Teaching and Learning Policy 1 METHODIST COLLEGE BELFAST Policy Responsibility: Vice Principal Curriculum Date Ratified: June 2026
Ratified by: Board of Governors
Next Reviewed Date: June 2028
Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3 Vision .................................................................................................................................... 3 Principles .............................................................................................................................. 3 The Model for Great Teaching.................................................................................................. 5 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) ......................................................................... 7 Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................................................... 8 Senior Leadership Team (SLT) ............................................................................................. 8 Heads of Department (HoDs).............................................................................................. 8 Classroom Teachers........................................................................................................... 8 Lessons at MCB ..................................................................................................................... 8 Monitoring, Evaluation & Review ............................................................................................. 9 Appendix 1 : Lessons@MCB Posters ..................................................................................... 12
Introduction This policy outlines the principles and strategies that underpin Teaching and Learning practices at Methodist College Belfast. The College is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes effective teaching and progressive learning where Teaching and Learning is at the forefront of professional development and is considered as paramount to the success of our students. Central to our approach is the incorporation of the Model for Great Teaching, a comprehensive framework that encapsulates evidence-based strategies for high-quality teaching. Our job, as teachers, is to ensure that Teaching and Learning provision is the best that it can possibly be and that we take all possible steps to ensure classrooms are safe, progressive, and focused environments.
Vision Our vision is to cultivate a culture of excellence in Teaching and Learning through the development and implementation of research-informed evidence. We want all teachers to avail of the best available research to drive progress in their classrooms and to maximise the opportunity to learn. We aim to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary for success, while prioritising staff professional development. Our Teaching and Learning philosophy is grounded in the belief that high-quality teaching is transformative. The Model for Great Teaching serves as our guiding framework, emphasising the implementation of research-informed practices that enhance student engagement, achievement, and holistic development.
Principles At Methodist College the expectation is that all teaching should be:
Curriculum-centred – Teaching should be relevant to the requirements of each subject curriculum and sequenced in such a way that enables learning to progress appropriately.
Well-planned – Teachers should plan their lessons so that students are actively engaged from the very beginning to the very end of a lesson. Students must understand that every second counts in the classroom and teachers should ensure they facilitate this process.
Self-reflective – Teachers should reflect on their own practice on a regular basis. This can be self-reflection or with colleagues/students. Reflecting on daily practice encourages the METHODIST COLLEGE BELFAST
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continuation of good practice, as well as the opportunity to consider what works well and what can be further developed.
Supported by robust and frequent assessment - Assessment should be both formative and summative and help provide a clear evaluation of student learning. Formative assessments, conducted during the learning process, provide real-time feedback to both teachers and students, fostering a dynamic and responsive teaching environment that addresses individual learning needs. Summative assessments, conducted at the end of a learning period, should provide a comprehensive evaluation of student achievement and accurate data that can inform future strategies. (For more information regarding assessment, please see the Feedback & Marking policy).
Question-rich – Teachers should ask many questions to many students throughout each lesson. By adopting a proactive questioning strategy, teachers can gauge the comprehension levels of the entire class, identify individual learning needs, and encourage critical thinking skills. (For more information regarding questioning, please see the Feedback & Marking policy).
Structured – Lessons should be planned and structured with a clear sense of routine. There is, of course, the need for spontaneity in lessons but classes should have a clear starter, middle and end which allow students to recap, practise and consolidate.
Engaging – Teachers should aim to engage students through well-crafted lessons that encourage hard-thinking and promote challenge. Engaging lessons do not require any kind of ‘performance’ from teachers but instead students should be engaged with the work.
Cumulative – Through regular retrieval practice exercises students should build on prior learning and be expected to explain learning from previous lessons. Students need to see the learning process as a cumulative journey, rather than a series of isolated pieces of information. It is our responsibility to plan and sequence content to enable cumulative teaching and learning to take place.
Non–judgemental and empathetic – Students need to feel safe in our classroom and confident to respond to questions. Teachers should create an environment in which making mistakes and learning how to improve are normal, everyday occurrences. A climate rooted in respect, trust and cooperation should be fostered by all teachers.
Demanding – Within a safe environment teachers must also have high expectations of all students and demand the very best from them in everything that they do. Teachers should
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create a climate of high expectations with appropriate reward and sanction when those expectations are not reached. Feedback-driven – Teachers should provide feedback on a regular basis to students to address issues and drive forward improvement. Feedback can be verbal or written but should always help students to understand what they can do to improve. Feedback workload should always be heavier for students and feedback provided by teachers should be specific and actionable. (For more information regarding feedback, please see the Feedback & Marking policy).
The Model for Great Teaching The Model for Great Teaching serves as the cornerstone of our instructional practices, incorporating a range of evidence-based strategies under four dimensions:
• • • •
Understanding the content – having not only thorough subject knowledge but also knowing how best to sequence and share this knowledge with students; Creating a supportive environment – promoting a positive classroom climate where teacher expectations and student motivation are high; Maximising opportunity to learn – managing time, resources, and behaviour to ensure that uninterrupted learning takes place consistently during the entire lesson and Activating hard thinking – encouraging students to think hard about what they are learning through structuring, explaining, questioning, interacting, embedding, and activating.
The four dimensions and seventeen elements within each dimension (see next page) are the cornerstone of what of what great teaching looks like. Our aim is to use this model as a guiding framework to mould and develop our Teaching and Learning strategies. The model is supported by robust, relevant, and authoritative research and it is, therefore, a model that we follow with trust and confidence. It is not, however, an exhaustive model of what great teaching looks like and staff are encouraged to implement this model and allow it to shape their own pedagogical ideas and strategies. As part of each Department Development Plan (DDP), departments focus on a particular element that they have selected to develop. The aim is to keep the Model for Great Teaching at the centre of department planning and ensure that all teaching staff can share ideas and strategies around elements from the Model. Ultimately, the Model for Great Teaching is something that creates a common ground amongst all teaching staff and a common language that can be used when discussing, sharing and planning around Teaching and Learning.
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Continuous Professional Development (CPD) At Methodist College Belfast, we are committed to fostering a culture of professional growth, reflection and evidence-informed practice. Our approach to CPD is underpinned by the Model for Great Teaching developed by Evidence Based Education, which provides a clear and researchinformed framework for effective teaching. Internal CPD is delivered by the Director of Studies and is directly aligned with the dimensions and elements within this model. These sessions focus on developing shared understanding, providing practical strategies, and encouraging professional dialogue across departments. Each subject department also embeds the Model for Great Teaching into its own Departmental Development Plan. Departments select a specific element from the model to focus on — this may be an area identified for development by the department itself or one highlighted through student feedback as requiring further improvement. This ensures that professional learning is both collaborative and closely linked to subject expertise, enabling teachers to reflect on their practice, trial new approaches, and evaluate their impact on student learning. Our CPD aims to strike a balance between whole-school priorities, departmental needs, and individual professional growth. It is designed to be dynamic, responsive and rooted in the latest evidence about what makes teaching effective. We also offer staff the opportunity to be part of our voluntary Professional Learning Community (PLC), which is open to all teachers. The PLC provides a collaborative space for colleagues to come together to discuss Teaching and Learning, share good practice, and engage in professional dialogue across departments and key stages. Members of the PLC also have access to the Great Teaching Toolkit subscription, enabling them to explore its wide range of resources, research insights, and tools for reflection and self-evaluation. The PLC is a more relaxed setting which allows teachers to trial new ideas, reflect on their impact, and contribute to the wider culture of professional learning across the school.
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Roles and Responsibilities Senior Leadership Team (SLT) • • •
Set the strategic vision for Teaching and Learning in line with the Model for Great Teaching; Ensure CPD opportunities align with whole-school and departmental priorities and Meet with Heads of Department to discuss and review Teaching and Learning practices in line with the Departmental Development Plan focus.
Heads of Department (HoDs) • • • • •
Embed the Model for Great Teaching into departmental planning, ensuring all staff engage with the chosen element within their Departmental Development Plan; Facilitate regular departmental discussions on pedagogy, sharing good practice and ensuring consistency in teaching approaches; Monitor teaching and learning within the department and provide tailored support where needed; Use student feedback to review and adapt subject provision and Ensure that Schemes of Work are relevant and sequential. Schemes should support clear progression, revisit prior learning, and reflect current curriculum requirements and student needs.
Classroom Teachers • • •
Engage actively with whole-school CPD and departmental development linked to the Model for Great Teaching; Reflect on their own practice, seek feedback, and contribute to professional dialogue and Use strategies from the Model for Great Teaching to enhance classroom practice and maximise student progress.
Lessons at MCB All lessons should be planned carefully as part of an overall scheme of work produced by each department. Below are some characteristics of effective lessons:
• Lessons start promptly and the register is completed; • The classroom environment is efficiently managed and organised; 8
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• Lessons have a clear structure – introduction/starter, learning activities and a plenary; • Lessons have pace and challenge; • Effective questioning techniques are deployed in order to continuously assess learning; • The teacher displays high expectations of pupil achievement and challenges underachievement; • Pupil achievement is recognised and celebrated and • Teaching is adapted during the lesson based on the learning taking place.
All Lessons should follow the ‘Lessons at MCB Plan’, launched in February 2026. This is not a prescriptive or chronological plan for every lesson, as every subject is different, but it is guidance, based upon research and evidence, that informs outstanding lesson delivery. Each element is derived from the Model for Great Teaching and the experience of Teaching and Learning from skilled professionals in the staff. The elements are: • • • • •
Welcome: Warmly meet and greet pupils at the door, checking uniform. Retrieve: Use retrieval practice to embed learning. Explain and Check: Present new ideas clearly and probe understanding. Feedback: Respond to misconceptions and guide improvement through frequent interaction. Activate Thinking: Activate hard thinking through purposeful tasks.
These key elements of Lessons at MCB are bedrocks to good practice in the classroom. They place an emphasis on the importance of high quality, informed teaching practices and the impact this has on pupil learning and outcomes. Embedded in research is the fact that high quality teaching is the key driver of attainment, as it motivates, reinforces and develops engaged learning practices. See the appendix for the school posters.
Monitoring, Evaluation & Review We are committed to continuously reflecting on, and refining, our Teaching and Learning practices to ensure the highest quality education for our students.
Student & Staff Feedback We recognise the value of student and staff voice in shaping Teaching and Learning strategy. Opportunities for feedback will be provided through: •
Student learning surveys to gauge engagement, challenge, and progress; METHODIST COLLEGE BELFAST
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• •
Staff feedback mechanisms, ensuring teachers can reflect on their experiences and contribute to school-wide pedagogical development and Departmental reflections, encouraging departments to discuss and refine strategies collectively and keep Teaching & Learning at the core of their discussions. Heads of Department should drive Teaching & Learning practices within their departments as the single most important factor in ensuring classrooms are productive and engaging.
Analysis of Student Outcomes & Departmental Development Plans (DDPs) Heads of Department play a key role in evaluating Teaching and Learning within their subject areas. This includes: • • •
Analysing student performance data to identify trends and areas for development; Reviewing the efficacy of Departmental Development Plans to ensure they are impactdriven and responsive to student needs and Collaborating with SLT to refine strategies and ensure that teaching remains evidenceinformed, structured, and progressive.
New Staff Support & Observations All new (new to the College) teaching staff will be observed within their first term. These observations are designed to be supportive and developmental, ensuring that new colleagues are well-integrated into the College’s teaching culture and receive tailored guidance where needed. Additional mentoring and professional development will be available to ensure they feel confident in their role. Additionally, new staff will attend a series of Teaching and Learning related meetings throughout the year to make them aware of what is expected in the classroom and to promote their role in developing Teaching & Learning within their own departments.
Exam Analysis In addition to ongoing student and staff feedback, exam analysis forms a crucial part of our evaluation process. We systematically review exam performance data to identify trends, measure the effectiveness of teaching strategies, and inform targeted interventions. Results are analysed collaboratively by the Principal, Curriculum Vice Principal, SLT, and Heads of Department to ensure that insights from exams directly contribute to refining DDPs and enhancing overall Teaching & Learning practices.
Trusted Colleague Network A Trusted Colleague Network is designed to support professional growth in a non-judgemental, developmental way. Teachers can avail of the opportunity, on a voluntary basis, to work with a colleague of their choice to observe one another and share good practice.
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Performance Review and Staff Development (PRSD) The PRSD process is central to professional growth, ensuring that teachers engage in structured reflection, goal-setting, and development opportunities. Through PRSD, staff: • • • •
Participate in professional discussions with line managers to reflect on their practice; Set goals aligned with whole-school priorities, DDPs, and personal ambitions; Use a range of impact measures, including student progress and engagement with CPD, lessons observations and Receive supportive, non-judgmental feedback, ensuring that professional development is both meaningful and actionable.
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Appendix 1 : Lessons@MCB Posters
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