Knowledge Organisers

Knowledge organisers bring together the foundational and powerful knowledge, essential vocabulary and key concepts that pupils need to understand and remember in each subject.

They reflect our curriculum principles by helping pupils:

• build secure foundations for future learning
• connect new learning with what they already know
• revisit and deepen important knowledge over time
• develop memory, fluency and mastery
• apply their knowledge with increasing confidence and independence
• engage successfully with increasingly complex ideas

Knowledge organisers are an important part of learning at Benton Park and must be brought to school every day.

How knowledge organisers are used in lessons

Teachers use knowledge organisers to:

• revisit and retrieve prior learning
• introduce and explain essential vocabulary
• make connections between ideas explicit
• support questioning, practice and discussion
• help pupils complete tasks independently
• identify and address gaps or misconceptions
• connect current learning with previous and future content

Pupils should have their knowledge organiser ready at the beginning of each lesson and use it when directed by their teacher. It should be used actively to find information, check vocabulary, correct misunderstandings and recall previously taught content.

Using knowledge organisers at home

Knowledge organisers support home learning, independent study and preparation for assessments. Pupils can use a range of strategies, including:

• Look, cover, write, check: Read a section, cover it, write down what you remember and then check your answer.
• Self-quizzing: Turn key facts and vocabulary into questions and answer them without looking.
• Flashcards: Write a question or key term on one side and the answer or definition on the other.
• Brain dumps: Write down everything you can remember about a topic before checking for gaps.
• Teach someone else: Explain a concept clearly to another person to test your understanding.

Short, regular periods of retrieval and practice help pupils retain powerful knowledge in their long-term memory more effectively than simply rereading the organiser before an assessment.

Pupil expectations

Every pupil is expected to:

• bring their current knowledge organiser to school every day
• keep it safe and in good condition
• have it ready to use in every lesson
• refer to it actively rather than simply reading it
• use it to support home learning and revision

How parents and carers can help

Parents and carers can support by:

• checking that the current knowledge organiser is packed in their child’s school bag each day
• encouraging their child to keep it safe and in good condition
• asking what their child has been learning
• using the organiser to discuss essential knowledge and vocabulary
• testing their child with short questions from the organiser
• encouraging regular use of self-quizzing, flashcards and look, cover, write, check
• supporting short, regular periods of revision rather than last-minute preparation
• praising effort, improvement and positive study habits

Parents and carers do not need specialist subject knowledge. Simply asking questions, listening to explanations and encouraging regular use will help pupils remember more, make connections between ideas and apply their learning with confidence and independence.