The Impington Experience framework
The Impington Experience framework was created by our leadership forum to outline what great teaching looks like at the College. The leadership forum spent a number of weeks engaging with educational research to determine the eight aspects which shape students’ experience of lessons at Impington Village College. These eight aspects are:
- Culture – classroom relationships, British Values, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education.
- Pedagogical and subject knowledge – clarifying challenging conceptual knowledge; making meaningful links between the current task, the curriculum intent, and students’ own lives; supporting and challenging all students to achieve their best.
- Review of previous learning – to ensure retention in long-term memory and fluent recall.
- Scaffolding – breaking challenging concepts into small steps; ensuring sufficient practice of each step; gradually increasing the complexity of tasks; providing prompts, visual reminders or cue cards; anticipating common errors or areas of difficulty.
- Modelling – providing worked examples; demonstrating the thought process by thinking aloud; demonstrating high expectations through physical procedures.
- Questioning – effectively checking the understanding of all students through differentiated questioning; ensuring misconceptions are identified and addressed; helping students practise new information and connect new material to their previous learning.
- Assessment and feedback – used to plan next-steps on a whole-class and individual level, providing feedback to help students make long-term curriculum gains, supporting students to respond meaningfully to feedback, providing additional challenge.
- Independent and guided practice – providing opportunities for extensive practice, mastery, and application of the skill in a range of contexts, supporting students to achieve a high success rate.
Teachers at the College embed these aspects of great teaching in the delivery of our exciting and challenging curricula. For more information, please contact Sian Mawditt, Assistant Principal, .
International Baccalaureate learner profile
The IB learner profile describes a broad range of human attributes that go beyond academic success. We embrace these attributes throughout all of our teaching at the College; inspiring our students and encouraging them to ask questions, take risks within their learning and become independent learners and internationally-minded individuals. Through the IB’s ethos, we encourage our students to be responsible in their learning and aware and considerate of the ever-changing world around them.
The College Day
The standard College day runs from Period 1 to 5 for most students in Year 7 to 11. Period 0 is used for enrichment lessons, with Period 6 being used for a range of additional study and revision lessons, particularly valuable for students in Years 10 and 11.
The College Day
| Period 0 | 8:00 - 9:00 |
| Period 1 | 9:00 - 10:00 |
| Period 2 | 10:00 - 11:00 |
| Break | 11:00 - 11:20 |
| Tutor | 11:20 - 11:40 |
| Period 3 | 11:40 - 12:40 |
| Lunch | 12:40 - 13:20 |
| Period 4 | 13:20 - 14:20 |
| Period 5 | 14:20 - 15:20 |
| Period 6 | 15:20 - 16:20 |
Marking, Feedback and Assessment
At Impington Village College, we have a whole-college assessment policy that aims to:
- ensure that students receive consistent, regular, high-quality formative feedback;
- encourage students to engage with, and respond to, feedback provided by teachers to improve their progress and attainment.
The Marking, Feedback and Assessment Policy is focused around the evolution of our ‘IMP Stamp’, which clearly identifies the following aspects of students’ work:
- Impressive: what students have done well
- Improve: what students need to do to develop the quality of their work and level of attainment
- IMP (I Make Progress): an opportunity for students to respond to the teacher’s feedback and demonstrate their understanding of what is required to make progress in the future
As part of their College equipment, students are required to bring a green ‘progress pen’, to respond to teachers’ feedback and to peer-assess and self-assess their work.
Assessment books
To develop the use of the IMP Stamp, for each subject area our students are given assessment books, where they complete formal, marked written work, allowing them to see their progress and to extend their learning every time they receive feedback.
Homework
Our diverse and balanced curriculum offers excellent opportunities to prepare our students with the knowledge and confidence to progress to the next stage of their life journey. For Years 7 – 8, we have a reduced programme of homework, which works to support students’ wellbeing, transition to the college and encourages the continued pursuit of extra-curricular activities.
Our approach to home learning forms part of our curriculum, which is designed around key elements of the IB.
We believe that home learning should:
- provide opportunities for structured independent study, which is meaningful and challenging;
- be aimed at preparing students for assessed tasks in class, or for end of topic assessments;
- only be set where we believe they will have a positive impact on student progress and study habits, to ensure we continue to support students’ wellbeing;
- allow students to establish routines and become independent learners, responsible for their work and progress.
