Personal learning planning in Kingswells Primary Group, Aberdeen City

Project summary

The main issue to be explored by all three schools (Kingswells Primary, Woodside Primary and Scotstown Primary) was the area of personal learning planning and the impact on pupil self-awareness, attitude to learning and attainment.  

In Kingswells Primary they set about this by trying to establish a manageable approach to PLPs, with a focus year group of P7. They looked at examples from other schools and decided that they wanted to streamline the process by reducing paperwork and focusing on the climate, culture and environment in the classroom, establishing all of the principles of AifL. They aimed to tailor the learning environment to suit individual needs and learning styles involving collaboration between parent, teacher and pupil. This was to be achieved through a variety of classroom organisational structures.  

Success criteria

• To create a sustainable model of practice, avoiding a paper based assessment system.
• To embed personal learning planning as an organic process within effective approaches to learning.
• To involve staff, pupils and, very importantly, parents in the process.

Case study extract

In Kingswells, staff reported: 

• establishing positive rapport with pupils
• greater understanding of pupils’ needs and strengths, areas for development
• motivation and enjoyment from a staff point of view
• increased awareness of how to motivate pupils as individuals
• early intervention in difficulties and resolving issues
• channels of communication characterised by openness, respect and trust have been established.  

Pupils reported:  

• increased confidence in learning
• increased awareness of the responsibility they have for their own learning and success
• enhanced sense of ownership and sense of belonging
• awareness of the importance of the link between home and school
• increased willingness to explore different avenues with confidence until success is gained
• increased understanding of learning in the context of life.  

Parents reported:  

• increased understanding of what happens in the classroom
• opportunities to discuss their child’s learning and support their child.  

In summary overall, there was a significant move towards creating a learning community within P7, and involving parents, pupils and staff, by altering aspects of practice rather than adding on a time consuming paper exercise.  

Kingswells believe that they had the correct ethos, socio-economic background, staff enthusiasm and principles of AifL embedded in the target class to ensure that the project was a success.  

The advice they would give to other schools embarking on a similar project would be to start from the area of formative assessment and move forward with small steps, ensuring that everyone involved is fully engaged in the process.  

(See also Woodside Primary and Scotstown Primary case study extracts)

Contact details

If you would like further information on this case study, please contact the Local Authority Assessment Co-coordinator. You can find contact details for each authority area on our local authority coordinators' contacts page.