Curriculum and Learning
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Our Teaching and Learning Philosophy
At DESS College, we are dedicated to being at the cutting edge of global teaching, learning, and assessment strategies, ensuring every student achieves both academic and personal excellence, irrespective of their initial starting point.
Our staff are deeply committed to preparing students to be 'future ready', equipping them with the necessary learning skills and a deep understanding of the British curriculum. This commitment aligns with our vision to cultivate independent, confident, and resilient learners who embrace challenges and realise their full potential.
Central to our approach is the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC), embodying the critical elements for achieving educational excellence. As a 'One-to-One Apple Device' College, boasting 162 Apple teachers and an Apple Professional Learning Specialist, our goal is to 'Develop Excellence and Skills Collaboratively using Technology.'
The dedicated Teaching and Learning Team (T&L Team) at DESC is pivotal in providing extensive professional development opportunities. They support and challenge our teaching community to continuously refine their expertise. The T&L Team champions the integration of neuroscientific, evidence-based practices and digital technologies into our teaching and learning strategies.
Our educators are not just excellent practitioners; they are reflective professionals always seeking to enhance their teaching methods. Through active participation in professional development, we foster a culture of sharing best practices and embracing innovative approaches to positively influence the student experience and outcomes.
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Our Approach to Assessment
At DESS College, we believe that classroom assessment is fundamental to the teaching and learning process, necessitating a collaborative and focused approach.
Assessment is inherently interactive, requiring teachers to stay informed about their students' progress and challenges to tailor their teaching strategies accordingly. This adaptability is crucial, as student needs can be unpredictable and tend to vary significantly. Through assessment, students, teachers, and parents can make informed judgements to monitor progress, evaluate learning experiences, enhance planning, diagnose learning difficulties, identify advancement opportunities, personalise learning, and ultimately elevate the quality of education.
To maintain rigorous oversight of student attainment and progress, DESC utilises the Go4Schools platform, ensuring 'live' data reflects current student performance across all subjects. At Key Stage 3, both formative and summative assessments are conducted to track student progress. For Key Stages 4 and 5, our Curriculum and Assessment Calendar outlines a structured assessment pathway for each GCSE and A Level course.
Each year, three Progress Reports are issued, enabling students and parents to assess performance in terms of attainment, progress, and attitude to learning (A2L). Additionally, Parent Consultation Evenings are scheduled for each year group, offering personalised feedback on student strengths and areas for improvement.
DESS College employs a whole-school marking system known as ‘Box & Bubble’, designed to provide constructive written feedback. This system highlights successful aspects of work (Box) and offers guidance on improvements (Bubble).
