How we teach
Every lesson at Bishopton follows the same shape, so pupils know what to expect and teachers can focus on learning. We call this the Bishopton lesson.
Our approach in one line: high challenge and high support. We remove barriers, not ambition.
Our values in every lesson
- Ready: arriving on time and ready to learn.
- Respect: treating everyone fairly and kindly.
- Resilience: keeping going when things are hard, and learning to recover when they go wrong.
The lesson journey
- Ready to learn. Meet and greet, a calm start, a check that pupils are ready, then settle and focus.
- Retrieval. Revisit prior learning with a low-stakes quiz or questions to activate knowledge.
- Learning intention. What are we learning? Why is it important? How will I know if I succeed?
- Explicit teaching. A clear explanation, learning broken into steps and checks for understanding.
- Modelled example. Show what success looks like, work through examples and pick out the key points.
- Guided practice. Practice with support, scaffolding and prompts, with checks for understanding.
- Independent practice. Pupils apply their learning with the right level of challenge while the teacher moves around the room to support.
- Feedback throughout. Verbal feedback in the moment that checks, corrects, challenges and moves learning forward.
- Reflection. What have I learned? What am I proud of? What do I still need to practise? How does this connect?
Every lesson ends with pupils leaving feeling successful.
What happens in every lesson
Before the lesson
- The classroom is welcoming and organised
- Resources are prepared
- Seating supports learning
- The learning intention and success criteria are ready
- Adapted resources are available
Start of the lesson
- A positive meet and greet
- A calm, purposeful start
- A check that pupils are ready to learn
- A retrieval or starter task
- Routines and expectations are reinforced
During the lesson
- Clear explanations and modelling
- Effective questioning
- Adaptive teaching
- High engagement for all
- Behaviour that supports learning
End of the lesson
- A plenary or reflection
- Success is celebrated
- Next steps are clear
- The classroom is left tidy and ready
Adaptive teaching
We plan for different needs from the start. Our teachers:
- break instructions into smaller steps
- use visual supports and modelling
- provide vocabulary mats and sentence starters
- offer scaffolded tasks and stretch tasks
- use flexible grouping to meet need
- check understanding often
- adjust the pace and build in movement or sensory breaks where appropriate
The Bishopton classroom
- A calm, welcoming environment
- Consistent routines and expectations
- Clear learning displays
- Vocabulary displayed and promoted
- Reading promoted and celebrated
- Resources that are accessible and organised
- Positive relationships
- Pupils treated with dignity and respect
- Values that are visible every day
Threads that run through every lesson
These run through every lesson, in every subject, every day:
- Reading
- Vocabulary
- Numeracy
- Careers
- Personal development
- British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development
- Preparation for adulthood
What great teaching looks like at Bishopton
- Learning intentions are clear
- Pupils are engaged and challenged
- Teachers use effective questioning
- Adaptive teaching is evident
- Relationships are positive
- Pupils know more and remember more
- Behaviour supports learning
- Feedback moves learning forward
- Pupils leave feeling successful
Three questions our teachers keep asking
- What are my pupils learning?
- How do I know they are learning it?
- What do I need to do next?