Personalised Learning in the Primary School –
Canterbury Christ Church University Faculty of Education

This innovative project will develop and promote personalised science education in schools in Kent and Medway.

'Personalised learning demands teaching and learning strategies that develop the competence and confidence of every learner by actively engaging and stretching them' (DfES 2007 2020 vision – Report of the Teaching and learning in 2020: Review Group January 2007). This emphasises a focus on learners and knowledge centred approaches which in science, centres on the development of understanding through scientific enquiry. This focus offers great challenge and potential for change to existing practice in many schools. The necessary changes will require individual teachers in all schools to adopt a greater range of teaching and assessment strategies and to continue to adapt and reflect upon their existing practice. The primary science team at Canterbury Christ Church University believe that there is an urgent need for an innovative project that will not only undertake research and development but will update and develop primary teachers’ capability in teaching and assessing their learner’s progress in science.

The move towards personalised learning aims to provide truly tailored education for every child, enabling them to reach the highest possible standards that equip them fully for life in our rapidly changing world" (http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/personalisedlearning/faq/ accessed 4th May 2007). The DfES state that personalised learning has a strong focus:

• On standards, identifying what individuals already know, what they need to do to improve and how best they can do so.
• On pedagogy, developing effective teaching and learning skills through a range of whole class, group and individual teaching, improving learning and ICT strategies so as to best transmit knowledge, to instil key learning skills and to accommodate different paces of learning.
• On inclusion, working to dismantle barriers to learning whatever their causes and to foster the best possible conditions for learning (ibid).

Despite an increase in the number of learners who achieve Level 4 in science at Key Stage 2 and a greater emphasis of assessment of Sc1 within the National tests, existing assessment systems, have not encouraged many teachers to personalise learning for their pupils. There is an overwhelming need to support the development of effective teaching, assessment and tracking of learner’s achievement to ensure progression in learning. The provision of a variety of learning opportunities will support and promote personalisation for learners of science in the primary classroom.

Personalised learning means taking an approach that responds to each learner’s needs by:

• strengthening the link between learning and teaching
• engaging the pupils as partners in learning: connecting learning to what they already know and can do
• making learners active and curious
• encouraging them to create their own hypotheses and ask their own questions
• set their own goals
• take risks whilst taking account of health and safety issues
• involving them in self and peer assessment.

Uniquely, scientific enquiry provides a context and challenge that promote the above. Crucially, personalised learning involves effective assessment for learning and provides an entitlement to the curriculum for all pupils

In order to be effective personalised learning requires teachers working closely with learners to make more frequent and informed judgements of progress and attainment. This implies using more diverse and wider teaching, learning and assessment strategies than at present. The current climate provides a unique opportunity to support a personalised teaching approach in Kent and Medway.

Undoubtedly, science can offer immense opportunities for enabling pupils to play a greater role in the society of the future. By focusing on a personalised learning approach pupils will benefit from opportunities to develop their own knowledge and understanding of science and transferable skills. Teachers in their classrooms will support this by developing further their techniques such as open questioning, focussed marking, and opportunities for learners to be reflective. Together with all involved in the project, they will promote authentic science learning that is challenging and maintains learner’s involvement and enjoyment of science. The focus schools will be enabled to share successes and strategies to promote further personalised learning with other schools in their cluster.

The project will:

• enable learners to have a greater ownership of their progress in science, making choices and engaging in reflection on their own learning
• promote a greater understanding of scientific enquiry in its widest aspect for all those involved in the project including University tutors, teachers and pupils
• enhance the ability of teachers to assess pupils and the use of this to inform future planning, progress and learning targets including the use of National Curriculum attainment targets
• provide opportunities for current science subject leaders and assessment coordinators to reflect on the development of their own and others’ practice in relation to aspects of personalised learning
• create clusters of good practice, which in turn will impact on schools development of personalised learning and learner’s attainment
• produce updated, relevant annotated exemplification materials with commentary to support personalised learning in science across the whole primary age range (5 - 11 years).

A learning team will be established consisting of well qualified and experienced primary science tutors working alongside carefully selected skilled teachers. Within each cluster three key schools would be identified (focus schools). Each focus school would be chosen on the basis of having known science subject leaders with a proven track record of leading and facilitating change in their school. This requirement however, does not suggest that all teachers in the focus schools will already be operating at a high level in science. Initially the initiative would be developed within the focus schools, followed by the participant teachers taking a lead role in supporting other schools within their own Local Authority cluster. The choice of two teachers in each focus school enables skilled science subject leaders to work with assessment coordinators, the pairing providing mutual support within one setting. This will provide impetus and facilitate the necessary change and this will provide a powerful vehicle for change.

The learning team will support other teachers in the focus schools initially and subsequently within other schools in their cluster. The learning team configuration provides opportunities to support the development of personalised learning as well as the process of managing change. This will enhance teacher confidence in how to provide effective and appropriate learning opportunities for learners whilst improving their understanding of the process of personalised learning.

Pupils will benefit from:

• learning that is relevant, interesting and set in real life contexts
• having a greater say in the learning environment and choice in elements of their science activities
• knowing more clearly where they are in their personalised learning, and what they need to do next (including own and peer assessment)
• greater understanding of investigative approaches and improved motivation for the subject
• higher attainment, as judged by national curriculum levels.

The participating teachers in the learning team will benefit from:

• greater confidence in their ability to better match learning opportunities to the needs of their learners
• an enhanced understanding of how to provide varied and challenging science work
• use of a greater range of teaching techniques including questioning, focus marking and peer and self assessment
• an opportunity to reflect on their own practice
• greater understanding of assessment linked to NC level descriptions
• greater ability to develop personalised learning journeys for learners
• using their newly gained expertise to enhance practice outside their own classroom thereby enhancing their professional development
• experience and confidence of working with teachers outside their own school.

Other teachers involved in their own classroom

• opportunity to work alongside others in their own classroom
• observe their own learners engaged in the process of personalised learning
• use of a greater range of teaching techniques including questioning, focus marking and peer and self assessment
• an enhanced understanding of how to provide varied and challenging science work
• greater confidence in their ability to better match learning opportunities to the needs of their learners
• being able to reflect on their learner’s progress with other professionals
• greater ability to develop personalised learning journeys for learners
• enhanced confidence in teaching and assessing science.

The partner institutions:

• a professional development unit of exemplification materials to support the development of personalisation of science in other schools, and with ITT students
• supporting clusters in the sharing of good practice.

The whole process of personalised learning involves starting where the children are. Using techniques such as mind maps, KWHL grids, annotated diagrams etc. to reveal misconceptions. One of the methods of judging learners’ ability to use scientific enquiry skills will be by the use of item identification. Pupil voice will be used to gauge learners’ enjoyment and involvement in the science at different stages in the project but particularly at the start and end. The opportunity for the transition period will refocus attention on progression and continuity of provision for the individual learner. This will ensure that each school develops learning that meets the needs of learners.

At this time there is no expectation to use other organisations on a paid basis, support from local authorities will be pro bono. Members of the project team have a long history of working with school both in our local area and across the country. The University ran a successful bid to promote teaching and learning in science in 2000/1 and 2001/2002 and a number of the original team members will also work on this project, including the project manager.

The project will be sustained by confident science subject leaders working in selected clusters. Their improved ability to support the professional development of a number of teachers will provide sustainability. This will impact within the whole cluster and the cluster system itself. Further opportunities for this are provided through School Standards Grants – Personalisation. ent(s) in a Saturday Science Challenge.

Contact

Judith Roden - judith.roden@canterbury.ac.uk