A learning commitment

In order to learn, a pupil has to make a personal commitment to each relationship with those from whom they learn, eg their teacher, parents/carers or peers. This is sometimes called a ‘learning commitment’. The extent to which a pupil has a positive attitude to learning is usually evident from the depth of their learning commitment. This section looks at how to develop this further.

In considering how far your school has achieved a learning commitment from the entire learning community, it is worth asking whether every pupil in your school:

• has an interest in their own self-development?
• understands and makes good use of their own learning styles?
• has a clear grasp of what needs to be improved about their work?
• knows exactly what needs to be done to achieve the required improvement?
• shows enthusiasm and works hard towards their personal learning goals?

Your answers to these questions can form a starting point for developing the learning commitment in your school. Some elements that your school might focus upon include:

• promoting personalised learning
• clarifying learning pathways
• improving target setting and assessment for learning
• acknowledging relationships for learning
• underlining rights and responsibilities.