Underpinning all our work at JRCS is a relentless commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning. We expect students at JRCS to commit to lifelong learning, to be reflective and to approach challenge with a growth mindset. We know that, to achieve this, we must also demonstrate these qualities as staff. Below is an introduction to how we strive for ever improving teaching and learning at JRCS.
At JRCS we are proud that we make decisions and policy based on research and evidence. We have developed a rigorous and challenging curriculum to equip our students with extensive knowledge they need to prepare them for important exams. In addition to this, we also teach beyond the curriculum to develop cultural capital within our students, helping them to thrive in the wider world after their time at school. We think carefully about pedagogy at JRCS and we understand that taking on, and retaining this knowledge can be challenging for students. It is for this reason that we use explicit instruction through the teacher and carefully plan regular intervals within lessons to precisely check student understanding. More information about our approach to teaching and learning can be found in our teaching and learning policy here or on our policy page.
Staff at JRCS are fully committed to the development of teaching and learning within the school. When students leave school at 1:40pm on a Wednesday much of the time in those afternoons are spent discussing and developing teaching and learning strategies that will improve the student experience in the classroom and support their success. Staff are enthusiastic about teaching and learning and a large majority of staff voluntarily attend the school teaching and learning group where ideas are further developed. Alongside the teaching and learning group the school also runs a voluntary peer observation programme across staff called teaching squares. Teaching squares is when teachers are grouped with other professionals in different departments and they take it in turns to observe each other teach to share good practice with a view to embedding new strategies into their own teaching.
At JRCS we are acutely aware that the quality of education that we can offer students in the classroom is the most important aspect of the school. This is what sets students up for success within school and beyond into their adult lives. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously, which is why fostering a culture of reflection and improvement across the teachers is so important. In addition, we also role model these values to students to help them in their learning.
