Vision for instruction

At St Augustine’s, explicit instruction is embedded within our approach to teaching and learning to ensure all students are supported to achieve success. Teachers carefully design lessons that begin with clear learning intentions, teacher modelling, and guided instruction before gradually releasing responsibility to students through supported practice and independent application. Staff use consistent instructional practices to build strong foundational knowledge and skills, ensuring students are confident and capable before moving to independent learning tasks. Explicit instruction at St Augustine’s is viewed as a whole-school approach rather than a single lesson component, with learning intentionally sequenced and connected to prior knowledge over time. Teachers regularly adjust the pace and structure of learning based on student needs, allowing concepts to be revisited, practised, and consolidated across days or weeks. This consistent and evidence-informed approach supports high expectations, student engagement, and improved learning outcomes for all students.

Explicit Instruction Sequence at St Augustine’s

At St Augustine’s, effective teaching follows a clear and intentional explicit instruction sequence designed to maximise student learning and engagement. Teaching begins with the introduction of new content and skills through explicit instruction, where teachers clearly explain concepts, learning intentions, and success criteria. New knowledge is taught directly and purposefully, ensuring students develop strong foundational understanding while remaining actively engaged in the learning process.

Teachers then use modelling to break learning into manageable steps, demonstrating processes and thinking aloud so students clearly understand expectations and can observe successful examples in practice. Guided practice follows, providing students with multiple opportunities to apply new learning with teacher support, feedback, and scaffolding. As student confidence and understanding grow, support is gradually reduced to encourage increasing independence.

Independent practice is introduced once students demonstrate readiness, enabling them to apply their knowledge and skills independently while teachers continue to monitor progress and provide timely feedback. Formative assessment is embedded throughout the learning process through effective questioning, regular checks for understanding, and ongoing monitoring of student progress. This allows teachers to identify students’ current levels of understanding and adjust instruction to meet individual learning needs.

Regular review and revision are also key components of teaching and learning at St Augustine’s. Through retrieval practice, discussion, low-stakes quizzes, and revisiting previously taught concepts, students strengthen connections to prior knowledge and improve long-term retention. This consistent and evidence-informed approach supports student confidence, engagement, and improved learning outcomes across all areas of the curriculum.