Cultivating Excellence: Implementing High Performance Learning at Network Secondary

At Network International School, our vision is to foster academic curiosity in our students, enabling them to achieve highly and become independent, engaged, and responsible members of society. To truly live this mission, our Secondary School is embracing the High Performance Learning (HPL) framework, a research-based educational philosophy that aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing a holistic education that empowers every student to reach their full potential.
 

What is High Performance Learning?

High Performance Learning (HPL) is built on the pioneering belief that high academic performance is not a gift reserved for a few "naturally talented" individuals. Instead, it is a set of skills and habits that can be systematically taught and developed in all students. By shifting our mindset from "who is smart?" to "how are they becoming smart?", we create an inclusive environment where every student feels supported and valued.

The Pillars of HPL: ACPs and VAAs

The HPL framework is structured around two key pillars: Advanced Cognitive Performance Characteristics (ACPs) and Values, Attitudes, and Attributes (VAAs). Together, these form a comprehensive language for learning that our teachers use to help students navigate their academic journeys.

Advanced Cognitive Performance Characteristics (ACPs) 

The ACPs focus on the "thinking" side of learning, the cognitive skills that high performers use to solve complex problems. These are supported by our newly launched Study Skills Curriculum, which provides students with a "repertoire" of practical habits, such as Cornell Note-taking and Retrieval Practice, to turn these cognitive theories into academic success.

Within the framework, the ACPs are categorised into several key areas:

• Meta-thinking: The ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate one’s own thinking. In our Secondary School, this is implemented through regular "Structured Reflection" points and the use of "What’s Next?" provocations in teacher feedback.
• Linking: This involves seeing the "Big Picture" and making connections between subjects and the real world. Our policy encourages a "Big Question" approach to curriculum design to facilitate this synthesis of ideas.
• Analysing: The ability to break down complex information into smaller steps, a technique our teachers model through "Explicit Instruction" and "Worked Examples".
• Creating: Fostering the intellectual curiosity required to imagine and innovate.
• Realising: Developing the speed and accuracy (fluency) needed to apply knowledge effectively, supported by our focus on "Retrieval Practice" and "Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Reviews".

Values, Attitudes, and Attributes (VAAs): 

Learning Beyond the Classroom While the ACPs deal with how a student thinks, the VAAs focus on their "behavioural" habits, the mindset required to succeed. At Network, we believe that these attributes are not developed solely at a desk. Our commitment to a holistic education means we place immense value on learning experiences that take place beyond the classroom walls.
 

Key VAAs are nurtured through our vibrant Extracurricular Activities (ECA) programme and signature events like Residential Camp Week:

• Agility & Adaptability: During our residential Camp Week, students are stepped out of their comfort zones. Whether navigating a new outdoor challenge or working in unfamiliar teams, they develop the open-mindedness and adaptability that HPL defines as "Agility."
• Hard Work & Perseverance: Excellence requires grit. Whether it is mastering a new instrument in an ECA or completing a demanding trek during Camp Week, students learn to keep going when tasks are challenging, reinforcing the HPL belief that "Hard Work" is the engine of success.
• Empathy & Collaboration: Our family-oriented community thrives on kindness. Collaborative projects in ECAs and the shared responsibilities in House events foster a collegiate spirit, teaching students to respect diverse perspectives and work effectively as a team.

By involving students in such a broad range of experiences, we ensure they develop the resilient mindset needed to navigate the complexities of the modern world.

 

Bridging Theory and Practice: The Study Skills Curriculum

This August, we launched our Study Skills Curriculum, which is one way in which students develop the practical tools that embody these ACPs and VAAs. Structured through "Learning Sprints," students are introduced to specific skills, such as Hierarchical Note-Taking (Year 7) and Self-Correcting (Year 9). They then practise these across different subjects. This ensures that the "Meta-thinking" and "Realising" required for HPL become second nature to every student.

 

HPL in Action: Our Teaching and Learning Policy

The implementation of High Performance Learning in the Secondary School is not an "add-on" but already the foundation of our classroom practice, with many elements already embedded in our Teaching and Learning Policy that we launched in 2023:

Big Questions and Inquisitive Minds

Instead of static learning objectives, our lessons begin with a "Big Question". This inquiry-based approach fosters inquisitive, engaged learners who participate in constructing their own learning journey. By framing learning as a quest for answers, we promote the ACP of "Linking" and "Meta-thinking" from the very start of a session.

The Seven-Step Scaffolding Model 

To move students toward independence, we utilise a seven-step model adapted from the EEF Toolkit. This framework deliberately shifts the responsibility for learning from the teacher to the pupil:

• Activating Prior Knowledge: Connecting to what is already known.
• Explicit Strategy Instruction: Clearly explaining the "how" of a task.
• Modelling of Learned Strategy: Teachers use "Live Modelling" and "Worked Examples" to narrate their thought processes out loud.
• Memorisation of Strategy: Ensuring the process is internalized.
• Guided Practice: The "We Do" stage, where teachers and students work interactively to reach an 80% success rate.
• Independent Practice: The "You Do" stage, where students apply their skills to build confidence and mastery.
• Structured Reflection: Dedicated time to evaluate the learning process.

Mastery and Personalisation 

A key tenet of HPL is that everyone can achieve highly. We adopt a "Mastery" approach, ensuring all students have secured key concepts before a topic concludes. For those who grasp concepts more quickly, we "accelerate through depth and breadth, not speed," providing enrichment tasks that challenge their cognitive limits.

A Culture of Formative Feedback 

For a student to become a high performer, they must know how to respond to feedback. Our policy mandates that we do not internally assess work with "nothing more than a grade". Instead, we prioritise formative feedback that identifies strengths and provides the provocation "What’s Next?".

Students are given dedicated time to reflect on this feedback, often responding in green pen to signify their active engagement in the improvement process. This constant cycle is supported by our Study Skills focus on "Acting on Feedback," helping students develop the VAA of "Agility" and the ACP of "Meta-thinking."
 

Looking Forward

At Network International School, we are proud to be a community that celebrates diversity and strives for excellence in all its forms. By implementing High Performance Learning alongside a robust Holistic Education that encompasses Study Skills, ECAs, House events, and residential experiences, we are giving our Secondary students more than just a qualification; we are giving them the cognitive tools and the resilient mindset they need to succeed in life.

We invite all our parents to join us in this journey. By using the language of ACPs and VAAs at home, and by supporting the "hard work" and "curiosity" your children show in their studies and their extracurricular pursuits, we can work together to ensure that every Network student reaches their full potential.

Our Parent Coffee Mornings offer an invaluable opportunity for parents to come into school and better understand what learning looks like in a Network classroom and how you can actively support your child’s holistic development at home.