Teaching culture

At Dixons, we know that culture is the amplifier for all else.  We work hard to create a culture in which teachers can teach and students can learn.

Behaviour 

At Dixons, we keep it simple.   

Our learning habits are taught explicitly in our academies; we have high expectations and support all our students to achieve these. 

Centralised behaviour systems ensure that behaviour is primarily the responsibility of leadership: we ensure that in our schools, teachers can teach and students can learn.   

Our highly visible senior leadership teams know that their first priority is to support the staff and students.   

Practice rooted in role-play ensures all staff know how to reinforce and support expectations and everyone is empowered.   

Feedback not marking  

Our emphasis is on meaningful feedback not visible marking.   

Our curriculum is driven by academic rigour and powerful knowledge.   

We have an emphasis on keeping it simple and freeing staff from unnecessary bureaucracy.  

All academies release time for collaborative planning.   

We have developed schemes of learning in place so that daily planning is reduced.    

Powerful Knowledge  

At Dixons, we are committed to powerful knowledge and know this is what our students need and deserve.  

What is powerful knowledge? 

• The best that is thought and said 
• Always debated (powerful knowledge loves challenge) 
• Distinct from everyday knowledge 
• Subject specific 

Who decides it? 

• Subject specialists, in every subject, across every phase 

What does it lead to? 

• If you understand it, you can build upon it, make connections and challenge it.