ICHK’s latest Approaches to Learning have been released to students and parents.

The ATLs, on which we report specifically twice a year, are an opportunity to reflect on how students are going about their learning, celebrating successes and highlighting areas for improvement. Research shows that focusing on academic mindsets, perseverance and behaviours leads to positive academic results for students.

They give students feedback in respect to some of these habits of mind: their attitude to challenge, resilience and motivation, attitude to feedback and advice, organization, initiative and decision-making, ability to work independently and with others, self-regulation and contribution to class.

ATLs are assessed for each student, for each subject they study, and are reported using a rubric. The aim is that students and parents are able to see a "spiky profile" of development, as opposed to a single number, encouraging a deeper level of reflection and understanding.

Students in Years 7-9, who we consider to be apprentices in learning, are assessed only on the first three levels of the ATL rubric. Older students, who we hope to be moving into the 'journeyman' and 'mastery' phases of their ICHK epistemic apprenticeship, are assessed on all five levels of the rubric.

It is our hope that these results offer families a chance to have the kind of positive conversations which move learning and personal growth forward.