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Revision & Study Skills

At St Augustine’s Sixth Form, revision and study skills are explicitly taught through lessons, reinforced within our pastoral programme, and consistently embedded within directed study time. This ensures that students are regularly developing effective study habits across all areas of their learning.

Our approach to revision is simple, consistent, and evidence-informed, with a strong focus on maximising long-term retention so that knowledge and skills can be confidently recalled in examinations, coursework, and other assessments.

Key Principles of Effective Revision

Across the Sixth Form, all teaching staff and form tutors promote the following key principles:

Revision should be active rather than passive

Retrieval practice (recall) is one of the most effective ways to strengthen long-term memory

Spaced and interleaved practice supports long-term understanding across multiple topics and subjects

Dual coding (combining words and visuals) helps students organise and condense information

Effective study requires balance and consistency – it is a long-term process rather than short-term cramming

These strategies are taught directly in lessons, reinforced in the pastoral programme, and expected to be used regularly during directed study periods.

Teaching and Delivery

We explicitly embed study skills within the academic curriculum, ensuring students are taught how to revise effectively rather than being left to develop these skills independently. These approaches are consistently reinforced by subject teachers in lessons and during independent study time.

Readiness Programme (Pastoral Curriculum)

As part of our pastoral curriculum, students take part in a structured Readiness Programme, which focuses specifically on developing effective study skills and revision techniques.

Within this programme, students explore:

Effective revision strategies and techniques

How to plan and structure independent study

Time management and organisation skills

How to prepare effectively for assessments and examinations

Ways to build confidence and resilience in learning

This ensures that all students are explicitly taught how to study effectively, not just what to study.

Pastoral and Academic Support

In addition, our Sixth Form Pastoral and Academic Mentor provides targeted support, coaching students in effective revision strategies where additional guidance is needed. This ensures that students who require extra support are given structured and personalised guidance.

Overall Impact

Our revision and study skills programme ensures that students are well supported, well trained, and fully prepared for success in their final assessments