When the first guidance report on Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning was published back in 2018, we quickly became early adopters of its key principles and messages. For us, it felt like a no-brainer- according to the Teacher Toolkit, metacognition had a high impact on attainment for a very low cost. That combination was too powerful to ignore.
With the support of our Trust’s central team, we carefully unpicked the guidance report and trained our teachers and teaching assistants on how to put its recommendations into practice. Many staff were already incorporating elements of metacognition into their daily lessons, but the report helped us take this further. It shifted metacognition from being an incidental part of teaching to a deliberate, explicit focus – teaching children how to plan, think, and talk about their learning strategies alongside new skills and concepts.
Source: Education Endowment Foundation (2025). Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning, p. 10.
“Teachers can support pupils to maximise their working memory with a range of metacognitive strategies.”
One of the most transformative aspects of the training was understanding cognitive load. Learning about the limits of working memory and how much information we can retain at any given time was pivotal. It encouraged practitioners to think carefully about the complexity of tasks and the prior knowledge children needed to succeed. This insight fundamentally shaped our pedagogy and improved lesson design.
Our implementation was gradual and intentional. Through a spaced CPD program, we introduced new concepts and embedded whole-school practices such as bridging back, teacher modelling, and developing metacognitive talk. These strategies became part of our culture across all year groups and subjects. Children began to articulate their thinking, choose strategies to support their learning, and develop a strong sense of self-regulation – skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
So, what about the new guidance report? This updated version draws on 355 studies and includes a rich collection of vignettes across different key stages and subjects. These practical examples make the guidance more accessible and actionable for teachers, offering clear illustrations of how metacognition and self-regulation can positively transform teaching and learning. We believe these additions will empower educators to confidently bring theory into practice.
EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit, which summarises a large body of international evidence, rates ‘metacognition and self regulation’ as a high impact, low-cost approach to improving the attainment of disadvantaged learners.
Metacognition isn’t just a buzzword- it’s a powerful approach that helps all learners but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds to become independent, reflective, and resilient. For us, it has been a game-changer, and we’re excited to see how the new guidance will continue to shape classrooms for the better.
References: Education Endowment Foundation (2025) Metacognition and self-regulated learning. London: EEF.
