St Mary's RC Primary School Display Policy

St Mary’s RC Primary School

Display Policy

Aims

At St.Mary’s RC Primary School we aim to:

 Encourage pupils to have pride and confidence in their work and achievements by demonstrating that

we value their work and learning

 Create a learning environment that stimulates interest and discussion to challenge children’s

knowledge and understanding of the world

 Encourage respect for the school environment and actively work to ensure it is an enriched place to

work and learn

 Influence children in best presentation, personal organisation and general tidiness

 Celebrate achievement and raise self-esteem for all

 Use display and resources to positively impact on learning; through consolidation / reminder of

previous learning and introducing new information & knowledge.

Expectations on Classroom & Common Areas Display

A high quality learning environment has a direct impact on the standards and attitudes of the pupils in our

school.

Initial stimulus displays should be in place before the children return to school in the new academic year.

These include:

- Key questions and key vocabulary related to topics / specific subject areas

- Posters with accompanying questions to stimulate the children’s interest

- Table top displays of artefacts / books / resources linked to the curriculum

- Book corners set up / labelled and books attractively displayed (preferably with canopied area to

demarcate the area from the rest of the classroom and lighting to add interest)

- As work is generated from the children this should be used to replace the majority of adult generated

displays and resources

- Full display in classrooms should be fully in place by the first week back after Autumn half-term

Display should be carefully planned for and time built in for children to take forward work of the highest

possible quality into display.

 Classroom & corridor curriculum displays should be changed when a topic / curriculum area changes.

High quality displays can be recycled and moved to other areas of the school.

 When displays are changed, worn or faded backing should be replaced and recycled. Displays should be

maintained to ensure that they do not become tatty or ragged.

 Work should be attached with staples or blu tak. Drawing pins must not be used to display work as they

are a health & safety hazard and detract from pupils’ work.

 Display items should never be placed on painted or tiled walls as they damage the surface and look

messy when work is removed. Do not staple into wood (doors and furniture).

Displays should contain:

 Plain wall backing unless produced by children eg. a mural. This will show the pupils’ work to best effect

without detracting from it or appearing cluttered.

 Thoughtfully and tastefully selected colours eg. please no luminous yellow /orange / pink card for

labels etc.

 Displays in communal areas, including downstairs corridors should be back with blue paper and black

and silver borders.

 Borders made of purchased border rolls. Work on display should not overlap the border, unless as an

intentional design element, as children’s work should be thoughtfully positioned and spaced.

 Use fabric to add interest to displays and to ensure quality presentation (use expertise of other staff to

support, where necessary).

 A high percentage of display in classroom should be pupils’ work. Pupils’ work should significantly

outweigh other display resources (although these can be very effective in consolidating / extending

learning).

 At a practical level, refer to displays when teaching to make meaningful links with previous learning /

new learning. Display is not intended as decoration – it celebrates achievement, gives a wider audience

to learning, reminds pupils of what they have learned / achieved, encourages higher standards through

accessing the work of others and can enrich learning.

 Classroom displays should include: RE/ Topic (main topic eg. Tudors) / Maths working wall/ Writing

working wall / Science / ICT through whole curriculum / RE & PSHCE / Children’s groupings & class

timetable. Do not use a display board for your personal organisational papers. These should be at close

hand in a file. We want to maximise display space for children’s work.

All displays must have:

 A title (computer generated or created using stencils and coloured paper /card)

 Open / closed questions

 Learning Objectives/ Aim

 Process (what the children did)

 Reinforcement of key vocabulary

 Quality labelling

In addition,

 Written work on display (final draft work) should be acknowledgement neatly marked and the learning

intention should be clear to the audience reading it.

 Emergent writing of younger pupils and those with SEN should be annotated.

 Larger displays should have word processed banners or lettering cut out using wooden stencils and be

edged. The use of metallic foil / wrapping paper can make a display look very effective and high quality.

 All work must be mounted. Art work should be double mounted using appropriate colours which

complement the end result. Written work should also be mounted, though not always necessarily

double-mounted.

 Please ensure that work is trimmed and mounted evenly and intended straight edges are straight.

Please use paper cutters provided. A border of 1cm is advised. Pupils should be progressively taught to

mount their own work.

Classrooms must have:

 High quality writing displayed across the curriculum

 Support resources e.g. A maths 100 square, number lines, place value charts, speaking & listening

prompts, high frequency words

 Evidence of ICT through displays (not only word-processed work)

 Display clear days for Guided reading groups / changing reading books

 PE days and expectations of kit must be displayed

 Working groups should be on display.

 Fire evacuation procedures (Health & Safety requirement)

 Book areas that are tidied daily and regularly sorted, either by your TA or pupils.

Teachers are encouraged to delegate some responsibility to named pupils for the upkeep and maintenance of

the classroom and general learning environment. Good routines for tidying away are crucial and labour saving.

Classes should not be dismissed to lunch / home until the classroom is tidy.

Daily timetable should be displayed on the board each day.

Everyone has both strengths and development needs as a teacher. If displays are your strength share the.. If

display is not your strength ask for support.

Expectations on Classroom Organisation

The overall effect of the classroom environment should be one of space and organisation. This sets a high

standard of organisation and display which will support the further raising of educational standards and create

a working environment which is attractive and stimulating. Please keep your classrooms neat and tidy. Use

cupboard space to store teacher resources. Try to keep surfaces clear, other than for interactive displays for

children.

This means:

 Piles of junk / books / teaching resources / pupils’ work should not be left scattered in disorganised

piles.

 Do not hoard resources. When you have finished using them they should be promptly returned to the

Resources Room so other staff can access them easily (please support colleagues by putting resources

away properly in the correct place. If you are unsure, ask).

 Be selective in what you keep. Do not hoard junk and clutter.

 Cupboards and paper chests should be sorted out each term to maintain high levels of organisation and

effectiveness.

 Teachers’ desks should not be piled high with resources / paper or folders.

Develop organisation systems within your room maintain them. Desks should be tidied and cleared at the end

of each day to allow for cleaning.

 Storage mechanisms (files / plastic boxes etc) need to be in good condition and attractive.

 Chairs and tables should be kept straight and tidy and chairs tucked under.

Clear routines and expectations should be established rapidly:

- Greeting the children (remembering to smile)

- Early work relating to basic skills teaching (maximising learning time)

- Reading books out and in place before going to lunch

- Class learning plans displayed for week

- Packing away / tidying up

- Lining up outside classroom to ensure controlled entry

- Classroom monitors / Responsibility systems

- Stop signals (established phrases / sounds) and accompanying expectations

- Working in a calm, purposeful and settled manner

- Moving around the building

Classrooms should be fully set up for first lesson before morning briefing. If you are on a course and leaving

work for a supply teacher the first lesson should be set up the evening before and a file of notes left the supply

teacher clearly labelled on the teacher’s desk.

Chairs under / tables straight before children leave the classroom (throughout the day as an established

routine). Please actively encourage and train children to take care of the learning environment and equipment.

Train children to tidy up the classroom at the end of the morning sessions and at the end of each day.

Labelling on trays, cupboards and equipment should be consistent in terms of the font used and quality of

mounting. Pupils’ trays (if used) must be labelled with the child’s Christian name.