Key Concepts of BSF
Concept 1 – Personalisation
As a guideline, certain things are needed for personalised learning to be successful. These are:
Assessment for Learning
Evidence and feedback are the two most important tools for teachers and pupils when using assessment for learning. Both:
A) evidence of what pupils have achieved in their learning; and
B) discussion between pupil and teacher on what needs improvement and how best to achieve this are used in order to plan lessons and set targets.
 Effective Teaching and Learning
Personalised learning demands teaching and learning strategies that challenge every pupil. Support needs to be given to children who are being left behind, and also to stretch those who are out in front.
A Flexible Curriculum
At primary level, emphasis is placed on ensuring that every child develops functional literacy and numeracy; without which pupils will find it very difficult to access the secondary curriculum.
The secondary curriculum is designed to be flexible, leading to relevant qualifications for all pupils. For example, GCSEs such as engineering, applied ICT and health & social care have broadened the national curriculum offer, together with a range of vocational and other qualifications.
Organising the School
Creating the best conditions for learning involves:
A) increasing the planning, preparation and assessment time for teachers;
B) the participation of teachers in high quality professional development;
C) the effective use of ICT; and
D) the creation of a safe and secure environment for pupils.
Beyond the Classroom
Building partnerships beyond the school is key to supporting learning in the classroom and increasing pupil well-being.
Parental/carer support has the greatest influence on pupil attainment. Therefore, personalised learning requires strengthening the link between learning and teaching by engaging pupils – and their parents – as partners in learning.
A multi-agency approach should be readily available to help pupils with additional needs. This is aimed at supporting the ‘whole child’.
Useful Reports
2020 Vision
Report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review Group.
Download from:
The Learner’s Charter for a personalised learning environment and Personalisation and Digital Technologies
This report, with the charter, is available to download free from the
NESTA Futurelab website:
Concept 2 – A Competence Based Curriculum
Changes to the national curriculum at Key Stage 3 are intended to develop:
- Increased attention to whole curriculum design and implementation
- Curriculum coherence driven from aims
- Increased focus on skills – Personal, Learning and Thinking skills
- Increasing focus on personal development – well being
- Make subjects de-cluttered and more focused on big ideas and skills
- More space and flexibility to localise and personalise
- Opportunity for renewal or re-engineering
- Ensure clear progression throughout KS3 and into KS4
What’s working:
- Learners as… leaders, designers, teachers
- Technology – who is taught, when, where, by whom
- Explicit focus on AfL, L2L, thinking skills
- Teachers as researchers
- Capturing the energy and ideas of users as co-developers
- Opening Minds project by RSA
Changes to Key Stage 4, designed to increase choice and employability, incorporate the following developments:
- 17 new Diplomas
- FLT (Foundation Learning Tier Qualification)
- Functional Skills
- Strengthened GCSEs and A levels
- Significant expansion of apprenticeships
- Wider availability of IB (International Baccalaureate)
Concept 3 – ICT as the ‘Golden Thread’
We don’t know what the future of ICT in education looks like. However we do know that things like the internet are changing the nature of what we need to teach and how we teach it. For example, the amount of information available to us is increasing at an alarming rate, it is estimated to be doubling every 72 hours by he year 2010. So we need to be skilling up our learners not to simply know facts but to be able to find the fact, check its provenance and apply the knowledge in the relevant context.
- Practical ways of harnessing current technologies:
- voting software can be used for participation in class and across whole school
- Blogging sites can be used to develop literacy skills
- Instant Messaging/Voice over IP/chat rooms can be used for peer evaluation, peer review, mentoring and voting
- Virtual worlds/2nd life sites can be used to provide insight into different character roles, and develop empathy
- Gaming can produce high levels of engagement incorporating reward and graduated challenge, players affect narrative
- Camera phones can be used for peer review of behaviour and for demonstration purposes
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