Making Learning Memorable 

“Memory is the residue of thought” 

“People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking.” 

Daniel T Willingham 

INTENT   

At Fulbridge Academy our overriding aim is to ensure that we improve the lives of the children by enabling them to enjoy learning and fulfil their potential by developing the resilience, curiosity, knowledge and skills required to be successful. There is a moral purpose and underlying rationale to all we do: 

• We ensure the curriculum is fit for purpose

• Our pedagogy gives children the best chances to succeed 

• Staff have an excellent work life balance 

At Fulbridge Academy we have designed an innovative, knowledge-rich curriculum that will PREPARE children for their future. It is informed by research and shaped to meet the needs of our local community. Our curriculum enables each child to develop an ACTIVE mind, identity, heart and voice. The knowledge and skills of the curriculum are thoughtfully sequenced so that children remember what they learn and understand the key concepts of each subject. 

 

'Active Learning’ is a framework that supports our ‘curriculum offer’. It covers all the things we teach and the ways in which we teach and educate the whole child. 

 

Active Learning is split into four sections:

 

1. Active Mind - The academic side of all we teach. There is a strong focus on reading because of the way reading supports children to learn through the rest of the curriculum. 

 

We want to enable every child to become a fluent, enthusiastic, lifelong reader with a foundation for understanding the world and a positive attitude to learning.

2. Active Identity - The children’s recognition of themselves in context. Do they have a supportive understanding of who they are? Where they come from? Their place in the world? 

To ensure every child is proud of who they are and has a positive understanding of their community, heritage and background

3. Active Heart - The children’s understanding of other people and how they relate to other people. 

To ensure every child understands the importance of respectful relationships and an appreciation of the diversity in the world. 

4. Active Voice - The children’s ability to express themselves, to communicate and to collaborate. 

To ensure every child develops the confidence to express themselves clearly and the empathy required to collaborate with others. 

 

The four aspects ensure we are looking at the whole child when we are supporting them to fulfil their potential by developing their curiosity, resilience, knowledge, creativity and skills. 

IMPLEMENTATION  

Making Learning Memorable

1. We want the children to remember the learning they are taught in their lessons

2. We aspire for the children to have experiences that will live with them for the rest of their lives.

This second part is achieved through trips, experiences and role play. Woven into the curriculum are opportunities for children to learn through play. They get the chance to role play events and scenarios linked to their learning. The planned trips support the curriculum, but also allow children to experience things that all children should have the opportunity to experience, for example:

• Going to the beach and woods - a contrasting environment

• Visiting London

• Going to the theatre, sports stadium, a museum, a place of worship

 

For the first part: our Active Learning model is complemented by STEPS Teaching and Learning framework. 

This supports the implementation of our intent and the aim of ‘Making Learning Memorable’. The STEPS framework is based on Daniel Willingham’s Simple Model of Memory. 

 

We are committed to high standards driven by excellent teaching in every classroom, every day. We don’t leave great teaching to chance — we define it, practise it, and coach it. Our shared teaching and learning framework is captured in the acronym: STEPS. 

STEPS represents the core teaching techniques that every teacher can master. These are the basis of excellent classroom practice: the building blocks of a consistent, high-impact approach to instruction that supports all pupils to learn more and remember more. 

Each letter in STEPS stands for a key principle of effective teaching, underpinned by evidence-informed strategies that are carefully modelled, practised, and refined through coaching and collaboration. 

STEPS has been thoughtfully designed around carefully selected research that aligns with our vision for teaching and learning. It draws on John Sweller and Daniel Willingham’s work on Cognitive Load Theory, Siegfried Engelmann’s research on Direct Instruction, and the practical applications of these ideas shared by educators such as Zach Groshell. At its core, STEPS prioritises what works best for disadvantaged and SEND learners, because what is best for them is best for all pupils. It is also shaped by Gary Aubin’s work on SEND and the benefits of scaffolding, showing how structured support can raise outcomes for every learner. In addition, STEPS builds on the applied research of Peps McCrea, Josh Goodrich, and D. Jen Barker around inclusive teaching, ensuring our approach is both evidence-informed and grounded in practice. 

STEPS is more than a toolkit: it is the foundation of high-quality, consistent teaching across the Trust. It gives teachers a shared language, a common goal, and a clear path to mastery. By coaching every teacher in the use of STEPS, we ensure that all children receive the best possible education no matter whose classroom they walk into. 

STEPS is not just a pedagogy, it is a framework for inclusion. It is part of our Ordinarily Available Provision. By embedding high-quality, universally designed teaching strategies into the everyday practice of all teachers, we reduce the need for reactive interventions. This aligns with the idea that the most powerful way to support all learners is to ensure core teaching is as inclusive and effective as possible. 

STEPS allows us to bring together research, practice, and purpose and ensure that every child can succeed, with great teaching and the right support.  

S – Strong Starts 

Every lesson begins with retrieval. We know that memory is the residue of thought (Willingham), and that learning happens when information is revisited, retrieved, and used. 

Key Techniques 

• Behaviour Expectations - We expect impeccable behaviour at all times. A belief that a warm/strict and caring approach to discipline that is consistently applied with high expectations and standards creates a calm, focused environment where every child can thrive. 

• Retrieval and Quizzing – Retrieving learning which strengthens memory and deepens understanding by actively bringing information to mind, making it easier to recall in the future. Complemented by short, low-stakes quizzes help embed prior learning, diagnose gaps, and make children think hard from the outset. Quizzes recap core knowledge from the previous lesson, unit, or term. 

• Making Connections - Recalling prior knowledge at the start of a lesson helps pupils make meaningful connections, anchoring new learning to what they already know. 

• Clear objective / Question - A clear objective or question in a lesson focuses attention, guides thinking, and helps pupils understand the purpose of their learning. 

Strong starts mean no time is wasted — every minute counts, and learning begins the moment pupils enter the room. 

T – Thoughtful Questioning 

Great questioning drives thinking and checks for understanding. At Fulbridge, we use questioning not just to test knowledge, but to develop it. 

Key Techniques: 

• Show-Me Boards – Pupils respond in real-time using mini whiteboards. This gives instant feedback to the teacher and allows for rapid identification of errors or misconceptions. 

• Cold Calling – Every child is expected to be ready to respond. Cold calling raises accountability, encourages full participation, and stops hands-up culture from hiding gaps. 

• Turn and Talk – Pupils first think independently, then discuss with a partner, before sharing with the class. This structure builds confidence, improves talk quality, and ensures deeper processing of ideas. 

Through thoughtful questioning, teachers create a culture where thinking is visible and participation is universal. 

E – Explicit Explanations 

At Fulbridge, we recognise that clarity is key. Teachers must be experts in explaining new ideas, breaking them down into manageable steps, and modelling them live. 

Key Techniques: 

• Explain Concisely - Explaining concisely reduces cognitive overload and ensures pupils grasp the key ideas without becoming overwhelmed or distracted. 

• Live Modelling – Teachers demonstrate the thinking and processes behind tasks, narrating their decisions aloud to make implicit thinking explicit. 

• I do, We do, You do - An approach that scaffolds learning by gradually transferring responsibility, helping pupils build confidence, accuracy, and independence. 

• I Say, You Say – Teachers model academic language which pupils repeat aloud, helping internalise key terms and sentence structures. 

• Call and Response – Used to check understanding and embed routines. It ensures all children are engaged and allows the teacher to gauge class-wide clarity. 

Explicit teaching means no guesswork — children are taught exactly what success looks like and how to achieve it. 

P – Purposeful Practice 

Learning doesn’t happen during explanation — it happens when children practise retrieving, applying, and refining what they’ve learned. Purposeful practice is designed to develop fluency, depth, and independence. 

Key Techniques: 

• Say It Again Better – Pupils are challenged to improve their first response by using more precise vocabulary or structure, promoting deeper understanding and more academic language. 

• Making and Using Notes – Pupils are taught to make useful notes and return to them regularly, supporting independence and retention. 

• Building Fluency – Practice activities are designed to ensure automaticity and speed, especially in reading, maths, and spelling. 

• Deliberate Vocabulary Development – New words are taught explicitly, revisited frequently, and embedded through writing, discussion, and display. 

Purposeful practice ensures that what is taught is not just heard — it is learned, rehearsed, and remembered. 

S – Smart Reflections  

The final step is about helping children become self-regulating, independent learners. We explicitly teach pupils to think about their thinking, to reflect on what helps them learn, and to take responsibility for their progress. 

Key Techniques: 

• Self Questioning - This encourages metacognition, helping pupils monitor their understanding, make connections, and refine their thinking for deeper, more accurate learning. 

• Model Mistakes - This transforms errors into valuable learning opportunities, fostering critical thinking and helping pupils understand how to correct and avoid them. 

• Reflection on Success - This helps pupils evaluate their learning against clear objectives, identify effective strategies, and understand how to improve in future tasks. 

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IMPACT   

To measure impact we bring it back to the intent and the way we structure this around our Active Learning framework. We look at how this framework impacts the decisions on our curriculum, and therefore the children, parents, staff and community. 

The impact this level of review has on the pupils is evident through how:

• Active Mind supports them to acquire academic content and make it part of who they are 

• Active Identity supports children to understand themselves

• Active Heart helps them understand others and the wider world

• Active Voice is supporting their ability to communicate and collaborate

 

Every aspect of our curriculum supports one or more of these elements of Active Learning. 

Examples of this in our curriculum:

• The history and geography curriculum focus on the community the children come from and the wider world they will embrace as they grow up 

• The commitment we make to physical education with specialist teachers. We want children to identify as people who enjoy exercise and enjoy sport, who see themselves as healthy, active individuals. 

• The specialist performing arts teaching supports children to develop an Active Voice, to think about how they can communicate with confidence and collaborate with others. 

• Our mathematics develops children’s Active Minds through a coherent way of teaching. It supports them in their academic goals. It seeks to identify them as mathematicians; to see mathematics as a reasoning and problem solving subject. 

• Our reading curriculum aims for the children to become fluent and enthusiastic readers in the wider reading curriculum. The texts and stories that are chosen ensure the children are given a different view on the world, as well as being able to relate to the characters and content. All of the elements of Active Learning are supported in the reading curriculum 

 

School is not all about data and results, however it is hugely important. Good results, especially in the core subjects will support children progress through their education journey and move into the working world. The children at Fulbridge achieve a high standard of academic success in the core subjects and gain knowledge to support their development in the other curriculum areas. 

The parents and community are involved through our parental engagement work. Parents have the opportunity to come in and be part of lessons, listen to leaders speak about what they will see in the lessons, why we teach it, and how as a parent they can help their children at home. Our inclusion team supports families and their children where there is a specific need. This is often highlighted through the Active Learning framework. For example: this could be related to the child’s academic, physical, emotional ability or concerns around their identity. 

TURNING VISION INTO REALITY   

The building of the curriculum has evolved over many years. In the past working with organisations such as Creative Partnerships, Whole Education and the Cambridge Primary Review Trust and educationalists like Roger Cole, Matilda Jubert, Robin Alexander and Mick Waters. More recently we have worked with Mary Myatt, Jon Hutchinson, Tom Sherrington and  we have been inspired by the work of Daniel Willingham, Siegfried Englemann, Peps McCrea, Zach Grohell and Gary Aubin amongst others. For 2 years, from 2020, Christopher Such (The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading - Corwin Ltd) worked at Fulbridge and has been an integral part of leading on further curriculum improvements and design. 

 

Fulbridge is a very large school and consistency of approach to ensure the curriculum and pedagogy is aligned is a practical challenge. The solution has involved recording CPD sessions so that staff can go back to, and revisit the previous input if they need to. This exists alongside a robust induction programme for new staff. The CPD we offer has adapted to ensure the key messages are getting to all staff. This is as well as differentiating for individual needs or something particular to one subject or area of the school. We have been inspired by schools like Ark Soane and Michaela School when considering the power of consistent and rigorous routines to support all learners. 

 

The amount of PPA staff receive is above the statutory requirement. The extra PPA time means that they have more opportunity to talk about the lessons, the planning and the way in which the lessons are taught, discussing good practice and how to overcome challenges. Planning is done collaboratively and curriculum leaders support planning meetings where it aligns with a whole school initiative. Another aspect is ensuring teachers improve their subject knowledge. As well as in depth learning about the subject they are going to teach, they use release time to learn about the models and representations that support the teaching of that content. 

 

The community we work in and the world we live in is always changing, so the development of our teachers must not be static either. It is essential teachers have the chance to read books, articles and blogs that are relevant to the schools curriculum and pedagogical approach. Ones that also align with the professional development and appraisal that teachers have undertaken. 

 

We have a CPD library and a CPD section on the curriculum website, containing blogs and podcasts for staff to access. This is supported by high quality in-house CPD. When you combine all these factors it gives staff the opportunity to learn and develop as well as share their own thoughts and ideas, effectively contributing to the school’s continuous curriculum development.

 

It is further enabled by having specialist teachers in PE, performing arts, art and Forest School. We want every subject to be taught with the expertise it deserves.

 

This has resulted in the curriculum continually evolving, higher staff expertise, better work-life balance and improving the lives of the children.