Members' library

• Leading schools
  • Leading personalised learning
    • About personalised learning
      • Why personalised learning?
        • Making it happen

Why personalised learning?

Personalised learning has developed as a strategy to help individual pupils achieve their full potential. It responds to a range of initiatives including Every Child Matters, the trend towards public services that reflect the needs of the individual as client, and a drive to minimise the effects of social disadvantage.

The trend towards client-led public services

There is widespread recognition of the need for public services to re-focus on the individual citizen or client.

For education, this means putting the needs and wants of the individual learner at the heart of the system. Rather than ‘delivering’ teaching through a pre-determined curriculum, personalised learning begins by understanding learners’ internal motivations and aspirations – and then provides a means to fulfil them.

Supporting individual achievement and attainment

Every Child Matters and the Children’s Plan set out the requirement to address individual needs in the round, through the complete range of children’s services. There is a broad commitment that, at every stage, children and young people will have opportunities to grow and develop.

Personalised learning secures school improvement and the entitlement of every pupil to effective teaching and learning.

The need to overcome inequity

The ratio between excellence and inequity is seen as one of the most taxing issues in education. Our system is good at excellence but less confident about equity – the ability to offer similar learning opportunities to all, regardless of background.

The Children’s Plan vision is for world-class schools providing excellent, personalised teaching and learning. Such teaching and learning helps all children and young people – including the most disadvantaged and vulnerable – to progress in their education and wider development.

Making it happen: practical tools

A number of practical tools are available on the Making it happen page.

Reflective questions

Q: What do you find the most compelling argument for personalised learning?

Q: How can personalised learning support learners’ needs?

Q: Are there valid arguments against personalised learning in schools?

Q: What are the opportunities provided by a personalised learning strategy?

Q: In what ways do the principles of personalised learning coincide with your school’s aims, values and mission?

Q: What are the implications for leadership of developing personalised learning in your school?

Related publications and resources

• Leadership for personalising learning framework

Leadership for personalising learning: a framework