Personalising Learning (PL) has recently become a major strand of the Specialist Schools Trust's (SST) work with schools. PL is an ongoing journey that can be defined in phases. The first phase involved 250 headteachers meeting with Professor David Hargreaves, in a series of workshops aiming to define personalisation. They concluded that personalising learning is realised through nine interconnected gateways:

• student voice;
• assessment for learning;
• learning to learn;
• new technologies;
• curriculum;
• mentoring and coaching;
• school organisation and design;
• advice and guidance
• workforce development.

In addition, all gateways demand distributed leadership.*

The second phase of the PL journey consists of an exploration of the gateways through a series of conferences launched by the SST and the Secondary Headteachers' Association (SHA) in September 2004. Each conference is followed up by a pamphlet that is distributed through the SST's affiliation network.

'A new and radically different system of innovation and development and research for education must be created.' (Hargreaves 2004).

This is the rationale that underlies the establishment of development and research (D&R) networks in the third phase of the PL journey. In this phase, schools are seeking support from the Trust, and each other, to personalise learning for their students through one or more gateways.

In July 2005, the Trust appointed the first set of hub schools for student voice, assessment for learning, learning to learn, new technologies and curriculum in each of the eleven regions in England. Once they are up and running, D&R networks will support teachers and schools to develop personalising learning to raise achievement, deepen learning and engage students at all levels in schools. D&R networks will develop more effective approaches to teaching and learning by disciplined innovation focusing on an agreed agenda. There are four main elements to the operation of D&R networks:

1. distributing the innovation required effectively to schools in the D&R networks;
2. developing effective practice to raise achievement for students at all levels;
3. finding a rigorous definition of what constitutes good practice;
4. transferring knowledge effectively to schools throughout the affiliation network.

The Trust and the schools involved are truly excited about the establishment of D&R networks. They promise to define, develop and transfer good PL practice to all schools affiliated to the Trust and its international arm, iNet.

* David H. Hargreaves (2004). Personalising Learning: Next Steps in Working Laterally.

Mr Kai Vacher
Head of Personalising Learning (London)
Specialist Schools Trust

* David H. Hargreaves (2004). Personalising Learning: Next Steps in Working Laterally.

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