Most classrooms already do retrieval practice - but much of it is quiz theatre that feels busy and changes little. This session takes leaders beyond the daily starter into genuine desirable difficulty: spaced, interleaved retrieval designed into the curriculum itself, not bolted onto the first five minutes of a lesson.

Retrieval practice has become one of the most widely adopted strategies in English classrooms - over 85% of teachers now describe it as central to their practice (Perry et al., 2021). Yet much of what passes for retrieval practice is quiz theatre: low-stakes, same-day recall that feels productive but does little to strengthen long-term memory. The research is clear that retrieval only builds durable learning when it is effortful, spaced over time, and interleaved across topics - not simply frequent (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006).

This CPD session moves middle and senior leaders beyond the basics: beyond the daily quiz and the recall starter, into the harder and more valuable territory of curriculum-level retrieval design.

Grounded in the Education Endowment Foundation's review of cognitive science approaches, Rosenshine's principles of instruction, and the Great Teaching Toolkit's evidence-based model of great teaching, the session shows leaders how to identify ineffective "retrieval theatre" in their own settings and replace it with genuinely desirable difficulty - spaced, interleaved, and pitched to require real effort.

Attendees will leave with a practical audit tool for their own curriculum's retrieval design, and a concrete plan for embedding spacing and interleaving at the scheme-of-work level, not just the starter-activity.

This course is aimed at aspiring, recently appointed and experienced school leaders, especially those with responsibility for Learning & Teaching, in primary and secondary schools and MATs. It is equally valuable for middle leaders, heads of department and subject leaders seeking to enhance their impact on teaching quality and pupil outcomes. Colleagues with responsibility for governance in this essential component of school improvement are also very welcome.

Course Outcomes

• Understand why frequency alone does not make retrieval practice effective, and what the evidence says actually strengthens long-term retention (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006; Perry et al., 2021).
• Recognise "retrieval practice theatre" - low-effort, same-day recall activities that feel productive but add little value - in your own setting.
• Apply the principles of desirable difficulty, spacing and interleaving to redesign retrieval tasks at the curriculum and scheme-of-work level, not just the lesson starter.
• Use Rosenshine's principles of instruction and the Great Teaching Toolkit's evidence-based model to audit the quality, not just the presence, of retrieval practice across a department or phase.
• Develop a whole-school or departmental action plan for embedding genuinely effective retrieval design into curriculum planning.

Course Outline

• Introductions and private reflection on current Practice. Introduce the ‘retrieval practice theatre’ – same day recall over easy multiple-choice. Notes on translating cognitive science strategies into the classroom.
• Case study reflections and discussion about what is actually being tested here, is there genuine spacing or interleaving? Is it effortful or comfortable?
• Comfort Break and Virtual Networking.
• Input on applying Rosenshine's principle of reviewing previous learning and the Great Teaching Toolkit's "understanding the content" dimension (Coe et al., 2020) to curriculum-level retrieval design, rather than lesson-level activity.
• What to look for in learning walks or book scrutiny, and how curriculum leaders can build spacing and interleaving into scheme-of-work templates.
• Close with each attendee writing one specific, curriculum-level change for the next half-term, and the core message: the strategy isn't the problem, it’s the design that needs to change.

Presenter Profile

John Rees is a former secondary Deputy Headteacher, with responsibility for staff well-being and pastoral care, has been advising schools and training staff as an independent consultant for 20+ years. John works as a school improvement partner with independent and state-funded schools, MATs and LAs across the country, most recently in Manchester, Kirklees, the Isle of Man and Cyprus.

Cost: £150 per delegate; £50 each for subsequent delegates from same school

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