Emotional and Social aims:
Baines School is a learning environment that aims to develop young people’s social and emotional skills so that they may:
- learn to manage their impulses, helping them settle quickly, concentrate and not disrupt others;
- build warm relationships, which help them to care what others (e.g. staff and peers) think and to respond positively to them;
- manage strong and uncomfortable emotions such as anger and frustration, and become more resilient, which helps them rise to the challenges of the learning process and stick at it if things get tough;
- learn to feel good about themselves, which increases capacity for independent learning;
- manage anxiety and stress, including around tests, assessments and examinations;
- learn to empathise, for example with other pupils’ desire to learn, which helps them contribute to a positive learning environment;
- reflect on longer term goals, which helps them see the point of learning, raise their aspirations and become more able to resist negative pressure from others;
- feel optimistic about themselves and their ability to learn, which improves their motivation to work hard and attend regularly.
Our pupils develop within a culture of challenge and support in which varied and effective approaches to teaching and learning are promoted. This in turn fosters self-esteem and self-belief. A commitment to varied learning styles and a focus on developing learning skills ensures that individual needs are met to secure pupil engagement and success. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for, and develop, a positive attitude towards, their own learning.
At Baines School we aim to support the growth and development of all individuals. The promotion of social and emotional skills is essential for effective learning, high academic standards, an inclusive culture, positive behaviour and good attendance.
Social and emotional skills underpin effective learning by helping all pupils to manage their learning experience.
An extensive team of professionals in addition to teachers provide a layer of support, accessible to all pupils which ensures that appropriate levels of individual support can be accessed promptly and effectively. This personal support exists alongside academic development and can be short-term intervention or on-going support depending on the needs of the child.
For those individuals who may have personal and emotional needs which require specific intervention, we work collaboratively with relevant external agencies to ensure the needs of the individual are met and a positive outcome achieved. In addition to this our pupils are involved in a cross year buddy system which ensures a smooth transition from primary school and fosters a caring and supportive environment within our school community.
A consistent and committed pledge to nurture high quality teaching and learning at Baines cultivates enthusiasm, curiosity, questioning and a thirst for knowledge and skills.
We are an inclusive learning community, committed to raising standards for all by ensuring that high quality teaching and learning is at the very heart of all aspects of school life.
We uphold a commitment to life-long learning and we believe that all members of our school community are learners – adults, children and parents/carers.
Teaching and learning
Baines School puts learners at its heart. They need the best teaching and learning practice available if they are to acquire the high level of skills they need in the 21st Century
The principles of teaching and learning at Baines School aim to:
- include all pupils in a culture of high expectations;
- establish the centrality of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum;
- infuse learning skills across the curriculum thus enriching the learning experience;
- promote assessment for learning;
- expand the teacher’s range of teaching strategies and techniques to make learning worthwhile and enjoyable.