Building Learning Power (BLP) is exactly what it suggests.  It relates to the characteristics of effective learning, to our self-awareness as learners and our ability to ‘learn to learn’ and to continue to build our learning skills.  It develops the knowledge that we can continually improve how we learn regardless of age, situation, gender or any other false boundary that tries to hinder our progress.  Some people think of it as practising using a muscle to develop strength, the learning muscle.  BLP gives us a common language to talk about learning and help us make explicit the various skills that enable us to learn.

In a quickly changing world, it is no longer enough to teach our children facts or chunks of knowledge alone.  Instead we need to give them the skills they need to face challenges, solve problems, develop resilience and to interact with others.  At Bluecoat school we believe in giving our children these skills, teaching how to learn alongside the necessary academic, physical and social skills.

In each of our classrooms we display a Building Learning Power board and these boards are encouraging children to use phrases such as ‘not giving up’, ‘making links’ or ‘managing distractions’.  As such we have designed booklets for parents and carers to provide more information about BLP to further develop our home-school partnerships and to enable parents and carers to talk with their child about not just what they have been learning, but how.