An evidence-based approach
We use a best-practice, evidence-based approach to education at East Butler Primary School.
We use a whole-school lesson design to ensure that children are explicitly taught the knowledge and skills they require, before being given the opportunity to use their learning in a variety of contexts in an increasingly independent way.
Our year group teams plan together to ensure that there is a strong, consistent approach regardless of the classroom your child is in.
We call this a gradual release model, where we deliberately move from a teacher-centred approach to a student-centred approach.
Daily Reviews
Students learn best when they are given the opportunity to regularly revise content and skills they have been explicitly taught in the past. We use daily reviews to revise prior learning. This helps to consolidate student understanding and move it to long-term memory. Daily Reviews at Sorrento Primary are fast-paced, fun and are designed by our teaching teams to cater for all levels of ability within the classroom.
“I do, We do, You do”
Our lessons are designed using a gradual release model, and are intended to ensure that while no student is left behind, students who require extension are given the opportunity to utilise higher-order thinking skills.
​
-
The “I do” phase is teacher driven. New content or skills are explicitly taught, with maximum control by the teacher. It is at this phase that the teacher ensures that students understand what is expected of them, and how they should achieve that, through strong modelling at a whole-class level.
-
The “We do” phase moves to a shared-session. Students are provided with scaffolded activities, sometimes individually or in small groups, that allow them the opportunity to practice and consolidate the new learning. At this stage, the teacher is checking for understanding, and identifying those students that may require more explicit teaching, or those students who may require extension.
-
The “You do” phase is where the teacher offers opportunities for students to demonstrate their new understanding in a range of different contexts. Activities may be open-ended to allow students to extend well beyond what is expected for their year level, and teachers continue to work with individual students to ensure they have taken the most out of the session.
As with all well-designed learning programs, teachers provide opportunities for students to use explicitly-taught inquiry processes to develop their abilities to explore, create and innovate.
​
Our aim at East Butler Primary School is to develop highly knowledgeable, flexible and independent thinkers.