Individual learning plans
Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) were first outlined in the DfES document “14-19: Opportunity and excellence” (January 2003), alongside increased vocational options and greater flexibility in the Key Stage 4 curriculum. They are likely to be important in developments following the Government's White Paper "14-19 Education and Skills", published in February 2005. An Individual Learning Plan becomes increasingly important with increasing flexibility at Key Stage 4 and an increasing range of progression routes from age 16.
An individual learning plan is a plan for education and learning across the whole of 14-19, completed in year 9. It is not intended to restrict young peoples’ choices, but is likely to be revised on an annual basis as future plans become more concrete.
There is no national blueprint. Salford City Learning Centre is currently trialling "My Learning Space" an e.portfolio for 5-19 years olds, in schools, colleges and work based learning providers. It will incorporate an individual learning plan.
An individual learning plan:
- Records the progress and achievement of a young person by age 14 (this could include for example SATs results at Key Stage 2 and 3 and likely Key Stage 4 outcomes)
- Identifies choices at Key Stage 4 (including entitlement subjects, vocational options and possibly ideas for work experience)
- Establishes broad learning and career goals for the whole of the 14-19 phase
- Provides the basis for on-going monitoring and review of progress throughout the 14-19 phase (for example transfer of information between pre-16 and post-16 institutions has always been a difficulty, but in one 14-19 Pathfinder they are working on an electronic version that young people could choose to take with them).
There are no rules around who should take the lead on initiating or revising ILPs with young people, but almost certainly the overall lead should be taken by a member of the senior management team, but a wide range of people in schools could be involved, for example form tutors, careers education/PSHE tutors, learning mentors, Connexions Personal Advisers (in some cases), but this will take considerable coordination and time will need to be found, both for training staff and for reviews with young people.
This is set in the context of:
- There is now a national framework for careers education and guidance from ages 11-19 (the development of careers education is a priority for the local Connexions Service in the coming year)
- Coordination of the personal development curriculum (QCA has recently published guidance on the coordination of aspects of careers education, PSHE, work related learning, citizenship, sex, drugs and relationship education, religious education), all of which could support the development of the Individual Learning Plan More recently QCA has consulted on the secondary curriculum. One aspect of this will be the development of two areas of work -economic well-being and personal well-being (see information on personal development curriculum
- The development of the Progress File. This will play an important part in the development and delivery of Individual Learning Plans
This page was last updated on 01 August 2007
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