PRESENTING NEW MATERIAL: WHY “IT’S EASY” IS THE HARDEST LESSON
“We are what we repeatedly do Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit ”
UNLOCKING LONGTERM LEARNING, MEMORY RECALL
“By embedding memory recall into every lesson, we ’ ve seen our students make incredible progress - not just in what they know, but in how they own that knowledge The confidence boost is real ”
POWERFUL MODELLING
“Students feel empowered to attempt to apply the skills and knowledge, because they know what thought process they need to go through to achieve success ”
Why do teachers in some schools keep getting
LITERACY LITERACY MATTERSAND MATTERSAND IIT’SNEVER T’SNEVER MATTERED MATTERED MORE: MORE: THE THE IIMPORTANCE MPORTANCE OFALITERACY OFALITERACY TOOLKIT TOOLKIT
Designed and Edited by Zubaydah Tasnim
ThahminaBegum Executive Headteacher
Lee Smith Head of Faculty, KS5 Engineering
Nasim Ahmed Head of Learning, Humanities
Charlotte Sayer Lead teacher for Literacy
Simon Elliott CEO
Saher Butt Deputy Headteacher
Adam Sidat Teacher of Business and Economics
Leo Green Assistant Headteacher
Why do teachers in some schools keep getting better for longer? “ ”
By Thahmina Begum, CST
Teachers in most schools don’t improve after the first 3-5 years of teaching. A mixture of automaticity and poor habits kick in and we plateau.
Teachers in some schools, however, continue to improve...
Social capital theory: structural, cognitive and relational
Social capital theory highlights that shared understanding, trust, and networks enable this collaboration.
Schools that encourage strong relationships and teamwork among teachers help them grow professionally.
Sims, in his post, ‘Why do teachers in some schools keep getting better for longer?’ highlights the 3 aspects of social capital theory: structural, cognitive and relational.
The structural refers to the ‘networks of interactions between people’. At Community Schools Trust (CST), we engage in a number of collaborative activities when it comes to professional development: our deliberate practice sessions, intellectual prep sessions, faculty meetings - to name a few.
Cognitive social capital is all about shared language. Our Explicit Direct Instruction playbook provides this. With it, we can productively engage in conversations with each other about otherwise quite complex teaching concepts.
The relational aspect of social capital theory is all about shared norms and values. For example, in our schools, it’s normal to strive for the ‘best possible start’ and the ‘best possible end’ to our lessons. We know that one way we all achieve this is through a 10 second countdown and we can all expect our students to be ready by the end of the countdown. This is a shared norm.
Jackson & Bruegmann and Sun et al. show us that teachers who work with highly effective peers and engage in regular, productive exchanges enhance their teaching.
Lots of schools will boast that they do this. But at CST, we walk the walk too.
We are invested in each others’ development. We believe in our capacity to ‘get better faster’ with the help of each others’ expertise and we collaborate regularly to achieve this.
At CST, continuous improvement isn’t just a goalit’s the norm.
Teaching engineering alongside GCSEs and A-levels is no small feat
Did you know that over 40% of engineering students cite early exposure to practical problemsolving as a key factor in their success? It requires careful planning, a robust teaching strategy, and a strong focus on cultivating habits that promote effective learning. Here’s how we can navigate this challenge while fostering an evidence-rich teaching and learning (T&L) culture
To integrate engineering into the curriculum, it’s vital to align the program with clear outcomes. We begin by identifying the skills and knowledge students need to acquire by the end of the course For instance, practical problem-solving, critical thinking, and technical expertise sh
We demons strategy st outcomes a design significantl outcomes K milestones, complemen with GCSE a
Engineering naturally overlaps with subjects like physics, mathematics, and computer science Prompting these connections creates a cohesive learning experience For example, a lesson on forces in physics can be paired with an engineering project on bridge design
This interdisciplinary approach not only reinforces concepts but also makes learning more engaging. Using real-world examples to show students how their academic subjects in i i i a p
Engineering projects often require students to manage their time effectively and work independently Establishing routines that encourage these habits early on is vital Strategies such as guided practice, structured project timelines, and regular feedback sessions help students build self-regulation skills
Research supports the use of retrieval practice and spaced repetition to solidify understanding. We incorporate these techniques into rriculums to help key concepts over o to help them key to unlocking their lives
Practical, hands-on learning is at the heart of engineering education We equip students with opportunities to apply their knowledge through projects, experiments, and workshops These activities not only deepen understanding but also develop transferable skills such as teamwork and communication, skills that will be vital in an engineering workplace
One way in which we do this is by setting up a "design and test" cycle, where students can iteratively improve their projects based on feedback This fosters resilience and a growth mindset both crucial traits for future engineers
We encourage students to reflect on their learning experiences Reflection journals, peer reviews, and postproject discussions help students identify what worked what didn’t, Studies actices lowing d their mprove habits set and
Integrating Engine and A-levels is immensely reward with clear goals, curricular links independent lea emphasizing hands-o we can successfully demands.
Students who ar academically prepa equipped with the h to excel in the engine
TheCurseofKnowledge
The first issue was expert-induced blindness. This is the tendency of experts to underestimate how difficult a task is for a novice. To the nurse, wrapping a baby in a blanket was as effortless as tying a shoelace. She had performed the task so often that she could no longer remember what it was like to struggle with it. Willingham refers to this as the “curse of knowledge,” where an expert’s familiarity with a topic makes it harder for them to anticipate the difficulties a novice might face. Teachers fall into this trap when they assume that because a concept seems obvious to them, it should be obvious to their students.
The Importance of Prior Knowledge
Another significant barrier to understanding was the assumption that I already possessed some knowledge of newborn care. This was not the case. My prior knowledge was virtually non-existent, which meant there was no foundation on which to build. In my defence, my son decided to join us six weeks earlier than anticipated (we can argue about the benefits of procrastination, creativity etc. another time?). Nonetheless, Willingham argues that knowledge is “sticky” and that new learning attaches itself to what students already know. This is one reason why teachers begin a new topic by activating prior knowledge. Without an existing framework, new information is far more likely to be forgotten.
On Easter Sunday, my son was born. I experienced a mixture of exhaustion (I know, I was just the supportive partner), awe, and the sudden realisation that I had no idea what I was doing. A few hours later, a nurse approached with a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry, it’s easy. All you need to do is…” What followed was a rapid sequence of instructions on feeding, swaddling, and soothing a newborn. None of it stuck. My brain, overwhelmed and fatigued, simply could not process the information.
That moment has stayed with me, not just as a new parent but as a teacher. The nurse, though undoubtedly well-meaning, had fallen into several high frequency errors whilst presenting new information. She had assumed too much prior knowledge, overloaded my working memory, neglected to scaffold the information, and failed to check for understanding. These errors are not unique to midwives. They occur in classrooms across the country. Thankfully, as CST teachers, we have a Playbook to guide us.
Cognitive Load and the Limits of Memory
The second issue was cognitive overload. Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory explains that working memory has a limited capacity and can only process a finite amount of new information at once. The nurse, perhaps unconsciously, was overloading mine. A string of unfamiliar instructions, delivered in quick succession, is unlikely to be retained. Teachers who present too much information in a short period of time risk overwhelming students in the same way. This is relevant in history, my domain, as dense substantive content can quickly become unmanageable.
Checking for Understanding
The final issue was the absence of any attempt to check whether I had actually understood what I had been told. The nurse assumed that because she had explained the techniques, I had learned it. This is a common misconception in teaching. I had my MWB, pen and rubber, ready to go. In any case, Rosenshine’s principles of instruction emphasise that effective teaching involves continuous checking for understanding. This ensures that misconceptions are addressed before they become entrenched. Simply asking “does that make sense?” is not enough. Meaningful checks involve MWB questioning, Turn and Talks, and opportunities for students to retrieve what they have learned.
When I teach the Cuban Missile Crisis to my GCSE history students, I deliberately follow the principles outlined in our Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) playbook to ensure that new material is presented in a way that maximises understanding and retention. This approach aligns closely with the work of Rosenshine, Sweller, Willingham, and Hattie, all of whom emphasise the importance of structured, evidence-based teaching.
Firstly, I ensure that my explanations are concise and clear by explicitly introducing the DPR key objective at the start of the lesson. Students should know from the outset what they are expected to learn. Hattie’s research on teacher clarity highlights that students achieve more when learning intentions are explicit and unambiguous.
Secondly, I consider prerequisite knowledge before introducing new material. I check for this through questioning and quick retrieval activities, which aligns with Willingham’s assertion that new knowledge is best understood when linked to what students already know. Before teaching the Cuban Missile Crisis, I intellectual prepare by scanning through prior lessons on similar Cold War tensions. Therefore, I can check to ensure students have the necessary background knowledge. If gaps emerge, I address them before moving forward, reinforcing Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory, which stresses that learning is most effective when prior knowledge supports new information.
Next, I pitch to the top by ensuring that the lesson is challenging enough for all students. Hattie’s meta-analyses on student achievement highlight that high expectations and appropriately challenging material have a significant impact on learning.
I carefully script my teacher exposition, which entails grappling with historical concepts such as causation and significance, while also scaffolding for those who need additional support through pepper questioning, choral response and Stop and Jot techniques.
I also anticipate high-frequency errors and misconceptions before the lesson. Many students struggle to understand why the placement of Soviet missiles in Cuba was perceived as a greater threat than American missiles in Turkey. To address this, I prepare in advance by using visual maps and analogies to clarify nuclear deterrence and Cold War geopolitics. Rosenshine’s principles recommend that teachers model new concepts while pre-empting common errors.
Finally, I present the material in chunks and steps, ensuring that I do not overwhelm students with too much information at once. I break down the crisis into three distinct phases: the background, the thirteen-day standoff, and the resolution. Between each section, I check for understanding through questioning before progressing. This aligns with Rosenshine’s principles, which advocate breaking learning into manageable steps, and Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory, which warns that overloading working memory hinders learning.
By following these principles, I avoid the pitfalls of expert-induced blindness, cognitive overload, and unchecked misconceptions. I do not assume that students understand simply because I have explained. Instead, I create structured opportunities for them to demonstrate their learning before progressing on to guided practice. Hattie’s research on feedback reinforces this, showing that formative assessment and real-time feedback significantly improve student outcomes.
The Full Circle
My son is now crawling. He has developed an impressive ability to find danger in even the safest of environments. I was starting to worry about the next stage. Then my brother, a father of three, reassured me:
“Don’t worry, the toddler phase is easy. All you need to do is…”
It was at that moment I realised…I had heard this before.
Much like parenting, teaching is not mastered through reading articles and theory alone. It is learned in the doing, in the mistakes, in stepping into the arena. As Theodore Roosevelt put it, “It is not the critic who counts… the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.”
We are all in the arena—teachers, students, parents—figuring it out as we go. And as Aristotle reminds us, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
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NEVER MATTERED MORE: NEVER MATTERED MORE:
THE IMPORTANCE THE IMPORTANCE OF A LITERACY TOOLKIT OF A LITERACY TOOLKIT
According to Ofsted, ‘The ability to read is a fundamental life skill and each year only 10% of disadvantaged children who leave primary school with their reading below the expected standard get passes in English and mathematics at GCSE ’
Despite reading being a relatively new cognitive skill (it is only 5,500 years old after all!), reading skills are already in decline As technology develops and young people are exposed to consistently faster, shorter soundbites and everchanging clips of information, research suggests that an average teenager’s concentration span is between 8 seconds and 15 minutes. Oxford University professor, Sir Jonathan Bate states, ‘Once, Literature students would read three books per week but now only manage one every three weeks.’
Once seen as the job of the English Department, it is now a widely held view that teaching literacy and developing students’ reading skills is the job of every member of school staff. The ability to read and to read well impacts not only every subject in the curriculum but on every child’s life chances far beyond their school years. According to Ofsted, schools need a carefully thought-out and implemented strategy to avoid the teaching of reading becoming ‘tokenistic’
Explicit Vocabulary Teaching: Think carefully about the words that you want to teach explicitly According to research, it is tier 2 and 3 vocabulary that teachers should be focusing on Decide within your departments which words are going to unlock the texts you are teaching and have the most impact on learning At the CST, we have defined granular action steps to teach the word:
THE THREE TOOLS AT FGCS
2 3
I say, you say
Give a student friendly definition
Illustrate the word with examples/non-examples
Check for understanding and warm/cold call
The Golden Two:
At Forest Gate Community School, we have coined the phrase, The Golden Two This simply means hunting for students who have not used capital letters and full stops correctly During live marking, the codes G1 (capital letters) and G2 (full stops) are used to teach students to proofread and fix their work
Reading with a Ruler:
Logistically, this is the hardest strategy to implement; inevitably students do have rulers with them, the visualiser freezes, and the teacher constantly has to check that students are placing their rulers under the correct lines of texts and not absentmindedly waving them around like swords However, reading with a ruler can significantly improve reading fluency and comprehension It helps students track the lines of the text, ensures that they are focusing, stops them skipping lines or rereading sentences This in turn, leads to faster reading, enhances focus and cognitive endurance.
used to being exposed to them With the high levels of reading need in many of our students and the challenging material students need to engage with at Key Stages 3, 4 and beyond, it is our responsibility to ensure that reading activity remains high across our curriculums and that we are all on the same page when it comes to advocating literacy and the importance of these skills in our students’ lives
AI & Education – Progress or Pitfall? AI & Education – Progress or Pitfall?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept; it is actively transforming classrooms. The National Literacy Trust's 2024 report reveals that the percentage of teachers using generative AI rose from 31% in 2023 to 47.7% in 2024. As stated in the latest DfE report (2025), "AI has the power to transform education by helping teachers focus on what they do best—teaching."
AI Use-Case: AI Use-Case:
Deeper Differentiation Deeper Differentiation
AI can enhance differentiation by generating adaptive worksheets and tailored content for SEND, EAL, and students of varying abilities. A 2023 DfE survey found 73% of educators saw AI improve support for EAL, SEN and lowability students. The Economics department at TEA uses AI to generate memory KO Google Forms, saving valuable time while also gaining better insights into students' weaknesses.
Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can create ‘checking for understanding’ questions that anticipate common errors. Structured prompts help teachers minimise misconceptions and enhance student progress. At TEA, AI-generated questions are embedded into memory KO starters, reinforcing key concepts and improving retention. For EAL learners, CST’s emphasis on repeated exposure to academic terms, combined with AI’s instant translations, can further accelerate comprehension.
AI Use-Case: AI Use-Case: Lesson Planning Lesson Planning
AI-powered tools like Magic School, Infilogi, and Oak Academy streamline lesson planning by automating resource creation and aligning materials with curricula, significantly reducing teacher workload. The DfE’s 2025 report found that 63% of teachers using AI for lesson planning saved 4.2 hours per week, allowing more student interaction. In TEA's Mathematics department, tools such as scaffolding & casestudy generators are regularly used to enhance understanding of various topics. This enables students to apply theory effectively and develop analytical skills for assessments and real-world scenarios.
Given CST’s structured approach to lesson planning, we can integrate our evidence-based framework into AI tools to generate detailed, subject-specific lessons across all phases. For example, AI can support the Guided Practice phase by generating Cold Call questions with fully SHAPED answers, promoting clarity and consistency. This not only supports new staff in embedding best practices quickly but also provides existing teachers with fresh, innovative approaches.
AI Use-Case: AI Use-Case: Feedback & Data Feedback & Data
AI’s potential in automating marking and reducing administrative burdens is one of its most anticipated applications. 59% of school leaders in the DfE’s 2023 report stated that AI tools had cut paperwork by at least 30%, allowing staff to focus on lesson delivery.
In terms of feedback, AI can analyse student responses, identify misconceptions, and offer differentiated improvement strategies. This enhances both the quantity and quality of feedback while helping alleviate teachers’ cognitive load, allowing them to focus on assessing more complex skills like critical thinking.
AI tools can also play a key role in upskilling teachers in the use of platforms like Excel and Google Sheets. By generating advanced formulas and guiding teachers step-by-step, AI helps even those with limited tech experience to create advanced data visualisations and interpret data more effectively. This empowers teachers to gain deeper insights into student progress, supporting more informed decisionmaking and ultimately improving teaching quality.
AI Pitfalls AI Pitfalls
The HEPI Policy Note 51 (2024) surveyed 1,250 UK undergraduates, finding that 53% used AI for assessments and 37% used AI for grammar correction. Overreliance on AI by both students and teachers can lead to de-skilling and reduced engagement with critical thinking tasks. Students may bypass important learning processes or generate their homework using AI, while teachers who overly depend on AI may fail to spot AI hallucinations or miss opportunities to provide meaningful feedback. As AI becomes embedded in workflows, educators must reassess if they are developing essential skills rather than relying on AI for shortcuts. For example, at TEA, the Business department uses AI-powered checkers to support the assessment of the coursework-heavy BTEC course.
Conclusion Conclusion
AI offers educators the opportunity to enhance their practice, reduce workloads, and provide more personalised learning. However, its full potential can only be realised if teachers develop confidence and competence in using AI in meaningful ways. While this shift may widen the gap between those eager to embrace new technologies for growth and those more hesitant, it ultimately offers immense potential for improving attainment and advancing teaching practices.
References
Department for Education (2025). Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education – Educator and Expert Views Report. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
Higher Education Policy Institute (2024). Provide or Punish? Students’ Views on Generative AI in Higher Education – Policy Note 51. Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
UK School and College Panel (2023). Use of AI in Education. Available at: https://www.gov.uk (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
National Literacy Trust (2024). Children, young people and teachers' use of generative AI to support literacy in 2024. Available at: https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-young-people-and-teachers-use-of-generative-ai-to-supportliteracy-in-2024/ (Accessed: 10 February 2025).
The latest progress 8 score for disadvantaged students has been published. It’s depressing. Poorer students make on average more than half a grade worse progress than their better off peers across 8 subjects. It sets them up for a hard life.
Our trust ranks one whole grade higher than that, which is some achievement. How can we keep it this way?
The best evidence we have for what schools can do to improve poorer children’s performance includes the following:
Explicit instruction - clear, structured teaching that makes learning goals transparent to students.
Effective formative assessment - regularly checking student understanding during lessons and adapting teaching accordingly.
High expectations for all - consistently communicating and demonstrating belief in all students' ability to achieve, regardless of background.
3. The fact that these steps are evidentially sound does not mean everyone gets this right. By the looks of it, most schools on the country don’t.
Developing your practice by making a habit of successful teaching techniques and behaviours makes a difference, to poorer kids in particular.
That’s surely motivation enough.
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It all starts in Phase 1 with our memory starter Think of it as the ignition to kickstart learning These 5-10 minute activities get students’ brains firing and ready to go, reviewing key content that primes them for the lesson ahead Whether it's a multiple choice quiz or a whole-class response, the memory starter checks if they’ve absorbed what came before and sets them up for what’s coming next On days when homework is due, it’s even more focused: a chance to check if students have really engaged with their homework and, more importantly, whether they’ve been able to remember it.
Then comes Phase 2: Checking for Understanding (CFU). No assumptions herewe actively check if students have got it. Using methods like mini whiteboards, coldcalling, and rapid-fire questioning, we keep everyone on their toes, ensuring no knowledge slips through the cracks. As Doug Lemov puts it, “The better we check for understanding, the more likely we are to get a true picture of what students have learned and what they need to work on ” It's not about ticking boxes; it’s about making sure that learning sticks
We’ve discovered something powerful at Cumberland Community School: memory consolidation isn’t an accident It’s the result of smart planning, repeated practice, and constant engagement - it’s the heartbeat of our teaching We revisit, revisit, and revisitwhether it’s content from last week, last term, or even last year Each time, that knowledge gets stronger, more deeply embedded in our students’ minds It’s a web of knowledge that they can pull from whenever they need it Our students don’t just learn; they retain, apply, and master the material And that, quite frankly, is a gamechanger It’s about arming them with knowledge they carry with them, ready to apply in any context, for any challenge and making them become masters of their own knowledge
What is modelling in teaching?
Modelling is the process of teaching students not just what to apply in terms of skills and knowledge, but how to apply it
A common misconception about our role as practitioners is that we are there to impart knowledge only However, after we have presented new material it is essential that we explicitly teach students how to apply this new material, whether it is skill or knowledge based
A great tennis coach would not just give their trainee a racket and a ball and send them out into a competition! Rather, they would provide great examples of excellent serves, of skilled rallies and of specific manoeuvres to make on the court. They would then break those moves down and practise their minutiae over and over again
Why modelling?
Part of what makes great modelling so impactful, is that you are preparing students for independent practice, by showing them how to think: metacognition By arming students with the thought process behind producing an excellent answer in your subject, we are providing the following:
a great example to refer back to the mechanisms of how to achieve it the confidence to practice it themselves
First, we need to provide great examples (our models) - these should be rooted in resources that show us how to achieve excellence in our subjects, such as examiners reports Next, we must break down how we created this model
What is the success criteria? What knowledge and skill sits behind the model? How can we break this down into achievable chunks that would not intimate a student and will help them secure success?
Scripting is key
With modelling, scripting is the key. Script not only how you would deliver your model, but the thought process you went through when creating it - this is the metacognition that the students need to be able to achieve when they are set off to work independently Script your questions to check for understanding whilst you go through the model with your students. Practise this with your coach, your line manager or your colleague and seek feedback before teaching it for the first time
In the Haggerston history department, we provide model paragraphs for new exam skills. We plan these together, using examiners reports and the upper bands of our exam board’s mark schemes We break down the skills and knowledge required to create a great answer, and we plan a student facing version of this breakdown into our lessons.
We script, and we practise!
In the economics department, metacognition is used alongside the visualiser, to model to students how they should be thinking when writing their answers. In the Languages faculty, students are explicitly taught how to apply a success criteria to a model, and break down how the models demonstrate specific exam skills.
What do we want to avoid?
When modelling, we need to avoid these behaviours from students: copying, and simply reading. Copying eliminates the thought process element of the model Instead of copying a perfect answer, provide it printed to your students, and break it down together using a success criteria
Similarly, simply reading a model and then telling students to create their own skips the metacognitive part of modelling, and only gives students the ‘what’ to produce, not the ‘how’
The
outcome of strong, well planned modelling:
When modelling is done well, students know what they need to create, and how to create it. Students feel empowered to attempt to apply the skills and knowledge, because they know what thought process they need to go through to achieve success They have a success criteria and a great example - it’s supportive, it’s motivational and it’s powerful!
