Why we use Knowledge Organisers at Bury
At Bury CE Primary School, we know that if the children can remember certain basic facts about their learning then it means that their brains are more able to deal with learning how to apply the knowledge and skills that they need in order to progress. Freeing up their working memory means that new knowledge can be learned. We use ‘Knowledge Organisers’ to help us ensure that the children can remember the key facts about a unit of learning. The way we teach at Bury is evidence informed and the strategies and methods we use are based on research that will make our children more successful learners.
Our Knowledge Organsiers have some basic sections on which help children locate the information and are set out so that they can remember it easily. The use of colour and format is the same across all of our Knowledge Organisers to help reduce the cognitive load. For example, the Knowledge Organisers will all have key vocabulary, key facts, key people and dates as well as diagrams and a map if appropriate.
The information on a Knowledge Organiser is not everything that the children will learn in that unit, it is just the most important things. In lessons the children will learn much more.
We are incredibly lucky to be able to work alongside experts and professionals who have influenced our Knowledge Organisers and planning. These experts help ensure that the learning we provide for our children is accurate and goes far beyond the learning required by the National Curriculum.
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Mr. and Mrs. Tupper and Bignor Roman Villa |
Romans |
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The Bury Bee Keepers |
Bee keeping |
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The RSPB at Pulborough Brooks |
Science and Geography |
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Anna Bell from Classics for All |
Latin |
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Jonathan Dean and the South Downs National Park |
Geography, History and Science |
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National Trust park rangers |
Local Geography and Science |
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Chris Hare and the Friends of the South Downs Society |
History, Geography and English |
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Jon Edgar (Sculptor) |
Art |
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Mr. Stevens |
Science and Geography |
For teachers, the Knowledge Organisers are a planning tool and it means that the structure of each unit of learning can initially be based on what we want the children to know and remember at the end of a unit. It also means that as a staff we can ensure the progression of learning across the school. When planning each new unit of work, teachers evaluate the existing Knowledge Organiser and decide whether it needs to be updated. This means that they are always evolving, ensuring that the knowledge we expect the children to retain is exactly what we want and responds to developments in wider learning. In addition to the facts about each unit of learning, the Knowledge Organisers also contain the Tier 2 vocabulary which links to that unit. Tier 2 words are those which occur most frequently in academic texts and they hold the key to children understanding the curriculum and the world more broadly. We learn these words in class and think about how they are formed, links with other words (including in Latin) and how they are used accurately.
For parents, the Knowledge Organisers are a way to see what their child is being taught in school and helps them have discussions and support their children’s learning from home. Please look at the subject sections entitled ‘Scaffolds for Learning’ for additional ways that you can support your child’s learning at home.
In school the children use Knowledge Organisers in most subjects. They are a reference point in case they have forgotten a fact; they are a way of introducing the key facts about the unit at the start so that children can pick up new learning more easily; and they are a way of making links between previous learning and other areas of the curriculum.
In lessons, the children use the Knowledge Organisers to quiz themselves and each other – we know that regularly retrieving information, which was taught previously, has a stronger chance of transferring into the child’s long-term memory.