Why Personalised Learning Matters at Sacred Heart College

The philosophy driving education at Sacred Heart College is a deliberate shift away from the traditional 'industrial' model. We are moving toward a more progressive, dynamic, and student-centric approach known as personalised learning. We share below how this shift works and how you can support your child’s unique learning journey.

Personalised learning is more than just about tailoring a lesson to student’s interest; it is a method of teaching that respects individual differences. It requires us, as educators, to constantly reflect and ask: How does each unique learner need to be supported to succeed?

The foundation of our approach is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Rather than expecting students to adapt to a rigid curriculum, UDL ensures the curriculum is designed from the outset to be flexible. It is built on three core principles:

• Multiple Means of Engagement: Identifying and offering appropriate avenues to engagement in learning
• Multiple Means of Representation: Providing students an ability to access material through a variety of formats (video, text, hands-on).
• Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Allowing students different ways to show what they know.

We want our students to understand the science of learning. 

Through our Learning to Learn programs, our students explore how their brains process information, how to avoid cognitive overload, and the specific strategies that enhance the building of foundational skills for sustained academic and personal growth.

As our students’ progress, they are encouraged to self-monitor their progress and self-modify their strategies when they experience challenges. Dr. Shyam Barr emphasises that being a successful student is about building a set of positive learning habits. At Sacred Heart College, this is made explicit through our Wednesday afternoon program, where students in the Maguire Years are regularly exposed to the practices of self-regulated learning.

Our role as educators has shifted; teachers are both curators of learning and mentors who support students to understand themselves as learners. However, learning occurs beyond the school gates and families are an essential partner in this journey. To help your child reflect on their growth, perhaps next time you are at the dinner table, you could ask: 

• What are your learning goals for this week?
• What is one thing you found challenging and how did you handle it?
• What is one thing that used to be hard that is now becoming easier?
• What is the most interesting task you are working on at the moment?

Ultimately, we are moving away from the idea that every student should be at the same stage at the same time. Our shift toward personalised and self-regulated learning ensures every student can flourish. As the late Sir Ken Robinson stated, 'You don’t make a plant grow. The plant grows itself. What you do is provide the conditions for growth'. At Sacred Heart College, we embrace the responsibility to provide the support, agency and inspiration your child needs to discover their own unique path to success.