BUILDING LEARNING POWER

At Weyford Nursery and Primary School we believe that learning should be a life-long enterprise. We aim to develop our pupils learning power, not just so they can complete school learning more easily and effectively, but so they will leave school with a set of habits and attitudes which will serve them through the journey of life.

What is BLP all about?

BLP is about learning how to be a better learner. It is about the individual learner, their personal ‘disposition’ towards learning. The BLP ‘capacities’ are a set of ‘learning muscles’ that need to be exercised so that they grow strong. This is something that can be learnt, practised and improved.

• It is a learning culture that encourages children and teachers to become better learners
• It allows children to approach difficulties in learning without fear of failure
• It allows the children to take small steps within learning
• It develops confidence
• It is not additional to teaching but is grounded within everyday teaching and learning
• It gives clear labels for the children to use to develop understanding of learning processes

Why are we a Building Learning Power school?

BLP allows us to develop a common language for learning across school. The language is used in all classrooms, with all children. This helps everyone talk about understanding learning to learn. We hope that this understanding will go beyond the school gates, where you will be able to reinforce the ideas by encouraging the children to use their learning language in their everyday lives.

The idea is that the four dispositions (The 4 Rs – Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflectiveness and Reciprocity/Relationships) are like a group of ‘learning muscles’. Just as we can build our physical muscles with the right kind of exercise, learning muscles can also be developed and can grow in strength and stamina. It is these we are aiming to develop in the children.

What does BLP look like at Weyford Nursery and Primary School?

You may have heard your children already using some of the language that is used in school or they might have been awarded with a BLP certificate or badge representing one of our Learning Heroes. There are four main learning dispositions with learning heroes that represent them.

Building Learning Power Expectations for all.

Each year group have their own Building Learning Power Expectations which cover ;

1. Resilience  - The emotional aspects of learning.
2. Resourcefulness - The cognitive aspects of learning
3. Reflectiveness - The strategic  aspects of learning
4. Reciporcity / Relationship - The social aspects of learning