26th Nov 2025

How to Implement Up Learn Effectively in Sixth Form: A Senior Leader’s Guide to Success

“When we started using Up Learn with Year 12 and 13 students, grades improved by at least one grade, sometimes two.

Rohan Sood, Assistant Headteacher, Whitefriars School

About the Teacher

We spoke to Rohan Sood, the Assistant Headteacher at Whitefriars School. The all-through school is part of Heathland Whitefriars Federation in Harrow, with a growing sixth form of around 100 students. The school prepares students to thrive both in higher education and in life beyond school.

Rohan previously used Up Learn as a core tool to improve attainment, reduce workload, and foster independence across A Level while teaching at Crest Academy. With a new partnership at Whitefriars School, he hopes to replicate this same level of impact.

A Structured Start for Success

Rohan recommends introducing Up Learn at the start of the academic year with a clear implementation plan:

• Autumn Term: Enrolment and establishing routines
• Winter Term: Use mocks and QLAs to guide targeted assignments
• Spring & Summer Terms: Fine-tune learning via dashboards and celebrate progress

Embedding Up Learn in the Classroom

Rohan explained the importance of making Up Learn a part of a school’s daily academic rhythm. Teachers align sections with their schemes of work, middle leaders use data for intervention, and students get personalised, mastery-based assignments.

“Our physics teacher was thrilled — he can now set targeted sections that integrate seamlessly into his curriculum.”

“I’m a data person. Tracking progress keeps both students and staff accountable… dashboards are incredibly useful to track trends and fine-tune learning, especially in Year 13.”

Celebrating Progress

Rohan believes that recognising achievements helps build a positive culture and keeps students motivated:

“We make sharing successes routine. Every win counts — even small wins matter. It builds confidence and motivation.”

Building Buy-In

Another key part of his approach is engaging both parents and staff:

“Parents want to know, but they don’t always know how to ask. Online Q&As work really well — we went from a few parents to 56 attending, almost half the year group.”

“Engagement trickles down: leaders engage parents, teachers engage students, and students engage parents.”

Why It Works for Schools

• Boosts attainment: Mastery learning drives measurable progress
• Supports staff: Reduces workload and provides reliable cover
• Data-driven: Dashboards allow targeted intervention
• Cultural shift: Promotes independence in everyday study

“Independent learning was a challenge, and Up Learn helped us give students real autonomy.”

Why It Works for Students

• Personalised learning: Pathways based on strengths and weaknesses
• Confidence building: Mastery tracking makes progress visible
• Flexible access: Learn anytime, anywhere
• Motivation: Milestones celebrated across departments

“There’s a whole section on essay writing. Step-by-step guides for six-mark, twelve-mark, or twenty-four mark questions… as a Pearson examiner, I can say the Up Learn students’ diagrams are top quality.”

Advice for Educators

“Start small but set high expectations. Make Up Learn a part of your routine from day one — not as an add-on, but as a core learning tool.”

Final Thoughts

“We’ve seen stronger engagement, better-directed study time, and a growing culture of independence. Up Learn gives us structure, data, and motivation to help students reach their potential — and that’s powerful.”

Learn More

👉 See the full conversation with Rohan in our webinar replay

👉 Book a quick call with our team to see how Up Learn could support SEND learners in your school.

 👉Download our School Funding Guide to explore how costs can be covered from existing budgets.