When I took up the role of assistant headteacher last year it came with the responsibility for teaching and learning (with assessment), which was exciting but also kind of overwhelming.
Teaching and learning is such a broad area and is, ultimately, what being a teacher is all about. It is a bit like the theory of “six degrees of separation”, which states that everyone on the planet is connected within six steps. If you think about it, pretty much everything that happens in a school could, even if indirectly, come under the remit of teaching and learning. Feedback? Teaching and learning. Raising standards in reading? Teaching and learning (via an English leader, too, perhaps, but still it’s part of teaching and learning). Effective use of additional adults in class? Teaching and learning. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to answer the question: what doesn’t come under teaching and learning?
When tackling such a massive aspect of school leadership, naturally finding a starting point can be tough. Sure, starting with an evaluation of the current situation seems sensible - but what aspect of teaching and learning should you evaluate first?
As well as looking at data, work and talking to staff, among other things, I have found that mulling over big questions can really help to clarify the ways forward.
Recently, I caught a conversation on Twitter that I think showed a good place to start for anyone leading teaching and learning.
Jill Berry (@jillberry102), a former headteacher and now leadership consultant, asked this question: “In a situation where you are a leading a new school or educational setting, should you focus on curriculum or pedagogy first? Why?”
While this could be considered a tricky question, because the two things are intertwined, it didn’t take me long to draft my response: “Curriculum first. Get the ‘what’ sorted so then you can focus on the ‘how’ to deliver it.”
Personally, I think everyone needs to be clear about what they want the students in their school to know first. How the curriculum is taught can then be developed as a whole school - by leaders and also by individual teachers who might bring new ideas and strategies to the table - and in response to the needs of different cohorts, classes and children. A curriculum should have time to progress built into it too, so that’s another reason for it to be put in place first.
As with anything, though, my way may well not be the right way. So if you are struggling to know where to begin with teaching and learning, try asking yourself this question and see what answers you come up with. It’s as good a place to start as any.
Claire Lotriet is assistant headteacher at Henwick Primary School in London. She blogs at www.clairelotriet.com
