Behaviour for Learning

Purple learning at Charfield

Research shows that one of the keys to children succeeding at school is for them to understand how they learn. If a child can explain the different skills he or she is using, it enhances awareness of what helps them to learn, what their strengths and weaknesses are and what they need to do to improve. 

One of the strategies we are using to help children talk about their learning, and the importance of challenge within this, is the use of ‘purple learning’. In each class we talk about learning and the importance of challenge and have used the target image (below) to help our discussions.

The children discuss the meaning of each ‘zone and aim to be in the purple (challenge) zone where they feel confident to have a go and know that some of the learning will be difficult but, if they keep working hard, they can be successful. They also discuss the importance of making and learning from the mistakes they make if they are challenging themselves.

To help talk about purple learning as a school children are sometimes given a purple dot to show they have been a purple learner; this allows all staff to talk to them about what they have done, the skills they have used and to celebrate their learning. These are not given as a reward in themselves, but are ways to allow staff and other children to ask the child about their learning and how they have challenged themselves. We do not want the sticker to be the reason that children challenge themselves so purple dot stickers are not given out to every child, every day, although we do monitor to ensure that we look for purple learning in everyone. Learning is also celebrated in classes throughout the day through discussion, praise and other ‘rewards’ which form our approach to celebrating learning.