One of the greatest advantages of an all-boys school is our deep understanding of how boys learn, grow and thrive. We know boys are driven by purpose. We know boys benefit from being challenged. We know boys are capable of rising to meet – and exceed – our high expectations.
At IGS, we believe every boy matters every day and all boys can be high achievers. This belief shapes the strong, positive relationships we form with our students. When our boys know we believe in them, they strive to succeed towards Exceptional Performance.
When national data consistently shows boys, on average, underperform in literacy compared to girls in the primary years, it prompts an important question: what can we do to change this trend?
Educational research in the field known as the Science of Learning explores how the brain processes, stores and retrieves information. The research is clear: learning is not instantaneous – it is a process that takes time, requires consistent practice and necessitates focused effort.
To enhance our boys’ ability to learn, we’ve embedded John Fleming’s Explicit Teaching model — a structured, systematic and highly effective pedagogy designed to transfer knowledge from short-term to long-term memory.
Every lesson follows a consistent framework to maximise our boys’ success. Starting with a clear learning intention, our teachers strategically scaffold our boys’ skills towards increased independence and mastery. We actively encourage our boys to listen, to think and to ask questions to deepen their understanding. We continually assess our boys’ progress, seek and provide feedback to extend their knowledge to more advanced skills, content and understanding. There is no ‘ceiling’ to our boys’ capabilities. If they are ready to learn the next steps, we will teach them.
Imperative to our pedagogy, is the reinforcement of foundational skills through daily warm-ups using our recite-recall-apply strategy. This approach helps embed knowledge, improve recall and develop mastery over time through deliberate, spaced repetition. It’s our Explicit Teaching method that helps make learning stick for our boys.
Perhaps the most powerful outcome of our teaching model is its effect on a boy’s self-belief—his self-efficacy. As education expert Anita Archer says, “success breeds motivation.” By giving our boys the tools and strategies to succeed, they experience the intrinsic reward of growth and become motivated to aim even higher. That’s what we mean by Exceptional Performance —and it’s why IGS is uniquely designed for our boys.
Anja-Lee Caldwell, Junior School Curriculum Leader