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Teaching & Learning
The FLOW 5 and ‘Every Second Matters’
At The Park School, we are ambitious for our learners and believe that Every Second Matters. Every moment in the classroom is an opportunity to inspire, nurture, and challenge our students. To make sure this happens, we follow the FLOW 5 Framework, developed by WMAT. This helps us ensure that teaching is purposeful, inclusive, and carefully adapted to meet the needs of our learners with moderate learning difficulties so that they can flourish.
The FLOW 5 Framework
Our teaching is guided by five key principles:
1. Subject Passion and Pedagogy
Teachers share a love of their subject and make learning exciting and meaningful. Lessons are practical and engaging, helping students see how their learning connects to real life. Technology, small class sizes, and close adult support help ensure every student can take part and succeed.
2. Responsive Teaching
We know our students as individuals and adapt lessons to suit their needs. Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to provide inclusive questioning, scaffolded tasks, and short, manageable activities. Strategies such as visual support and multi-sensory approaches help students build confidence and independence.
3. High Expectations and Professional Relationships
We believe every student can achieve. Teachers set high but realistic expectations, celebrate personal progress, and encourage students to aim high. Strong, supportive relationships are central to our approach, with staff knowing each student well and working as a team (teachers and TAs together) to provide challenge, encouragement, and care.
4. The Power of Planning and Explanation
Learning is carefully planned in small, clear steps. Teachers model tasks, explain ideas in different ways, and use the ‘I do, we do, you do’ approach to help students practise new skills. With the support of teaching assistants, students receive targeted guidance that allows them to grow in independence and success over time.
5. Exceptional Behaviour for Learning and Effective Learning Environments
Classrooms are calm, structured, and positive, helping students feel safe and ready to learn. Clear routines and expectations give stability, while visual supports and personalised strategies (such as sensory breaks or Zones of Regulation) help students manage emotions and stay focused. Smaller class sizes and additional adult support create an environment where every child can flourish.
‘Every Second Matters’ in Practice
Our philosophy is not just words, it is seen in the small but important routines of every school day:
- A positive start – students are greeted at the door and enter lessons calmly.
- Ready to learn – each lesson begins with a short, accessible ‘Do It Now Task’ (DINT) based on knowledge retrieval that helps students recall previous learning and get focused.
- A smooth finish – lessons end with a structured dismissal, supporting calm transitions and helping students regulate before moving to the next activity.
These routines maximise learning time and create a safe, respectful atmosphere for the students of the Park schools.
Adapting for Our Learners
As a school for students with moderate learning difficulties, everything we do is tailored to meet their needs. This includes:
- Smaller class sizes so that students receive more personalised support.
- Teaching assistant support in every class, working alongside teachers to adapt learning and provide individual help when needed.
- Differentiated resources and tasks that allow all students to succeed.
- Visual supports and structured routines that give clarity and security.
- A focus on communication, wellbeing, and independence alongside academic learning.
- Regular assessment and feedback so that each student makes meaningful progress academically and independently.
Our goal is simple: to help every child take steady steps forward in a supportive, inclusive environment where learning is celebrated and every student’s independence in encouraged.
