5 benefits of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)
Read along as we dive into the five benefits of Individual Learning Plans and how they can enrich the overall learning experience for all students, from supporting inclusive education practices to making key stakeholder management efficient and meaningful for all.
What are Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)?
Whether you’re new to Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) or just need a refresher, it’s important to know what an ILP is to truly understand the benefits that it can create for students and all stakeholders involved.
Essentially, an Individual Learning Plan, also known as an Individual Education Plan (IEP), is a working document that details how a school is going to support a child with disability or special needs to reach their learning goals in line with Australian curriculum standards.
You can learn more about what an ILP is and what needs to be included in our comprehensive guide.
What are the benefits of ILPs?
Now that we’ve defined what an ILP is, let’s dive into the specific benefits they can bring for students, teaching staff, parents or guardians, and the wider school.
While Individual Learning Plans are generally geared toward students with learning difficulties and special needs, all students can benefit from having an ILP. Keep reading to find five reasons why.
Supports and betters inclusive education
All schools are made up of a diverse community of students due to factors like language proficiency, cultural background, disability and those who are gifted and talented. While these students are essential areas of focus for ILPs, every child also has differing learning styles, behaviours and interests and would benefit from individualised learning plans that meet their specific requirements.
This kind of personal goal setting, attainment strategy and monitoring is one of the most powerful ways to create an inclusive learning environment where all students can access, participate and progress in their learning.
A key motivator for Individual Learning Plans is that students can learn at their own pace while still having access to the same curriculum as their peers, ensuring everyone gets an equal chance.
You can learn more about inclusive education and key principles to keep in mind for creating an inclusive learning experience.
Helps set and track learning targets and objectives
By setting targets, students can work toward their educational goals and aspirations. Furthermore, by implementing Individual Learning Plans, you can effectively track and monitor each child’s learning goals in one centralised location for all stakeholders to have visibility over. This also helps identify whether extra support or resources are needed to help reach the objectives and work on their strengths and weaknesses.
When setting short and long-term goals in an ILP, it’s important to follow the SMART goal framework to ensure that they are defined, achievable and measurable for each student. You can learn more about using SMART goals for Individual Learning Plans in our guide.
Along with helping track progress against goals, it’s expected in an ILP to record the teaching strategies that will be used to help students fulfil their goals, helping to keep track of which ones are most effective. By having all data in one place, ILPs are useful when it comes to fulfilling your NCCD reporting obligations.
Engages all key stakeholders
It’s important that everyone involved in a student’s learning journey all have a shared understanding of the current challenges, goals, adjustments and progress.
A key benefit of using Individual Learning Plans is that all stakeholders are involved, informed and engaged from start to finish. Teaching staff, parents or guardians, external specialists, and students are consulted in the development and implementation of the ILP, and their contributions are recorded in one shared location. This centralisation also contributes to more efficient communication between stakeholders.
By bringing parents or guardians and school staff together, agreeing on and, most importantly, engaged with ILPs, it helps create a consistent, constructive environment for all students to reach their potential both inside and outside of school.
Promote self-advocacy and student-centred learning
With a shift towards student-centred learning, ILPs are an excellent tool for students to learn how to advocate for themselves, communicate their needs and take ownership of their own learning.
As Individual Learning Plans entail ongoing monitoring and progress tracking, they encourage students to reflect on their learning and education goals, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Getting students more involved in their learning targets can help them stay motivated and track their progress more closely.
Having students get more involved in decision-making about their learning pathway also helps teachers and schools to gain insight into creating a more inclusive learning environment and shows the value of student engagement and participation.
Streamlines student transitions
Moving up a grade or relocating to a new school can be a daunting experience for any student, but particularly for those with special needs or learning difficulties. Students must get used to a new teacher, learning environment and peer cohort, which can be a challenge.
As Individual Learning Plans are designed to be regularly monitored and updated, information is detailed and documented in one location, making handovers and transitions easier for new stakeholders to have a clear indication of the child’s needs, what teaching strategies are most effective and the progress towards their learning objectives.
How to create an individual learning plan
Now that you’ve learned more about the key benefits of using ILPs, you might be wondering how to get started and create Individual Learning Plans for your students.
While there are several ways to create an ILP, such as a downloadable template or by making your own, it’s important to keep in mind that ‘one size does not fit all,’ and to choose a format that is accessible and easy to use for all stakeholders.
Purpose-built platforms like Learning Pathways make stakeholder management, creating and monitoring ILPs streamlined and efficient. You can save hours filling out paperwork and planning and spend more hands-on time supporting your students.
To learn more about creating an ILP, check out our step-by-step guide, and explore our comprehensive Advice Hub with everything you need to know about implementing Individual Learning Plans and creating an inclusive classroom.