Teaching and Learning Blueprint

the DNA of an ICG lesson

The past 7 years have been transformational for ICG. As well as achieving integrated status, our pupil body has doubled in size, with over half of our staff having joined since 2022. These changes have brought fresh talent, energy and ideas to our school community, but they have also highlighted the need to focus with more intensity on how we plan for how learning takes place in our classrooms.

All teachers in Northern Ireland engage in a career-long process of continuous professional development (CPD). However, this development requires a tailored and contextual approach. At ICG we are going back to basics, aiming to create an environment of professional dialogue, where teachers learn from and support one another, building a cohesive framework for planning and teaching that keeps the learning journey of our pupils at its heart.

We are doing a number of things to help achieve this.

Firstly, we have introduced a new Pedagogy Blueprint: the DNA of an ICG lesson. This was designed in consultation with staff and focuses on how our classrooms can use the best evidence-based techniques and strategies to promote learning. It is lean in its design and allows teachers to pass on their expertise and knowledge with as few additional hurdles as possible.

Secondly, we are creating a robust culture of professional dialogue, supporting our staff as they help one another develop as teachers, through observation, inset training and personal reflection. With so many new staff -many of whom are in the early years of their career – this is a genuinely exciting time for our school in which we will have the opportunity to continually raise our standards and expectations.

Finally, if you are a parent of an ICG pupil, you can expect to see more communication around what we actually do in class: not just the highlights but methods and strategies that help your child learn and set them up for successful revision and independent learning at home.

In terms of Teaching & Learning, ICG is at the outset of an exciting and potentially transformational journey. We hope that as a parent, pupil, staff member or a part of our wider school community, you will feel included in this journey and that, most importantly, the young people you care for will be the beneficiaries of it.

Dr Jamison

Pedagogy Lead