps to Success’, they may identify where they have met or exceeded the learning objectives. Sometimes we underline our writing in different colours to show where we have met the success criteria. Particularly in writing, next steps may be identified as however good we are, we are always looking to aspire further!

Thinking Corner

We love to ask questions and be curious about the world around us. We publish a 'Thinking Corner' question on The Hoot each week. The questions often don’t have a right or wrong answer, and should get your brain really thinking! 

The Power of Music

You can often hear musical melodies drifting out of classroom doors. That is because we believe that music aids learning and can help to create a calm, purposeful learning environment. We even have music in the corridors…and if you’re lucky you’ll smell some beautiful essential oils to stimulate our brains too! A rich learning environment, which stimulates all of our senses, is one where the best learning happens.

Getting ready for Learning!

We have a weekly 'Wake Up Wednesday' before morning register, a short blitz of exercise to awaken our brains, ready for learning.