At BVC, we are striving to create a five-year curriculum plan that builds effective revision strategies into homework and lessons to ensure that students are able to place powerful knowledge into their long-term memories.

Additionally, we hope that this will help build effective learning strategies from early in their time here at the college. Based on evidence, we know that regular recall activities are the best way of achieving this goal and committing powerful knowledge into the students’ memories. At the start of each term, we shall publish all the knowledge organisers that students will require for their studies in each curriculum area. These will cover a range of aspects: facts, dates, characters, quotes, precise definitions and important vocabulary.

We are clear: if this fundamental knowledge is secured, students can then develop their higher-level skills of analysis and critical understanding with greater depth. They will be given an electronic A4 Knowledge Organiser (KO) booklet for each term containing all of the knowledge required. In lessons, Bottisham staff will be regularly testing this fundamental knowledge, using short-quizzes or even more formal “Faculty Knowledge Tests”.

The best way to use these organisers at home, is to follow a simple mantra: Look at a certain aspects of a particular knowledge organiser Cover up part of their knowledge organiser Write it out from memory Check and correct any spelling mistakes, missing bits or mistakes.

All Knowledge Organisers can be downloaded or viewed below