Personalisation

The following recommendations were made by a highly successful school working in a deprived area, where personalisation and brain-based learning have transformed the school:

• Education is done with not to, students
• Students have choices of how to learn, when they learn (through flexible timetabling), where they learn and with whom.
• Pupils become independent and lifelong learners
• Pupils are not dependent on others to dictate what should be learned, how it is learned, etc and so require less spoon feeding.
• Learning how to learn is a foundation stone
• Individual pace is facilitated by project and enquiry-based pedagogy

Other initiatives the school have successfully initiated:

• Suspended timetable where needed
• Personal challenge weeks
• Focus on consistent relationships with all pupils
• Pupils receive a one-to-one interview with a ‘learning guide’ once per half term.
• Pupils receive training on group work and peer/ self assessment
• Students are taught coaching and mentoring schools to assist each other.
• The school closes every Wednesday afternoon for staff collaboration, preparation and evaluation
• The school are moving towards a system in which pupils determine the assessment criteria and how they are fed back.
• Pupils are responsible for the running and organisation of parents evenings, etc

There may be something in these lists that would have a positive impact in your own school. If so, there is no better time to raise the question and start planning the change!