Teaching and Learning in Holy Child
Holy Child offers the highest standard of 21st century teaching and learning in a small class setting. Our student centred approach uses a range of active methodologies striving to foster both a love of learning and develop the student as a lifelong learner .
Active methodologies used are at the core of student learning and wellbeing .
- Developing literacy and numeracy skills for every student
- The use of Assessment for Learning techniques allows students to engage in assessment activities that can be either formative or summative in nature. Teachers assess as part of their daily practice by observing and listening as students carry out tasks, by looking at what they write and make, and by considering how they respond to, frame and ask questions. Teachers use this assessment information to help students plan the next steps in their learning. Periodically this assessment will be in more structured, formalised settings where teachers will need to obtain a snapshot of the students’ progress in order to make decisions on future planning and to report on progress. This may involve the students in doing projects, investigations, case studies and/or tests and may occur at defined points in the school calendar. Providing clear and informative feedback on student progress to both students and parents forms a key part of our approach to reporting on student learning as a school.
- Collaboration : provides the student with a structured form of group and peer work where students pursue common goals while being assessed individually.
- Inquiry based learning is an instructional method where relevant problems are introduced at the beginning of the instruction cycle and used to provide the context and motivation for the learning that follows.
Support
The use of Differentiation is also key to the success of our methodology. Teachers use a wide variety of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations to instruct a diverse group of students, with diverse learning needs, in the same course, classroom, or learning environment ensuring every student can reach their full potential. .
Every support is offered to create this happy and secure learning environment. This support is also provided through the provision of Co-Teaching whereby collaborative and student focussed teaching takes place with two teachers available to students in the core subjects .
This approach is further enhanced by our blended approach to technology integration.
GSuite school
Using Chromebooks provided by the school every student is given the opportunity to work through Google Classroom .Teachers and students can streamline assignments, boost collaboration, and foster communication. Google Classroom is available on the web or by mobile app. Classroom can be used with many tools that you already use, such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar.
Success
Our teaching staff are at the heart of our academic success providing a scaffolded learning environment using varied approaches to assessment to allow students to develop the key skills of both Junior and Senior cycle .