Metacognition

In recent weeks, Lower School pupils have been exploring what truly underpins exam success and discovering that thinking about their own thinking sits at the heart of effective learning. Metacognition, derived from the Greek “meta” (beyond) and the Latin “cognoscere” (to know), refers to a learner’s ability to reflect on how they think and to select strategies that support more purposeful, efficient learning. Recognised as one of the most powerful drivers of improved learning outcomes, metacognition enables pupils to understand not just what they are learning, but how they learn best.

Building on this understanding, the focus this term has been on helping pupils translate metacognitive awareness into practical study habits. Weekly masterclasses in Maths, English and Science have been delivered to the Fifth Form, and as part of these sessions, pupils were introduced the ‘10:10:10’ approach. This method begins with a knowledge dump of everything pupils can recall about a topic, followed by a review of their notes to determine what has been remembered correctly, what has been missed and any misconceptions that may have emerged. Having a dedicated time and space to practise new revision techniques and reflect on their learning has been invaluable to our Fifth Formers as they gear up for their next round of Mock Exams after the half-term.

At the end of January, the School welcomed back Elevate Education, to speak to our Remove pupils about how they can become ‘Study Senseis’. Helping our pupils to not only boost their exam performance and manage stress, the Elevate coaches also help to build confidence, which plays a vital role in metacognitive learning. When pupils develop this balanced, self-aware confidence, it helps them to become more resilient, more willing to engage with challenge, and far more capable of directing their own learning with purpose.

Ahead of their core exams, Fourth Form pupils took part in a workshop, delivered by Mr Huddleston and Mrs Clarke, focusing on helping learners to better understand how to build effective habits early when it comes to revision and what works when it comes to studying (which unsurprisingly doesn’t include cramming the night before a test!). In this workshop, pupils explored why techniques such as retrieval practice, spaced learning and knowledge dumping are far more effective than rereading or highlighting as well as the importance of interleaving and spacing their revision.

Together, these opportunities have helped our pupils understand not just what to learn, but how to learn, fostering strong revision habits and metacognitive strategies that equip them to take ownership of their learning and support long-term academic success. We wish all of our pupils the very best of luck as they approach their upcoming exams.