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Personalised learning and support

Every student has their own aspirations, learning needs, strengths and interests and it is the responsibility of schools to respond to every student, and their unique characteristics, with high expectations for achievement. Providing personalised learning and targeted support is one way to achieve this. 

What is personalised learning and support?

There are four elements in personalised learning, which reflects the teaching and learning cycle:

  1. consulting and collaborating with the student and/or their parents, guardians or carers
  2. assessing and identifying the needs of the student
  3. providing adjustments to address the identified needs of the student
  4. monitoring and reviewing the impact of adjustments.

1. Consult and collaborate with the student and/or their parents, guardians or carers

Consultation and collaboration is an important element of personalised learning and support. Teachers or school teams undertake the following steps.

  • Engage with the student and their parents, guardians or carers to identify the student’s aspirations, goals, strengths and needs. The school maintains records of these consultations, including agreed actions and expected outcomes. These should be clearly labelled, dated and signed off.
  • Seek expert advice, where applicable, on the student’s needs including medical, personal, physical, communication, sensory and learning needs. Ensure advice is made available to all relevant staff, making sure that any personal information, its storage and distribution, comply with privacy requirements.
  • Undertake ongoing consultation as the student’s needs change.

2. Assess and identify the needs of the student

The next step is to assess and identify the needs of the students. Teachers or school teams undertake the following steps.

  • Draw on available evidence, including consultation with the student and their parents, guardians or carers to identify areas in which the student requires adjustments or further support (these can relate to curriculum access, participation, behaviour support, medical needs and/or learning supports). Records of the analysis of this data provide a benchmark for ongoing assessment.
  • Identify options, interventions and other adjustments to curriculum, learning activities and the environment that address identified learning or other needs, building on the student’s strengths.
  • Seek expert advice if needed when assessing and designing adjustments; for example, from inclusive schooling consultants or other relevant support personnel, such as the student’s therapist.

3. Provide adjustments to the student to address their identified needs

Teachers or school teams undertake the following steps.

  • Implement adjustments to help the student participate on the same basis as other students. Adjustments implemented have clearly defined outcomes.
  • Embed personalised adjustments and differentiated classroom practice within teaching and learning programs and whole school activities occurring outside the classroom.

4. Monitor and review the impact of the adjustments provided

Teachers or school teams undertake the following step.

  • Regularly review the effectiveness of personalised adjustments, including adjustments being provided to the environment, to ensure they are still relevant and required for the student and to determine whether further support measures need to be incorporated. Review of adjustments should incorporate consultation with the student and their parents, guardians or carers.

How does the NCCD relate to personalised learning and support?

The NCCD captures the work of schools in providing personalised learning and support for students with disability. Evidence of teacher and school team activities associated with each of the four key elements of personalised learning and support is recorded and maintained in accordance with school, sector and/or jurisdiction policy and practice requirements for records keeping. Sound and consistent record-keeping ensures that evidence is readily accessible when completing the data collection process and the principal’s verification of the school’s data for the NCCD.

Practices supporting the four elements of personalised learning and support are ongoing and embedded, throughout the school year, with feedback informing continuous improvements to program delivery. Improvements in these key areas also facilitate the completion of the NCCD and assist schools to incorporate the data collection process into their teaching and learning schedules from early in the year.

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