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Purple Learning is all about empowering our children to become independent learners. It focuses on developing their resilience, bounce back ability, effort, and focus – teaching them what it takes to be the most effective learners they can be. We believe that fostering independence and deep thinking is key to their educational journey.
In the Early Years, we have introduced the “3 before me” strategies. These strategies encourage our young learners to think through their challenges independently before seeking assistance. Starting from Year 1 all the way up to Year 6, we have the five-point plans in place. These plans provide various strategies to help our students when they encounter difficulties. Our aim is to equip them with the skills necessary to overcome obstacles and become confident problem solvers.
This concept encourages children to reflect on the level of challenge they encounter in their learning and to recognize that embracing challenge and a degree of struggle are not only beneficial but essential for effective learning. We engage in discussions with children about different learning zones: the ‘blue’ zone where learning feels effortless but progress is slow, the ‘red’ zone where learning becomes overly difficult leading to frustration and minimal progress, and the ‘purple’ zone, which represents the optimal learning environment. In the purple zone, children are appropriately challenged, drawing on their existing knowledge and skills to succeed. Making mistakes is expected, and learning is not always easy, yet children are encouraged to understand and appreciate this process, ultimately finding satisfaction in tasks that demand considerable effort. We talk about the emotions that we might feel in each zone, allowing children to realise that being challenged doesn’t always feel very comfortable!
The insights of psychologist Carol Dweck have significantly influenced our understanding of mindsets, perseverance, and talent development in children and young people. A simple search of her name will yield informative articles. Additionally, I recommend watching the TED Talk linked below by teacher Angela Duckworth, who delves into the importance of these concepts in her own classroom:
Central to Purple Learning is the use of metacognitive approaches. We want our children to understand how to talk about their learning in a meaningful way. By developing this self-awareness, they can identify their learning gaps and, more importantly, determine the actions required to close those gaps. We have found that children love learning from their mistakes and view them as opportunities for improvement. Our goal is to cultivate self-reflective learners who know how to effectively use feedback to enhance their growth. This includes both receiving and giving feedback, a crucial skill as they progress into Year 5 and 6.
As our mission states, we are not just preparing our children for something; we are helping them prepare themselves for anything. Purple Learning equips them with essential skills for life. Research consistently shows that when learners understand themselves as learners, their success rates and achievements improve significantly. We believe that success is not solely dependent on academic grades, but rather on being creative, complex thinkers who can collaborate, negotiate, and confidently tackle challenges head-on.
A quote from Claxton et al. (2011) encapsulates the importance of helping students become better learners: “Helping students learn how to be better learners is one of the most effective ways of raising their achievement (never mind its role in preparing them for life). The more curious, adventurous, resilient, and independent they become, the better their grades. “We have seen first hand the positive impact on achievement when students are encouraged to support each other’s learning. The more control and responsibility they are given, the greater the effect on their achievement.”
At John Rankin Schools, we are committed to providing an environment that nurtures and develops our children’s abilities to be independent learners. Purple Learning is a cornerstone of our educational approach, it underpins all learning at John Rankin and we are excited to witness the growth and success it brings to our children.
