Radical new approaches to personalised learning are being implemented by schools involved in the Next Practice project. Organised by the DCSF innovation unit in partnership with the National College for School Leadership and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, ‘Next Practice in Resourcing Personalisation’ sees traditional relationships with students replaced by exciting new methods that give students the power to
direct their own learning.

During an iDiscover week at Crosshall Junior School in Cambridgeshire, Year 5 pupils were given the opportunity to decide what, where, how and with whom they would learn. After watching video footage about carbon footprints and global warming, children chose their own small learning groups, decided what aspect of carbon footprint they wished to investigate and how to present their findings.

Direct teaching was replaced by a series of seminars, ran either by a teacher or a visiting expert such as a representative from a local packaging manufacturer. Choosing which seminars to attend, the youngsters took notes and reported findings to their group. Further information was available in the form of special resource packs designed by teaching staff, the school library or on the school’s 80 internet linked PCs. Some youngsters decided to use PSP (Portable Play Stations) to film the school as part of an investigation into carbon efficiency. Group reports were eventually communicated to the whole year group as a mixture of PowerPoint presentations, posters, films, photo slide shows, talks and blogs on ‘Curriki’ – an encyclopaedic resource that allows ideas and opinions to be shared with people all over the world.

“The children were so motivated, even more engaged than usual,” says headteacher Julia Elliot. “The way they approached their learning became more self critical and self supporting.”

For a whole week during the summer term, Year 5 learning was transformed. Classrooms became zones; teachers, tutors – as each year group leader and the deputy head took the reigns in year five as a precursor to introducing the project within their own year groups, next year. “Teachers became facilitators concerned less with imparting information and more with determining what sort of support guidance and challenge individuals within each group needed.” explains Julia Elliot.

Senior leadership at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester are in the process of adapting a strategy used to great effect within the health service, to help 50 year 10 students at risk of disengaging from education, take greater responsibility for their behaviour and learning.

Assistant headteacher Richard Wheal, who along with year co-ordinator Kay Chittenden and two deputy co-ordinators runs the project, explains how motivational interviewing can help people whose behaviour is ‘self damaging’ – if they themselves want to put things right. “It’s not about me telling the student what they are doing wrong and what to do about it, but more about supporting the student so he or she becomes more aware of how their behaviour is affecting their own chances and then setting precise, achievable short term targets through which they will overcome barriers
to learning.

“We don’t chastise the student for their behaviour as in both cases we have a work issue. Solve that and there is no reason for the negative behaviour,” says Richard Wheal. “So Jason might agree to do the first half page of his coursework and bring it to me the next day, whereas although Rachel doesn’t like writing essays she does like collecting pictures, so maybe she could communicate her knowledge through a PowerPoint presentation or by making a film.”

He adds: “It’s the same with all those students who really want to change their behaviour for the better. Treat them as learning partners; give them more responsibility and they will become more responsible.”

A quite different innovation aimed at engaging young people as learning partners is being implemented at Greenford High in Middlesex. The school, well known for its work in developing student voice, has long involved students in interviewing members of staff and observing lessons. More recently they have taken this concept a step further and now have a junior leadership team of students aged 12 to 18, who shadow the work of the senior leadership team.

Headteacher Kate Griffin explains that in individual meetings with senior leaders and group meetings between the two teams, the junior leadership team ensure the viewpoints of the students are taken into account when school policies and procedures are being designed.

She says: “School day timings have been altered to include longer combined lunchtimes as pupils told us that under the old split system, it was hard for those in lessons to concentrate whilst others were outside enjoying themselves and we plan to reintroduce January module exams, based on what the students are telling us about preferring not to be inundated with all their exams in the summer term.”

These are just a couple of the issues that are being influenced by student voice through Greenford High’s Junior Leadership Team, which recently had a weekend’s leadership training at St George’s House, Windsor. Kate Griffin believes that student voice is the key to unlocking all the other aspects of the personalisation agenda, adding: “Working directly with students you find out exactly how best to engage them and facilitate achievement, progression and a high quality learning experience for all.”

Next steps
To find out more about the Next Practice project
go to www.ncsl.org.uk/nextpractice