Learning, Assessment & Pathways

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Our learner-centred approach focuses on developing essential skills and competencies—like communication, creativity, and problem-solving—alongside strong academic foundations. This aligns with global trends, such as the World Economic Forum’s 2025 report, highlighting these human-centred skills as increasingly in demand for future careers.

Unlearning & Relearning at Learnlife

Children arrive with preconceived ideas about learning shaped by past school experiences.
Adapting to Learnlife involves unlearning old habits and relearning new approaches.
Learners shift from passive instruction to active curiosity, questioning, and critical thinking.
The first weeks are a period of exploration and discovery, reigniting a love for learning.
This process helps learners embrace autonomy and pursue their passions.

Guides, not teachers

One of the significant differences you and your child will notice is that Learning Guides take on a different role than traditional teachers. Rather than instructing, they mentor and guide your child to support and empower them on their personal learning journey.

Developing meaningful positive relationships is a crucial aspect of this, and research shows this is a critical foundation for enabling deep learning.

You can watch this video to meet Adri, one of our incredible learning guides, and get a deeper understanding of the role of your child’s Learning Guide.

How learning happens

At Learnlife, your child will develop core foundational skills in literacy, language, numeracy, science and social studies. But, in addition to this, the main differences to a traditional school are:

Learning is transdisciplinary
Learning is real-world orientated
Learning is self-directed
Learning is passion-inspired

You can read more about these below. In addition to this, we encourage you to take the opportunity to find out more about how learning happens by attending parent meetings and asking questions of our learning team and parents.

If you’re ever unsure, please just ask!

Transdisciplinary learning

Learning happens in a transdisciplinary way. This means thatyour child develops concepts and skills across our different Building Blocks (subjects) rather than studying subjects in isolation.

To give an example, at a traditional school, your child will learn maths during a maths lesson. At Learnlife, your child will learn maths in our Maths Dojo Building Block, but they’ll also use and develop their maths skills on our other Building Blocks, such as when creating projects in our studios, exploring numeric systems and doing their passion projects.

This approach allows your child to deepen their learning, apply their theoretical knowledge and have a more impactful learning experience.

Real-world orientated

Our approach to learning is grounded in real-world experiences, offering your child authentic and engaging opportunities to develop their skills.

Your child will have the chance to work on projects that address real-world issues, gaining industry experience and collaborating with our team of studio experts.

By connecting learning with the real world, your child engages in diverse, authentic learning experiences that grow their enjoyment and sense of purpose for learning.

Self-directed learning

Under the guidance of their mentor, your child will be encouraged to take ownership of their learning and make choices that are meaningful to them.

The degree of self-direction and autonomy your child attains depends on their level of development (known as stages of autonomy).

This allows for tailored support and guidance from Learning Guides and mentors, based on your child’s needs.

Passion-inspired learning

Your child will have the freedom to explore and develop their passions.

They will be encouraged to discover, explore and experiment, and focus their learning in areas that interest them most.

Their Passion Projects are a perfect illustration of this. In this Building Block, your child will deep dive into what they’re most passionate about with hands-on project-based learning.

Empowering your child to explore their passions fosters a lifelong enthusiasm for learning.

Competency Model

At Learnlife, we guide learners in developing meaningful, transferable skills through our Competency Framework, which is organized into five interconnected learning domains. Each domain supports different dimensions of growth, helping learners become more self-aware, collaborative, curious, and capable contributors to their world.

1. Learning to Be: Encourages learners to build a strong sense of self, well-being, and values.

2. Learning to Learn: Develops the habits and mindset of a self-directed, reflective learner.

3. Learning to Think: Fosters curiosity and intellectual engagement across disciplines.

4. Learning to Relate: Supports communication, empathy, and connection in a multilingual, multicultural world.

5. Learning to Act: Empowers learners to take meaningful, responsible action in their communities and beyond.

How it works?

Each domain is composed of specific competencies that the learner develops during their time with us. These competencies remain the same across all programs. What changes are the skills that make up each competency, as they align with the focus areas and growth goals of each program.

Once a learner produces learning evidence that demonstrates their level of skill acquisition, they are ready to begin working towards transitioning to the next program or their graduation. Completing a program typically takes approximately two years.

Assessment

Learning Vitae

We measure learner growth using a competency model that focuses on the learning journey. This approach encourages learner accountability and self-reflection, while also providing frequent opportunities for real-time feedback. It empowers learners to take an active role in reflecting on their progress—something studies show has the greatest impact on promoting effective learning.

After participating in a Building Block where guidance, feedback, and assessment take place, learners upload their work to the platform. There, they tag the skills they have developed and self-assess their progress. Learning Guides then review their self-assessment, provide feedback, and either approve it or offer specific steps to help the learner reach their stated assessment. It is then up to the learner to either revise their self-assessment or continue iterating until they meet the level of achievement they set for themselves.

360's

At Urban Hub, we believe meaningful learning happens through both self-reflection and shared perspective. Our 360° Assessments are collaborative conversations where learners present their growth, challenges, and goals to families, Learning Guides, and peers.

Held at the end of each cycle (December and May), 360s empower learners to take ownership of their journey across our five learning domains, using their Learning Voyage (LV) to showcase progress. These conversations are grounded in trust, transparency, and partnership between home and Hub.

You’ll receive more information as each cycle approaches.

Showcase / Show Show

Our Showcase is a special event where learners share and celebrate their work with the entire Learnlife community. In a market-style setting, learners present their projects, explain their learning process, and answer questions from parents, peers, and Learning Guides.

The event concludes with the Show-show—a chance for learners to take the stage and perform, speak, or reflect on their learning in front of the whole community. For many, it’s a meaningful opportunity to build confidence and step outside their comfort zone.

Families are warmly invited to attend and support their child's growth and achievements. Showcases take place twice a year and reflect the creativity, progress, and personal development of every learner.

Transitioning Ptograms & Future Pathways

Transitioning Programs

Your child’s Secondary Program consists of three programs: Explorers, Creators and Changemakers.

In order for your child to move on to their next learning program, such as from Explorers to Creators, they must have covered all skills and completed the transition requirements. This ensures that they advance to the next stage of their learning journey only when they are ready, rather than simply based on their age.

Your child’s Learner Growth Plan will track their progress towards meeting the transition requirements. Once they have fulfilled all the requirements, they will need to complete their Rites of Passage to graduate.

The Rites of Passage are designed to help your child overcome challenges, step out of their comfort zones, and empower them to overcome obstacles that they will face in their life.

You can read more about the Rites of Passage here.

Pathways - helping your learner achieve their goals

Every learner’s learning journey is unique, and each learner’s pathways depend on their goals and interests.

Learnlife's Secondary Programme at the Urban Hub is recognized as an accredited international secondary school. We are fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), an internationally recognised accrediting body.

Learners who meet the required criteria will qualify for an American high school diploma through NEASC and are entitled to apply to co-validate their learning to receive the ESO certificate.

As your child progresses from Explorer to Creators, they will work closely with their mentor and Learning Guides to explore their options and develop a plan that helps them get to their preferred destination. This will occur more frequently once your learner is a Changemaker.

Our learners have a range of pathways available to them and go on to do fantastic things. Our graduates pursue various options, such as attending university, studying A Levels, starting their own business, and pursuing creative arts.

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