Teaching

Teaching in TWFS will be exemplary. We believe inspirational teachers create the best learners, so this is an area we will not compromise on. Despite the tight constraints of funding, we intend to prioritise skill and experience over cost.

Teachers who foster creativity have a set of beliefs and attitudes which will be encouraged and developed at our school. They develop behaviour in their pupils which leads to divergent thinking, openness and a tolerance for ambiguity in the classroom. Motivation, focus and commitment then grow through self-evaluation. Creativity needs both a specific and a general knowledge base, asking 'why' questions to stimulate the study of cause-effect relations, without neglecting the mastery of factual knowledge.

Collaborative and Specialist Teaching

At The Wells Free School we will harness the specific skills and expertise of all who are involved in the school.

Head Teacher: The Head Teacher will bring specific strengths to our school, and will be very hands-on with her approach to education. She will be actively involved in every class, know every child in the school and teach wherever possible.
Teachers: All teachers will contribute their own expertise, passions and talents. Our flexible timetable will enable teachers to move around the school, ensuring optimum use of the bank of skills available.
Teaching Assistants: All TAs will be encouraged to share and celebrate their knowledge and expertise.
Specialist Teachers: We will use specialist teachers wherever possible to cover planned non-contact time for teachers, for example specialist language or sports providers.
Parents / Community: All parents and members of the community will be encouraged to share their specific interests in order to broaden the provision available, as well as extend understanding of each other and our differences. The main opportunity for this will be through extended school provision – i.e. clubs occurring before and after school, and at lunch time. As specified elsewhere, we envisage ‘members of the community’ to include local 6th form students, businesses, elderly folk, and anyone else who may want to get involved.

Support Staff

We value the contribution of Teaching Assistants extremely highly, and intend to maximise their skills to broaden our provision. We will ensure excellent knowledge of all staff, including finding out about their strengths, interests and skills, and we will train them appropriately to be the very best they can be.

Children can form close bonds with the adults in the classroom, so it is essential that all TAs have exemplary interpersonal skills, and are able to communicate extremely effectively, both with the children and their colleagues.

Teaching assistants will work alongside class teachers, specialist teachers, and homeroom tutors, ensuring continuity, consistency, and smooth-running of daily ‘housekeeping’ jobs. In addition we foresee them fulfilling the following roles:

Helping to facilitate effective delivery of the taught curriculum and follow-up activities (e.g. working alongside individuals and groups to focus their attention, challenge their goals, and maximum potential learning).
Working effectively one-to-one and with small groups, to provide specific intervention, and to boost outcomes.
Helping to facilitate child-initiated learning (having an excellent knowledge of how to encourage and stimulate the children's own ideas, and how best to resource any practical activities.
Role-modelling positive behaviours (including playing the role of 'stooge' to illustrate specific aspects of learning, or highlight deliberate mistakes).

In addition we will employ a Higher Level TA, who will be responsible for delivering booster-groups, as well as qualified and competent to provide a small amount of PPA cover where required.