“With Up Learn, we can track progress in real-time – no more students slipping through the net.”

About the school

Urmston Grammar is a selective grammar school located in South Manchester, within the Trafford Local Authority. The school has approximately 375 students in their Sixth Form, with 90% of A Level students studying at least one of the six Up Learn subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Psychology, and Economics. Over the past four years, Up Learn has been gradually phased in at Urmston Grammar, helping students develop independent learning skills and achieve top exam results.

About the teacher

Tom Kennedy-Fowler, Co-Head teacher at Urmston Grammar, has played a key role in implementing Up Learn in the Sixth Form. As both a senior leader and a Chemistry teacher, Tom has firsthand experience of how technology can support learning and is dedicated to improving student outcomes through structured, independent study.

Targeted Approach to Addressing Learning Gaps

Initially, Up Learn was introduced to support struggling students—particularly those whose GCSE grades may have been impacted due to the pandemic. Many of these students needed more support to be fully prepared for their A Levels, and Tom and his team sought a structured, scalable solution to help them succeed.

Up Learn was first trialled with 40 students as part of the school’s catch-up funding initiative, focusing on those who needed extra support in their final months before exams. While engagement with the platform varied, those who actively used Up Learn saw significant improvements. Encouraged by these results, the school expanded Up Learn access in subsequent years, integrating it into their independent study model.

Embedding Independent Study with Directed Learning

TRecognising that independent study plays a critical role in A Level success, Urmston Grammar developed a Directed Study Program to structure students’ out-of-classroom learning. Up Learn was designated as the official directed study tool for students taking one of its six supported subjects.

Instead of relying solely on self-directed revision, students were required to achieve 140 experience points (XP) per subject per week, equating to two hours of structured learning. This scaffolded approach ensured that students were consistently engaging with high-quality learning materials, reinforcing their classroom learning, and preventing knowledge gaps from wideninge so that they feel prepared for the exam.”

“Students know exactly what’s expected with Up Learn. Independent study is now less ‘independent’ and more structured.”

Top Tips for Success

Tom and his team have refined their approach to maximising engagement and results with Up Learn. Here are his top tips for success:next year.

• Introduce Up Learn from the Start: Embedding it into Year 12 study habits early leads to stronger engagement.
• Set Clear Goals: Students at Urmston Grammar are expected to complete 2 sections per subject per week, which translates to around two hours of focused work.
• Use Assignments to Direct Learning: Teachers set specific tasks to ensure students focus on key areas rather than leaving them to navigate content on their own.
• Track Student Progress: The teacher dashboard allows educators to monitor student engagement, completion rates, and academic progress.
• Foster a Culture of Accountability: By linking work beyond the classroom independent study with structured support, students take responsibility for their learning while still receiving teacher guidance when needed.

Benefits for Schools

• Improves consolidation work: reduces strain on teacher workload
• Enhances tracking and intervention: teachers can monitor progress in real time.
• Provides structured, high-quality resources: supports both student learning and teacher CPD.
• Academic foundation/support: can be used for directed study programs or as an additional revision tool.

Benefits for Students

• Covers full A Level content: Students can review, revise, and reinforce learning independently.
• Personalised learning approach: Quizzes and scoring systems direct students to focus on weaker areas.
• Encourages self-discipline: Helps students build effective study habits that prepare them for university-level learning.
• Increases confidence: Students report feeling better prepared for exams with structured revision.

Impacts & Outcomes

At Urmston Grammar, the introduction of Up Learn has led to measurable improvements in student engagement and exam performance. Analysis by the school’s Head of Physics revealed a strong correlation between Up Learn usage and higher A Level attainment. The data also showed that students who engaged consistently with Up Learn avoided underperformance, reinforcing the platform’s value as a safety net for struggling learners.

Over the past four years, students at Urmston Grammar have completed an average of 70 hours of Up Learn per year, with some students exceeding hundreds of hours. The ability to set assignments, track completion, and identify learning gaps has made Up Learn an essential part of the school’s Sixth Form strategy.

“No students who engaged consistently with Up Learn underperformed; it’s a real safety net.”