Learner-Led Teaching

At Rosewood we describe learning in terms of developmental levels.  Activities and planned outcomes for each learner are matched to their individual developmental level, based on their assessments using ImPACTS.  Please ask your child's class teacher if you would like more information about their unique profile.  

Level Descriptors 

Pre-Intentional: These learners are at the very earliest developmental stage where their responses to stimuli, internal and/or external, are not intending to convey a meaning but may be interpreted as potential communicative behaviours by an adult. Responses may be very small and unique and therefore require careful observation over time.

Emerging Intentional: These learners are learning to explore, to grow their curiosity and to establish their intentionality. Their responses are inconsistent but can be interpreted by a familiar adult as a like/dislike. They begin to pay attention to the adult's presence. They learn to repeat an action that has gained an effect.

Intentional: These learners are beginning to learn that they have some control; they are agents who can influence people and objects. They rely on someone who knows them well to explain their likes/dislikes to others. Their responses are more reliable and consistent and they are more aware of the 2 way nature of communication.

Emerging Formal: These learners establish and extend control; their persistence grows with their exploration of objects and people. They are aware of and interested in familiar social games. Their responses extend, and they begin to develop preferences and stronger dislikes. They start to pay attention to objects, photos, signs and cues that carry a communicative meaning.

Formal: These learners have responses and communicative behaviours that are reliable, consistent and used confidently in their routines. They are able to make links between their actions and the effects caused by familiar/routine activities. These learners’ communication is expanding, and they're beginning to use a total communication approach with meaning or have a strength strand a family adult can build upon. Their exploration is extending: they use familiar objects in new ways and new objects in familiar ways. These learners notice sabotage in well-established familiar routines.

Emerging Concrete: These learners are building upon their developing communication and cognitive skills with increased intentionality and exploration. They are beginning to experiment with problem-solving by using trial and error and show more curiosity in their environment. Their ability to understand cause and effect is more consistent, and they are able to demonstrate stronger preference choices between two or more options. These learners often communicate intentionally to achieve specific outcomes, and their communication might include a mix of gestures, vocalisations, signs, words, objects and pictures, which will also support their understanding and recall. They are becoming more aware of routines and the roles of people around them, responding to familiar faces and simple social cues. 

Concrete: These learners are becoming more independent and confident in their communication and exploration. They actively use a wider range of communicative functions with either a total communication approach or an individual approach. Their problem-solving abilities are developing further, allowing them to solve simple challenges and tasks more persistently. Learners at this level are more socially aware, showing stronger emotional attachments and more interest in others' emotions and interacting with others.  They begin to participate in simple group activities. Learners are likely to have emerging behavioural challenges related to the frustration caused by the limitations of their communication abilities and being unable to express emotions effectively.

At Rosewood we have adopted the 'Informed Scruffy' approach.

This approach is based on Dr Penny Lacey's 'SCRUFFY' targets (Student-Led, Creative, Relevant, Unspecified, Fun for Youngsters) which we have adapted.  Our staff sail the 'Scruffy Schooner' with children on a daily basis.

In practice, this means that we use our detailed assessments about children, who they are and how they learn, to truly personalise the learning offer that they receive every day.  Staff are trained to be able to adapt their approach in order to suit each child's developmental level in order to individualise the ways they work with each learner.

Dependent on learner wellbeing, the activity, and many other factors, the team will adjust their sails to ensure that learning continues throughout the day for all learners.

Please do ask your child's class teacher if you would like any more information about this.

We know that high learner involvement leads to learning.

Based on the work on Experiential Learning by Ferre Laevers, we have created individual 'Involvement Indicators' for each child.  These help us to identify the signs that they are engaged in high level learning.

When learners show signs of level 5 involvement, we know they are learning.  If they show signs of level 1 or 2 involvement we will change our approach or activity to help maximise learning.

Do ask our team what a double decker has to do with involvement!

Pre-subject specific learning is reported through the Engagement Model.

The Engagement Model areas identified in the Rochford Review (2016) also heavily influence our practice, and form an integral part of the way we observe and support Scruffy learning.

These skills are assessed via our Cognitive Key skill strands: Responsiveness, Curiosity, Discovery, Investigation, Initiation, Persistence and Anticipation. We report on this ipsatively at Annual Review.

At Rosewood the learners lead - and as practitioners we completely respect this.  We aim to provide a learning environment that is appropriate, fun, and challenging.

When moving around the school you may notice that we enter classrooms quietly; we don't knock, and we won't enter if the blinds are down.  If we do walk into a room we will wait to catch someone's eye - we don't want to interrupt an important learning moment for a learner.

In the corridors we are also mindful of learning that is happening and may not speak to a learner who is concentrating hard on using their walker, for example. 

We are careful about acoustics and our 'auditory environments', we aim not to have any unnecessary talk in our classrooms, and are considerate about where learners are positioned, and the sounds that are being made throughout the day.  We give similar attention to our 'visual environments' and take care with light levels as well, in order to ensure optimum learning conditions.

The people who form part of each learner's environment are also really important, including families and other professionals.  Our language is consistently appropriate, necessary and respectful - we speak to our learners and not about them.

Our resources in school are carefully chosen to support learners' developmental levels as well as their chronological age. 

Wellbeing is an important component of learning.

We have learned from Maslow and his hierarchy of basic needs, and we know that children will not be in a good place to learn if they are tired, ill, hungry, thirsty, or uncomfortable - no-one can learn unless their basic needs are met.

We make sure that we meet learner needs in an individualised way. 

Preparation for learning can take as long as a learner needs it to, and might include:

• Passive movements - before any physical work we aim to warm up muscles carefully, giving time for senses to be awakened

• Positioning - the Rosewood team are trained by the physiotherapist and occupational therapist about functional positions for learning.

• Recognising the value of relationship within learning

• Changes of approach - sometimes a learner might need the environment to be quietened, and at other times learners might need some excitement.

• Taking time for learners to be involved

A key part of our learner-led approach is to give our children and young people meaningful sensory experiences which help them to express their developing sense of awe and wonder.  We aim to present resources and experiences in an invitational and playful way so that we can enter into and share this with them, so that learning is a shared experience of curiosity and discovery together.

Classes offer some topic based activities each term or half term, which provide opportunities for encountering an enriching array of different experiences. Topics will be adapted to meet the current needs of each class group.

Additionally, we regularly hold Family Enrichment Days, during which families are invited to come and experience an activity in class alongside their child.  These days are a lot of fun!

Collective worship is an integral part of our curriculum; learners take part and are encouraged to respond. 

We use cues and routines within our assemblies in order to maximise learners' potential to participate.  Festivals and celebrations are marked by classes and the whole school community.  These help learners to develop spiritual awareness, and to have opportunities to be still and reflect on symbolism, people, and stimuli relating to a theme.

Each class has a daily act of worship which takes place at the end of the day in the form of a reflection time before singing or saying goodbye.

We love celebrations at Rosewood!  Everything from the smallest achievements to birthdays and festivals can and will be celebrated in style.

Particular achievements during each week are recognised and acknowledged with certificates given during assemblies.  Graduations from different phases of education are bigger events when families are invited to join us to celebrate transition into the next stage of school life, and beyond.

Celebrations give our learners the opportunity to develop a sense of self-worth, and to know that they are valued, belong, and are cared for within the school community. 

Families and staff alike value the opportunity to demonstrate appreciation for our learners and everything they have achieved.