Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

ASK THE EXPERT Towards independence Laxmi Dandgey explains Academy21’s approach to helping students build confidence and make progress EXPERT PROFILE NAME: Laxmi Dandgey JOB TITLE: Deputy head of science AREA OF EXPERTISE: Stretch and challenge in science education BEST PART OF MY JOB: Seeing students grow in confidence and resilience What does research say about the benefits of stretch and challenge? Research shows that stretch and challenge strategies are most effective when gradually increased based on student performance. The Education Endowment Foundation has found that individualised instruction can result in two to four months’ additional progress annually – an approach that works best alongside high quality teaching, rather than as a replacement for it. Teaching metacognition (helping students reflect on their thinking) is also crucial for encouraging effective learning. Overall, carefully structured challenge supports progress and encourages deeper engagement with tasks, especially when tailored to individual needs. Can you provide any examples of stretch and challenge in science? Stretch and challenge in science can be achieved through individualised instruction, effective questioning and metacognition, and encouraging students to reflect on their thinking. At the same time, collaborative learning with assigned roles can boost engagement and interest. Dual-coding – use of both visual and verbal strategies – can further enhance understanding of scientific processes, making the abstract more concrete. This, alongside regular formative assessments, helps to identify gaps in knowledge and skills, enabling the kind of targeted feedback and adaptive teaching needed for more effective individualised instruction. How important is it to model independence and metacognition? Modelling independence and metacognition involves explicitly teaching strategies that foster self-regulation and reflective thinking. The EEF has highlighted the importance of professional understanding, evaluating learning, setting challenges and encouraging metacognitive dialogue use among students. Alongside co- regulation, these approaches can support children’s emotional and cognitive development through warm, responsive adult interactions. Educators can play a key role in this, by teaching regulation strategies and adjusting the support they provide based on each child’s needs. As children gain experience, adult involvement can gradually decrease, thus promoting greater independence and self-regulation. What barriers are there to providing stretch and challenge? They include limited funding, insufficient resources and curriculum-related time constraints. Research suggests that adapting approaches for SEND environments to ensure accessibility is most impactful for older secondary students, likely due to their self- regulation skills. This highlights the need for flexible, well-supported strategies that consider individual learners’ needs and developmental stages, so that stretch and challenge can be effectively implemented across diverse educational settings. ASK ME ABOUT • HOW I USE METACOGNITION to enhance student learning and build resilience in science education. • THE STRATEGIESWE IMPLEMENT at Academy21 to ensure stretch and challenge strategies are embedded throughout our curriculum. • HOW I APPLY INDIVIDUALISED INSTRUCTION and dual-coding techniques to boost engagement and deepen understanding in my science classes. info@academy21.co.uk | academy21.co.uk PA R T N E R C O N T E N T 18 teachwire.net/secondary