ABSTRACT
Geography teachers aim to make the curriculum exciting and engaging for students by translating government policy, new curricula and examination specifications into 'meaningful educational encounters'. However, for teachers this meaning-making process is situated both within the policies, practices and politics of the school and in the broader context of what can appear constantly changing national priorities. In discussing this process, this chapter initially focuses on 'personalised learning', part of the Labour government's wider 'personalisation' agenda. The chapter briefly traces the concept's emergence as policy before discussing in practice its association with the differentiation of teaching and learning and Assessment for Learning (AfL). It examines the original conception of personalisation where Labour's polices for public services were influenced in part by the think tank Demos. The chapter discusses the transformative potential of personalising learning in geography, through teachers and students co-constructing learning and 'curriculum making'.
