Personalised Learning St Loys Approach

1. Peterborough Diocese Personalised Learning St Loys Approach

2. St Loys was invited, by the Department for Education and Skills Innovation Unit, to take part in a national project with six others schools. The six others schools were from: Cumbria, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, East Sussex, Shropshire and Gloucestershire. The project centred on looking at Personalised Learning. This has enabled us at St Loys to think about the curriculum we deliver to each individual child

3. Children

4. This child can walk into the classroom and effectively draw on a range of resources and skills to organize their own learning, to meet agreed targets. The child’s skills in memory questioning thinking learning are well developed, when taking into account their age, needs and abilities. Has the confidence to try things that they are not very confident in! They enjoy their time in school and want to learn. The child Being able to take ultimate responsibility and ownership of their own learning, in line with their needs and abilities (developmental over time)

5. High performing children will be: • capable of setting and responding to their own questions • able to plan, do and review their own work to meet agreed targets • able to use a range of learning skills to meet their needs • able to use a range of learning styles to meet their needs This in turn creates a linear model with children at different stages. Individual children will be able to develop personalised learning better in some subjects than others Other children will need support in developing the skills and confidence to support their own learning.

6. Staff

7. Makes effective use of new technology Is a risk taker who is prepared to balance the best of the old with the excitement of the new. The school has mechanisms in place to monitor the children’s attitude to school. Creates a culture of learning within the classroom. Understands the importance of happy children. Has a very good understanding of teaching and learning and applies this knowledge in their everyday practice. Is prepared to take collective responsibility for both child and curriculum development. The teacher The ultimate learner in the school community. Plans effectively to meet the range of needs determined by individual’s learning styles. Has excellent subject knowledge. Knows their children holistically, not just academically, and uses this information to effectively engage the children as learners.

8. Classroom

9. All pupils are fully occupied. Some are busy on language tasks other are completing research tasks. Some are busy on a group art project while others are making use of two computers in the corner of the room. Others are quietly reading or discussing things in groups. A small group of students are undertaking a science experiment with the teacher. When they excuses themselves to talk to visitors they continue without them. When visiting teachers or parents enter the classrooms they are impressed with the quality of the work that the students have achieved and with the ability of students to stay focused on tasks. The walls reflect a range of topics, learning areas and impressive art. A feature of the environment is the emphasis on defining goals and processes used by the students. There is no fuss and the overall atmosphere is one of purposeful activity and fun and the majority of talk is relevant to tasks at hand. The Classroom When classroom management and organisation routines have been established the magic can begin. A wide range of ICT resources are available to support teaching and learning. The classroom is designed to be flexible and ensure that children can access all of the resources required to support the learning.

10. The School

11. Parent workshops are very well attended and result in parents working with their children. Community access is encouraged and this impacts on the school by providing a rich diversity of experiences for the children. All members of the school community, and beyond, are actively encouraged to develop their own learning. The management empowers all staff to work autonomously and take responsibility for the running of their areas of the school, for the benefit of the children. The leadership has a clear vision of the school and shares it with all members of the school community. • Creates a strong sense of shared purpose • Clear purpose createsclarity, consensus and commitment • Clarity creates focussed teaching and learning • Focused teaching develops a sense of student and teacher achievement • Achievement creates recognition and empowerment • Recognition makes clear what is special about our school • Clarity of purpose reduces overload • Clarity makes explicit what is important • http://www.leadinglearning.co.nz/newsletters/leadership-issues.html • Powerful schools focus on their own change agenda (SEF) - they say no! They: • limit and focus innovations • believe in in-depth learning not coverage. • do fewer innovations better. • believe in quality not quantity. • see excellence as a habit and value effort and perseverance • value goal setting, self assessment, and the idea of continual quality improvement • http://www.leading-learning.co.nz/newsletters/leadership-issues.html The School Key to the schools development is its drive to create a learning community.

12. Multiple Intelligences Learning Styles Word File

13. Traits Mean to Teachers?? Word File

14. Measuring Personalised Learning • We cannot turn a blind eye to SAT's but they cannot be the sole measure of the child. We need to look at the holistic child and the changes we have made e.g. the child with behavioural difficulties; the child 'scared' of art; the child who 'hates' sport. This is a start on the process of looking at what makes the child want to learn. • The first mechanism is know as the 10cm line and is good for tracking pupils attitudes to school and specific subjects. The process: • explain to the children that on one sheet they are going to mark on the line how much they like subjects and on the other how good they think they are at the subject. • explain to the children that they may like a subject and be no good at it, or vice-versa. • I often find it a good idea to go through each of the subjects with examples of what they have done in it recently. • once the children have completed the sheets use a ruler and measure their percentage results for each element. • these can be recorded on a simple spreadsheet. • Act on what you have found out. Why do children like some subjects more than others? Is another teacher used? How is it taught? Etc. • Repeat the activity in 10 weeks time and monitor the difference • The system is easy to implement

15. Pupil Voice • School Council (Y1 to Y6) • Pupil Surveys • Survey Sheets

16. Pupil Surveys I Like ……. I Am Good at ……. Summery of ‘I Like’ Survey Individual interviews – wow they are powerful!!!

17. We send home now every term a ‘Personalised Learning Assessment’ profile to the parents of children in the Junior Classes. We assess each child’s preferred learning style. The influences teacher planning. I interview children about specific areas and set them targets. These are shared with parents on consultation evenings.

18. Child – a Child - b

19. Target Setting Target Sheet

20. Greater Involvement? Increased Motivation? Shared Goals? Pupil Parents School

21. Set Targets • Send home and share with parents • Signed by parents – with comments • Reviewed by pupil at the end of half term • Evaluation jointly pupil/teacher • Set new targets • Send home and share with parents both • evaluation and new targets • I would like to acknowledge that some of the content used was created by Mr Mark Klekot from Stiperstones CE Primary School - Shropshire