Beyond Pub Quizzes: Retrieval Practice That Works

Episode Summary In this episode of The Leadership Lens, Rachael Snowdon-Poole takes us inside her own school’s journey with retrieval practice — the scepticism, the design choices, and the lessons learned along the way. Starting with Ofsted’s 2019 definition of learning as “an alteration in long-term memory”, Rachael explores how this shifted thinking in curriculum design and assessment. From the pitfalls of “pub quiz facts” to the power of application tasks, she shares how her staff moved from activity-driven planning to a curriculum that deliberately sequences, revisits, and secures the most important knowledge. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why recall alone isn’t enough — and how to move from “know more” to “do more.” How a scope check can reveal curriculum gaps, duplications, and priorities. Practical retrieval strategies: multiple-choice with misconceptions, application prompts, and interruption slides. What research says about retrieval, spacing, and transfer (Roediger, Butler, Dunlosky, Adesope, Coe). How retrieval informs both formative and summative assessment. Why broad and balanced curriculum design strengthens memory and schema. Episode Highlights: The two fears that shaped our approach: trivia recall and “open-book retrieval.” How identifying two or three key ideas per unit transformed sequencing and assessment. A two-part retrieval structure: “Know More, Remember More” + “Do More.” The role of AI tools in supporting teachers to create deeper application questions. Examples across subjects — from Florence Nightingale to Roman roads to fractions. Resources for Premium Members: Curriculum map examples showing how knowledge builds across year groups. Retrieval practice slide templates from multiple subjects and year groups. Closing Thought: When retrieval is short, purposeful, sequenced, and paired with application, it doesn’t just help pupils remember more — it strengthens the whole curriculum.