IT’S a situation most of us have found ourselves in.

Think back to the subject you found the most challenging at school, and the dread of struggling to fathom an answer to a question after being picked out in class.

Remember the feeling that, try as you might, and I really did with my nemesis that was maths, you were putting in the work but failing miserably.

Perhaps if metacognition had been practised in the classroom during our generation it would have removed the fear of subjects we struggled with.

This form of learning was the focus of an open evening at Thornton Primary School in Bradford - one of 15 primary academies comprising Focus-Trust, a charitable multi-academy trust based in the North West of England.

Focus Trust is continually looking for more creative ways to improve teaching and learning which benefit children’s mental health and are cost effective.

The practice of metacognition reinforces the act of thinking which allows children to make greater sense of their life experiences and gain a deeper understanding of how they think, feel and act to improve their quality of learning.

It was introduced into the school last year after headteacher, Elizabeth Davison, and deputy headteacher, Debbie Neale, visited Rosendale Primary School in London to see it being put into practice.

Elizabeth explains metacognition lessons are held every week in school and are based on pupils learning a brand new skill such as juggling or British Sign Language.

“You learn a brand new skill, something the children aren’t hung up about because it is something they would not be expected to know, and they use different strategies and techniques and the teacher is in the same boat so they are learning together,” explains Elizabeth.

Children can then transpose those strategies into subjects such as English and maths.

“It’s really their growth mindset,” explains Elizabeth.

As well as helping to develop children’s confidence, it can also take away the fear of thinking they aren’t good at something.

“Metacognition has always been around but there has been more of an emphasis in the last 10 years,” says Elizabeth.

She says if children know how to learn they can learn anything. “We can teach them things and get them to learn things but if they can really unpick how they learn they can put their minds to anything. It’s giving them a ‘can do’ attitude as much as anything.”

During the open evening teachers and leaders from the Trust shared the work they’ve been carrying out to put metacognition at the heart of their classrooms.

Adds Elizabeth: “We thoroughly enjoyed hosting the open evening – it was a great success!

“Hearing from our own teachers as well as those from Shibden Head and Wilsden Primary Schools was excellent and I hope everyone who attended learnt something new that they can incorporate into their teaching styles.”

Focus Trust’s CEO, Helen Rowland, said: “The open evening was designed to promote the importance of teaching metacognitive skills and the brilliant teachers and leaders who spoke did a great job of getting the message across!

“Here at Focus-Trust, we’re passionate about making a difference to all of our children’s lives, career prospects and social mobility.”

Sally Clifford