Metacognition: Models for teaching, learning and behaviour

Metacognition and self-regulation are rated by the Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit as “high impact for very low cost, based on extensive evidence” (EEF, 2021).

It is a golden thread that can be weaved into all aspects of our classroom practice. In this series of articles, I describe the rationale behind our whole-school teaching and learning model at Orchard Mead Academy, our behaviour for learning model, our recent professional learning, and how this offers an integrated metacognitive approach in the classroom.

Metacognition: A teaching and learning model

Our context

Orchard Mead has undergone significant changes since it was formed from Hamilton College in 2017. Hamilton had been rated inadequate by Ofsted and was subsequently placed into special measures. The school also faces additional challenges in that it serves a community with very different cultural backgrounds – we have high levels of EAL and students who are completely new to English; our students speak 47 different languages between them. Socio-economic deprivation levels are high, and behaviour can be challenging.