Personalised Learning

Sue Cowley helps a primary NQT with a mixed ability class

Looking at how teachers can support pupils in mixed ability classes, classroom management expert Sue Cowley works with NQT Chris Farnen and his Year 5 class. Sue focuses on how Chris works with his TA, who he uses to support his pupils with special needs, and different ways in which he can support children of all abilities. Sue reminds him that he also needs to challenge his higher-achieving pupils and encourages him to differentiate tasks, and use imaginative ways to engage his class differently in the same lesson

Coping with Different Abilities

Successful intervention strategies at KS1/2

How early intervention strategies in KS1 and KS2 are helping pupils in three school improve their attainment levels in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Staff at Calverton School in Newham, Southbury Primary in Enfield, and Preston Park Primary in Brent, show how they assist those who need special help, and the intervention strategies boost whole school attainment. The strategies shown include a communication language and literacy development Year 1 group, who work on phonics; a withdrawal group developing their use of descriptive words by talking about the taste of sweets; and a talk to learn project helping EAL pupils boost their achievements. Finally, a maths teacher shows how her maths forum help page has helped achievement after receiving thousands of hits.

Early Intervention in Primary Schools

Examples of original approaches to personalised learning

Westbury Park Primary school in Bristol has an original and unique approach to personalised learning. We follow a Year 5 class as they create their own song and a Year 1 class during the course of their three literacy lessons in Pirate week. The school collaborates with the University of Bristol's Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory project (ELLI), using seven dimensions for effective teaching and learning: learning relationships, changing and learning, creativity, resilience, curiosity, meaning making and strategic awareness.

Formative Assessment and Personalised Learning - Primary

Putting personalised learning at the heart of assessment

For the last seven years Bonner Primary school in East London has achieved above the national average in literacy, numeracy and science. Headteacher Martin Tune believes focusing on assessment has played a significant part in raising attainment for individual children. His aim is not just to gather information about the pupils but to use it to inform teaching throughout the school and to assess individual needs. At the end of each summer term his pupils' progress is assessed so that at the beginning of a new year the teachers can make decisions on where the children are relative to each other and relative to a bench mark for that year. This ongoing assessment begins in reception and Esther Clifton, Key Stage 1 co-ordinator, emphasises the importance of both formal and informal assessment and talks to her team about their observations. The sharing of this information builds up a picture of each child's learning needs and what help they need to progress.

Implementing Personalised Learning: Assessment

Encouraging high expectations amongst pupils

For Martin Tune, headteacher at Bonner Primary in East London, it is an ongoing challenge to find strategies to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning. One of these is to work with high expectations and encourage pupils to do their best. Part of this strategy is to give immediate feedback on what the pupils have achieved and what they could do better. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their learning and be active participants. Eleanor Ross, the Key Stage 2 co-ordinator, stresses the importance of setting out clearly "the learning intention" of each lesson. For Martin Tune, knowing what you want to achieve is essential, while the way you teach and the style you adopt varies with the children you are working with. Some enjoy the school's "timestable challenge" and find it a fun way to learn. Others pupils who have made progress in literacy admit to being less scared and believe they can actually learn. Every child can also choose how they extend their learning. For more information about this programme, visit the resources and support materials page.

Implementing Personalised Learning: Teaching and Learning

A maths lesson about shapes is analysed by experts

Two education experts analyse a primary maths lesson for a mixed ability class, looking at the teacher's techniques for encouraging independent learning. Teacher trainers Malcolm Reed and Alison Fletcher watch one of the Teachers TV Uncut Classrooms programmes, where teacher Pritti Poole takes her class through a lesson on 2D and 3D shapes. For the main activity she splits the class into five groups based on ability and, in effect, teaches five mini lessons concurrently. Malcolm and Alison evaluate her methods of teaching, focussing on Pritti's techniques for helping the children to become independent learners, whatever their ability. This programme is part of a series where experts provide helpful insights on classroom practice, which can be put to use by all teachers.

Independent Learning - KS1 Maths

A look at recent DCSF research into pupil progression

In the wake of recent DCSF research, this programme explores the reasons why some pupils' progress can be slow at KS2. What's holding them back, and what can be done to help? At Barham Primary School in west London, one third of pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language, with many children entering KS2 well below national expectations. Year 3 children at the school are encouraged to develop their mathematical vocabulary and are introduced to a variety of methods for adding numbers. Meanwhile, in a Year 6 English class, focused marking helps pupils to work out what their next steps in writing should be.

Keeping Up at KS2

 How citizenship is being put at the heart of one school's ethos 

This programme looks at the four main aspects of citizenship work within Northchapel Primary School in West Sussex. The four schemes are: <ul> <li> Independent Learning explores how time is put aside for the pupils to create their own schemes of work and how staff guide their work to ensure the requirements of the national curriculum are met </li> <li> Philosophy for Children is about the use of philosophical enquiry allowing children to become free thinkers and independent learners </li> <li> The Council looks at the importance of strong and effective school and class councils </li> <li> Peer Coaching looks at an innovative scheme whereby the elder children coach the younger ones once a week </li> </ul>

KS1/2 Citizenship - Pupil Power

How making use of news can help to engage children

In this programme, we take a look at how making use of news can help to engage pupils with a range of citizenship themes. Each morning, Karen Thomson's Year 6 class at Cockington Primary in Torquay begin their day by watching the news. News websites are projected onto the class whiteboard whilst the children study bulletins, discuss the issues and consider the world around them. This personalised approach to learning seems to help motivate and inspire the children, who often go home and talk about the news with their parents. Behind the approach is Karen's strong belief in the importance of making abstract notions real, and in encouraging children to take responsibility for their own learning.

KS1/2 Citizenship - Using News

A teacher uses drama in a history lesson

Year 2 teacher Clare Fairclough initially introduced drama into her classroom to try to raise writing standards amongst the boys, but discovered it to be an essential teaching tool. In this programme, which focuses on a history lesson about Florence Nightingale, this can be seen in action as drama not only helps in developing literacy rates, it also personalises the learning for every child. Clare, the headteacher, and her class comment on the various elements of lesson including role-plays acted out by the pupils. The lesson illustrates the effectiveness of a cross-curricular, inclusive approach towards history, while touching on the challenges this can bring for both teachers and pupils.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Whole school

> Primary Personalised Learning