Schools that have taken building better learning seriously have quickly realised the centrality of professional development (PD) in making it work.
Changing the habits of a professional lifetime is not simple. It involves un-learning and re-learning: unpicking, readjusting, trying things out and seeing what works. It’s about staff using their own learning power to effect changes in themselves. Becoming proficient, and then developing further so that the ‘new approach becomes second nature, takes time and effort
That is why we have structured our core programmes carefully to deliver slow, deep-rooted change, and long-lasting results. Our core programmes include:
Start-up learning
The start-up learning can be either face-to-face or online. Its purpose is to bring all staff on board with building pupils’ learning habits; what it means, why it’s important and how to make a start. There are also sessions or materials for senior leaders to help them tackle the strategic implications of learning culture change, whilst sessions for potential learning team leaders enable effective school-wide engagement.
Online learning to support in-school team learning
After, but coupled to the initial training: the online courses extend teachers’ knowledge; the in-school learning teams turn this knowledge into practice. Within the courses, individual learning sessions cover topics in depth, whilst regular Professional Learning Team sessions offer staff time to discuss, share and plan learning enquiries on which to base changes in practice.
Book bundles
A selection of practical books to extend understanding of the approach amongst staff, governors and later, parents.

Free style learning
For schools wishing to tailor their journey, we can provide additional supporting programmes such as coaching visits or learning reviews.
The Finding Out Phase
You have an itch of dissatisfaction, things are not quite how you would like them to be. Teachers work hard, but many students are passive, dependent and risk averse. Teachers would like to do things differently, but they are not sure what to try – the need to chase examination success on behalf of their students is consuming their energies and creativity. You worry that your students are ill-equipped to deal with the complex demands of 21st century living and working.
Might Building Learning Power be a way of improving examination success and helping students to develop the learning behaviours that will sustain them throughout a lifetime of learning ?
Before making a start on this exciting and essential approach to education, leaders and teachers will want to explore principles, background research, and impact of learning power in schools.
Our resources in this section are designed to help leaders and teachers explore questions such as: What is Learning Power all about?; What are the imperatives that point to the need for change?; What do learning powered students, teachers and schools do differently?; What difference doe it make?
Core programmes
Supporting materials
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Learning Habits: At a Glance cards
Delivery: Online
Days: n/a
Timescale: Up to one year
Objectives: Twelve double-sided A3 cards, available as a digital download (pdf), to help teachers infuse the learning power habits into their teaching. -
The Learning Quality Framework
Guides the long-term learning journey of a school that aspires to make world-class learning its prime educational goal. It captures the essence of what a learning school does to ensure that all its people – staff and students – become better learners.
Phase 1: Making a start
You understand that students need to leave school with as good a set of examination results as they can possibly achieve, and a range of positive learning behaviours that will enable them to be effective lifelong learners. You want your students to be emotionally engaged in their learning; to have a wide range of cognitive skills with which to learn; to be able to work and learn effectively with others; and to be ready willing and able to take responsibility for themselves as learners.
But where do you start ?
If you are convinced that independent learners for life are what you want, and are ready to engage, then Phase 1 is for you. Here you will find courses and resources to build a team of Learning Power champions to act as change agents in getting Learning Power under way in your school.
Core programmes
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Building Learning Habits: Online start
Who for? Schools new to Learning Power where face to face start-ups are not possible, e.g. schools overseas, or tiny schools.
When? Any day of the year! (no In-service day required)
What for? Introduce senior leaders and staff to the principles, frameworks and first step classroom practices of building powerful learners. Enabling staff to hit the ground running when they begin the subsequent online programme.
How?
Online resource pack:
Senior leaders consider strategic implications of the approach. Staff explore the big frameworks and classroom practice of Building Learning Power.
AND…Online programme:
Learning Habits in a Nutshell for all staff, containing a good year’s worth of content. -
Building Learning Habits: Training course start
Who for? Schools new to Learning Power.
When? Two days training: in-service days not required.
What for? Introduce building powerful learners to the school, equipping them to use the accompanying online materials.
How?
Two Face-to-face training days: Initial workshops that prepare lead practitioners to lead development across the school
AND … Online programme: Learning Habits in a Nutshell for all staff, containing a good year’s worth of content. -
Learning Review Level 1
An in-depth review of learning throughout the school, undertaken with a team of staff from the school. For schools at the beginning of their involvement in using learning power. The review offers valuable information on which to base their development.
Supporting materials
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Learning Habits: At a Glance cards
Delivery: Online
Days: n/a
Timescale: Up to one year
Objectives: Twelve double-sided A3 cards, available as a digital download (pdf), to help teachers infuse the learning power habits into their teaching. -
The Learning Quality Framework
Guides the long-term learning journey of a school that aspires to make world-class learning its prime educational goal. It captures the essence of what a learning school does to ensure that all its people – staff and students – become better learners.
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BLP Activity Bank Key Stage 2–3 (Transition)
Bank of around 300 e-learning resources to engage transition or KS3 students with their learning power. The resources build foundations for deep learning. Ideal for BLP, Growth Mindset, PSHE, and to aid induction into KS3.
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Building Learning Power 4 domains of learning; Posters
Colourful and student friendly poster set focusing on building emotional engagement, cognitive diversity, social adeptness and strategic awareness..
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Your Learning Powered Mind Poster
A full-colour A2-sized poster showing the dispositions and capacities of a powerful learner. Use it as a public prompt for teachers and students in all classrooms
Phase 2: Beyond the basics
You have worked hard to introduce Building Learning Power into classrooms. Students are aware of the learning behaviours that they command, and classrooms are increasingly learning friendly. Teachers are consciously shifting responsibility towards learners, and learning itself is becoming the object of learning, of discussion, and of celebration. Students employ their positive learning behaviours more frequently than was previously the case, and in a wider range of contexts.
But questions remain – are they becoming better, more skilful at these learning behaviours ? Are they becoming better at asking questions ? Better at dealing with challenge ? Better at the cut and thrust of group work ? Better at managing their own learning ? Better at responding to and acting on feedback ? and so on.
And, moreover, what does becoming better, more skilful actually look like ?
Putting the building into Building Learning Power is at the heart of this phase.
Now gathering pace, the development of a learning culture is further extended to secure a coaching approach to teaching, to broaden the language of learning to include progression, and to enable students to take responsibility for developing their own learning behaviours.
Core programmes
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Learning Habits in a Nutshell – Phase 2
Delivery: Online
Timescale: Approximately one year
Objectives: professional learning communities within your school build Learning Power expertise by using online resources. Guided by best practice thinking in professional development this modular on-line programme organises a consistent school-wide approach to developing students’ learning behaviours. -
The Learning Quality Framework
Guides the long-term learning journey of a school that aspires to make world-class learning its prime educational goal. It captures the essence of what a learning school does to ensure that all its people – staff and students – become better learners.
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Learning Review Level 2
How is it going? An analysis of how learning power is being integrated into lessons and how classroom cultures support this change.
Delivery: Face to face
Days: Two
Objectives: The school will gain an objective up-to-date view how the quality of learning has developed in the school and how teachers are enabling young people to learn more effectively.
Supporting materials
-
Learning Habits: At a Glance cards
Delivery: Online
Days: n/a
Timescale: Up to one year
Objectives: Twelve double-sided A3 cards, available as a digital download (pdf), to help teachers infuse the learning power habits into their teaching. -
BLP Activity Bank Key Stage 2–3 (Transition)
Bank of around 300 e-learning resources to engage transition or KS3 students with their learning power. The resources build foundations for deep learning. Ideal for BLP, Growth Mindset, PSHE, and to aid induction into KS3.
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Leading a Learning Powered School
A consultancy workshop for senior leaders as schools they begin their engagement in building students’ learning power. It investigates the strategic implications of developing a learning powered school.
Phase 3: Broadening the scope
Learning Power is embedded in classrooms and is rapidly becoming ‘what we do round here’. Taking Learning Power beyond lessons and the classroom is the theme of this phase. It involves integrating learning power development across the whole curriculum, keeping everyone on board with the approach and engaging the community in learning power.
Core programmes
-
The Learning Quality Framework
Guides the long-term learning journey of a school that aspires to make world-class learning its prime educational goal. It captures the essence of what a learning school does to ensure that all its people – staff and students – become better learners.
-
Learning Review Level 3
How well is learning power working for students. An evaluation of the extent to which students are making progress as learners.
Delivery: Face to face
Days: Two
Objectives: An in-depth bespoke review of the impact of learning power on students.For schools that have been integrating learning power across the school for some time. The review enables the school to assess its progress in establishing deep learning in the classroom and learning character in students.
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