Masters of Recall Overview
As part of the Key Stage 3 curriculum at Trinity Academy Leeds, students are required to gain key knowledge in all their subjects. Embedding this knowledge into their long-term memory will equip them not only to understand each subject in more depth, but set the foundations for GCSE study. At TAL we understand that learning knowledge takes time. Masters of Recall is the strategy we use to support students’ acquisition and retention of core knowledge.
Masters of Recall consists of the following sections.
- Knowledge Organisers
- Home learning
- Morning Recall
- Recall 6
- The Big Test
Masters of Recall links together each section over a term. Each section complements one another with the ultimate goal of strengthening students’ core subject knowledge.
Knowledge Organisers
In Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, students will be provided with ‘Knowledge Organisers’ from the following subjects each term:
- English
- Maths
- Science
- History
- Geography
- Spanish
- RS
- Design Technology
- Computer Science
- Personal Development
Each Knowledge Organiser brings together the essential knowledge a subject will cover in a term. This is further broken down into weeks. This is the need-to-know information, the information every student must be able to recall quickly. As lessons progress students will apply this knowledge to a range of different situations. All Knowledge Organisers are kept together in the students’ Knowledge Organiser folder.
Home learning
As part of their weekly home learning, students are expected to revise from each Knowledge Organiser. Students will encounter new knowledge during lessons and will be shown techniques to help with revision. Home learning routines help to move new knowledge into their long-term memory. Knowledge is then ready to be called on when needed. Students should be spending 30 minutes a day on their Recall home learning.
Morning Recall
Students will continue to practice and demonstrate their learning during Morning Recall each day. Every morning students will practice 10 questions based on the current and previous weeks Knowledge Organiser sections. This allows students to assess and reflect on their learning so far. Subject days are shown below.
- Monday – Maths
- Tuesday – English
- Wednesday – Science
- Thursday – Humanities (History, Geography and Religious studies)
- Friday – Spanish
Recall 6
At the start of each lesson students complete Recall 6. This is another opportunity to practice. Questions are created by expert teachers to allow core knowledge to be practiced, developed, and checked. Teachers use their understanding of each class to personalise recall questions to the needs of the class. Students write answers on mini white boards and teachers provide immediate feedback on answers. Everybody can then reflect on their success and plan next steps. Students can plan home learning tasks and teachers can adapt follow up tasks.
The Big Test
All recall work during a term has been leading to the ‘Big Test’. During the penultimate week of each term students will sit an online test which focuses on the key knowledge needed in each subject. Students will answer 20 Recall questions from each subject. 16 questions will be taken from the Knowledge Organisers from that term plus 4 questions from work covered in the previous term.
Success at Masters of Recall is recognised in several ways:
- Achievement points
- Certification
- Achievement badges.
Students who regularly succeed at Masters of Recall go on to achieve well in formal examinations.
