GDST Professional Teacher Standards - Northwood College for Girls

GDST Professional Teacher Standards

Why do we need teacher standards?
• Identifying the skills and knowledge that teachers
  need
• Recruiting and inducting the best and/or most
  promising teachers
• Designing and implementing professional
  development
• Conducting valid and credible evaluations
• Dealing with ineffective teachers and retaining
  the effective ones

  Girls’ Day School Trust

GDST Professional Teacher
  Standards                                    Characteristics                                                    PDP Dimensions
              GDST teachers know their subject and how to teach it. They strive to foster a love of            Knowledge of subject(s), teaching
Confident     learning. They involve all pupils actively in their own learning, encourage them to take         and learning approaches
              ownership, and set them all clear, challenging goals. Their focus is always on pupils’           Knowledge of the uses of ICT in
              learning. They assume responsibility for their pupils’ progress, but readily give pupils full    teaching and learning.
              credit for their achievements. They recognise that their own contribution is part of the         Initiatives to give pupils ownership of
              whole education of their pupils.                                                                 their learning
              As effective classroom practitioners, GDST teachers show commitment and care for the             Planning, based on pupil data
Effective     progress of every pupil, planning appropriately and making use of assessment and other           Classroom practice
              data to monitor and realise individual progress and attainment through astute use of a           Impact on pupil learning, as evinced by
              variety of inspiring, engaging and differentiated teaching and learning strategies. Feedback     exam results and value-added measures
              is affirming and constructive, and gives clear guidance on how to improve. Results speak         Assessment, marking and reporting
              for themselves.
              GDST teachers are committed to the safety, welfare and happiness of their pupils, always         Considerations of well-being, safety of
Caring        acting in their best interests, and creating a calm, supportive, secure, respectful, affirming   pupils
              but nevertheless challenging learning environment. They themselves reinforce by                  Classroom climate
              demonstration the values that are expected of pupils. They act with fairness and                 Personal attributes: e.g. approachable,
              consistency; they set and respect boundaries.                                                    fair, consistent, constructive

              GDST teachers know their pupils and how they learn, and they plan around that                    Participation in professional
Reflective    knowledge. They are committed to building on and developing their own knowledge and              development opportunities
              skills, in their specialist subject areas and in pedagogy; and thus seek to improve their        Research, reflection and sharing of
              effectiveness by following a virtuous circle of reflection on practice – involving research,     learning
              review, adaptation and evaluation. By these means they constantly seek to improve their          Putting research/learning into practice
              own practice. They are prepared to take intellectual risks in stretching and challenging
              students, and in developing intellectual curiosity.
              GDST teachers are resourceful and creative and open to new challenges; trying new ideas          Application of new/different approaches
Creative      and pursuing a collaborative, evidence-based and enquiry-driven approach to teaching.            to address a particular issue
              They incorporate up-to-date subject developments, pedagogical thinking and new                   Working with colleagues to develop
              technologies, as appropriate, in their teaching. They embrace open-ended, investigative          initiatives
              approaches to learning, and encourage intellectual risk-taking in their pupils.                  Contributing to new thinking within the
                                                                                                               department and school
              GDST teachers are passionate about learning within and beyond the classroom, avidly              Involvement in student learning beyond
Engaged       recruiting pupils and parents into the process. They are involved in and contribute to the       the classroom
              wider life of the school, develop constructive relationships with colleagues; and they           Coaching/mentoring of colleagues
              exemplify and communicate the values of the school within and beyond the school                  Parent/community contact
              community.                                                                                       Representing the school’

GDST Professional Teacher
                                     Confident
GDST teachers know their subject and how to teach it. They strive to foster a love of
learning. They involve all pupils actively in their own learning, encourage them to take
ownership, and set them all clear, challenging goals. Their focus is always on pupils’
learning. They assume responsibility for their pupils’ progress, but readily give pupils full
credit for their achievements. They recognise that their own contribution is part of the
whole education of their pupils.

Knowledge of subject(s)

Knowledge of teaching and learning approaches

Knowledge of the uses of ICT in teaching and learning

Initiatives to pupils give ownership of their learning

GDST Professional Teacher
                                    Effective
As effective classroom practitioners, GDST teachers show commitment and care for the
progress of every pupil, planning appropriately and making use of assessment and other
data to monitor and realise individual progress and attainment through astute use of a
variety of stimulating, engaging and differentiated teaching and learning strategies.
Feedback is affirming and constructive, and gives clear guidance on how to improve.
Results speak for themselves.

Planning, based on pupil data

Classroom practice

Impact on pupil learning, as evinced by exam results and value-added measures

Assessment, marking and reporting

GDST Professional Teacher
                                        Caring
GDST teachers are committed to the safety, welfare and happiness of their pupils, always
acting in their best interests, and creating a calm, supportive, secure, respectful,
affirming but nevertheless challenging learning environment. They themselves reinforce
by demonstration the values that are expected of pupils. They act with fairness and
consistency; they set and respect boundaries.

Considerations of well-being, safety of pupils

Classroom climate

Personal attributes: e.g. approachable, fair, consistent, constructive

GDST Professional Teacher
                                    Reflective
GDST teachers know their pupils and how they learn, and they plan around that
knowledge. They are committed to building on and developing their own knowledge and
skills, in their specialist subject areas and in pedagogy; and thus seek to improve their
effectiveness by following a virtuous circle of reflection on practice – involving research,
review, adaptation and evaluation. By these means they constantly seek to improve their
own practice Prepared to take intellectual risks in stretching and challenging students.
Developing intellectual curiosity.

Participation in professional development opportunities

Research, reflection and sharing of learning

Putting research/learning into practice

GDST Professional Teacher
                                     Creative
GDST teachers are resourceful and creative and open to new challenges; trying new
ideas and pursuing a collaborative, evidence-based and enquiry-driven approach to
teaching. They incorporate up-to-date subject developments, pedagogical thinking and
new technologies, as appropriate, in their teaching. They embrace open-ended,
investigative approaches to learning, and encourage intellectual risk-taking in their
pupils.

Application of new/different approaches to address a particular issue

Working with colleagues to develop initiatives

Contributing to new thinking within the department and school

GDST Professional Teacher
                                     Engaged
GDST teachers are passionate about learning within and beyond the classroom, avidly
recruiting pupils and parents into the process. They are involved in and contribute to the
wider life of the school, develop constructive relationships with colleagues; and they
exemplify and communicate the values of the school within and beyond the school
community.

Involvement in student learning beyond the classroom

Coaching/mentoring of colleagues

Parent/community contact/‘Marketing the school’