Introducing Building Learning Power: a DIY resource pack for primary schools

The Key Ideas in this unit:

This online resource pack introduces school leaders and staff to the why, what, and how of developing a learning powered school experience for students. It is designed for those schools where introductory face to face training for staff and leaders is not possible.

It contains 12 power point presentations, with accompanying presenter notes and supplementary written and online materials, that can be used to introduce Building Learning Power in your school.

The resource introduces the big picture frameworks and principles of Building Learning Power from three perspectives; the big strategic ideas; the implications of these ideas for classroom practice; the management of introducing and sustaining the approach for the long term across the school. Thus the resources prepare leaders, classroom practitioners and managers to get to grips with the basics of the approach in preparation for the follow-on online learning programmes.

The resource pack is arranged in four sections:

The introductory section … Format and content of the resource pack.

This section explains how the DIY resource pack is organised, the sort of resources to be found in each section and how to make best use of them.

Section 1... Strategic issues and ideas.

This section will be of particular interest to senior leaders and governors. It offers the main ideas succinctly together with appropriate additional information.

Section 2...Chalkface. Implications for classroom practice.

This section will be of particular interest to teachers and support staff. It covers the frameworks of the approach and illustrates these with examples of classroom practice…the how to.

Section 3… Management. Implications for supporting change into action.

This section will be of particular interest to leaders and managers who have been charged with managing the approach into action across the school.

Each section considers building students’ learning power through four topics

Learning power. What and why…considers the need for change and the sort of change learning power offers.

The supple learning mind…looks at the framework of learning behaviours of successful learners; what they are, why they are powerful and how they work together

Learning friendly cultures…takes a more detailed look at the sort of learning culture that best supports the development of learning habits; the how of building powerful learners.

Growing learning habits...this section explores how learning behaviours strengthen into habits and how learning powered teachers support such growth.