Some years ago, metacognition was not something we explicitly talked about as a staff. It was not a shared language, a pedagogical focus or a feature of professional development. Since then, we have followed a careful implementation process to support a shift in how we approach learning, teaching and professional development.
Our work has been shaped by the Education Endowment Foundation Metacognition and Self-RegulatedLearning guidance report, particularly its emphasis on explicitly teaching pupils to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning.
EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Summary of Recommendations
Starting with Professional Learning
Our journey began with professional development. As a leadership team, we wanted to develop a deeper understanding of evidence informed practice and how it could support our school priorities. Writing was a clear starting point. Outcomes were variable, pupils often lacked independence, and confidence dropped quickly when tasks felt challenging.
Rather than telling staff what to do, we prioritised professional dialogue. We explored the EEF guidance together, unpicking Recommendation 1: teachers should acquire the professional understanding and skills to develop their pupils’ metacognitive knowledge.
EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Recommendation 1
This helped move metacognition away from abstract theory and into everyday classroom practice.
Staff were given time to reflect, question and trial ideas. Early professional development focused on making thinking visible. This directly reflected Recommendation 4, which highlights the importance of modelling the thinking process through teacher talk. We focused on modelling planning, talking through decision making, and reflecting on what helps learning to stick.
EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Recommendation 4
From Professional Development to Practice: Writing
Writing became the natural place to begin. It allowed teachers to explicitly model planning, monitoring and evaluating in real time, aligning closely with Recommendation 2: explicitly teach pupils metacognitive strategies, including how to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning.
Strategies we developed together included:
• Thinking aloud during shared writing • Modelling how to notice when something was not working • Talking openly about redrafting and improvement • Using consistent prompts such as “What is the plan?”, “Is this working?” and “What could I do next?” • Using questions to support planning, monitoring and evaluating • Providing scaffolds, prompts and sentence stems
These approaches also reflect Recommendation 5, which emphasises the use of structured support such as prompts and scaffolds to develop pupils’ independence.
The impact was noticeable. Pupils began to talk more confidently about their writing choices. They were more willing to edit and refine and less likely to give up when they encountered difficulty.
Embedding Through Professional Development and School Systems
We invested in this approach over time. Regular professional development allowed staff to share practice and reflect together. This has supported new staff and ensured our approach remains consistent.
Our class provision forms provide a further opportunity for reflection and are linked to performance management targets. This ensures that metacognitive practice is prioritised through our internal systems and school development plan. This reflects Recommendation 6, which highlights the importance of creating a supportive environment where metacognitive strategies are valued and embedded.
We focused on:
1. Modelling metacognitive strategies 2. Developing pupil independence 3. Embedding shared language and terminology 4. Making processes visible within classrooms
Professional conversations centred on what was working, how pupils were responding, and how practice could be refined. This sustained focus aligns with wider EEF implementation guidance, which emphasises the importance of ongoing support and alignment with school priorities.
Widening the Approach Across the Curriculum
Once metacognition was underway in writing, staff began to apply these strategies across the curriculum. The shared language of plan, monitor and evaluate provided consistency for pupils across subjects.
EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Recommendation 3
This reflects Recommendation 3, which emphasises the importance of modelling and scaffolding metacognitive strategies across different contexts so that pupils can transfer them independently.
Impact on Pupils and Culture
Over time, the impact became less about a single subject and more about learning behaviours. We saw increased independence, more purposeful talk, improved resilience and reduced reliance on adult support.
By making the process of learning explicit, pupils became more confident in navigating challenge. This reflects the EEF evidence that metacognitive approaches can have a positive impact on attainment when taught explicitly and used consistently. Metacognition supported not only what pupils learned, but how they approached learning.
Sustaining the Work and Continuing to Improve
Reflection and adaptation remain central to our approach. We revisit practice regularly, share examples, and refine our work based on pupil need and teacher insight.
Sustaining this work has not always been straightforward. It requires continued focus and leadership attention to ensure it remains a priority.
Most importantly, this journey has reinforced that meaningful change takes time. Starting small, listening carefully, and building collectively has allowed us to develop an approach that continues to evolve.
By investing in professional learning, embedding practice through structured systems, and trusting staff expertise, we have created a shared culture of reflective and independent learning that we will continue to develop.
