Policy for Learning

To acknowledge and celebrate the status of all adults and children in the school as learners.

To develop in everyone a positive love of learning both for its own sake and as a basic life skill.

To recognise and make provision for the fact that individuals learn at different rates and in different ways.

To ensure that there is a shared understanding of what effective learning is, how to design purposeful opportunities for it to take place, and the importance of building upon existing knowledge, skills and understanding in planning next steps.

To ensure that the learner has ownership of their own learning and takes responsibility for it.

The process of learning will start with an assessment of what the learner already knows, understands and can do.

Wherever possible, learning will develop from the interests, ideas and experiences of the learner.

The learner will be confident that their ideas and responses are valued and their achievements celebrated.

Learning will be set in contexts which encourage creativity and resourcefulness in the learner.

A wide range of learning styles will be recognised and provided for in order to avoid an over-reliance on one particular style.

Learners will be given space and time to make considered and reflective responses in their learning.

Learners will be supported in understanding how they learn best.

The learner will understand what they are going to learn and the criteria by which their learning will be assessed.

The learner will be involved in establishing the success criteria and next step targets, so that they develop a real sense of their own progress and direction in their learning and are confident about how they can improve.

The learner will have opportunities to explore methods and processes and learn that they are valued as highly as outcomes and answers.

Mistakes and misconceptions will be valued as an essential part of the learning process and used as a positive teaching tool.

Learners will be given opportunities to develop independence and interdependence in their learning.

Learning will be regularly monitored, evaluated and assessed at individual, group, class and whole school levels so that existing and future learning needs can be identified and met.