Characteristics of Effective Learning

Characteristics of Effective Learning at Aughton Christ Church CE Primary School

At Aughton Christ Church CE Primary School, we have four characteristics of effective learning which are: Independence, curiosity, resilience and active listening. These help every child in our school to grow not only academically, but personally and spiritually. Together with our Christian Values, these characteristics shape our children into thoughtful, capable and compassionate learners, ready to make a positive difference in the world.

Why These Characteristics of Effective Learning?

Independence: We encourage pupils to take ownership of their learning so that they become confidence decision-makers who work confidently on their own and with others. Independence prepares pupils to face challenges with a sense of responsibility and pride.

Curiosity: At our school, we want children to ask questions, explore ideas and see the awe and wonder in the world around them. Curiosity fuels a love of learning, helping pupils think creatively, deepen their understanding and make connections across our curriculum.

Resilience: Learning isn’t always easy and mistakes are part of the journey. By developing resilience, children learn to keep going in the face of challenge. This resilience builds self-belief, determination and a healthy growth mindset that supports them throughout life.

Active Listening: Learning happens best when pupils are engaged, listening carefully, respect other’s viewpoints and reflect before responding. Active listening strengthens communication, empathy and teamwork – key skills for our school community and beyond.

How we Selected our Characteristics of Effective Learning

At Aughton Christ Church CE Primary School, our characteristics of effective learning were chosen through a collaborative process that involved our whole school community. We spoke with pupils, teachers, parents and governors to understand which qualities were most important for helping our children thrive in their learning and in life. From these conversations, we decided on independence, curiosity, resilience and active listening were identified as being central to our pupils. To make these concepts engaging, tangible and meaningful, we then worked with a professional artist to design special characters that represent each quality, helping pupils to recognise and apply them in their everyday learning. Pupils who demonstrate these characteristics of effective learning will be recognised through our celebration assemblies and will receive an award certificate from their class teacher in recognition of their efforts.

Our Characteristics of Effective Learning Characters