Brockmoor Primary School: Pupil Book Study – Deepening Knowledge and Understanding

At Brockmoor Primary School, Pupil Book Study is a key strategy used to assess how well pupils are acquiring and applying knowledge across the curriculum. This structured approach ensures that learning is meaningful, connected, and retained over time, providing teachers with valuable insights into curriculum impact.

Our Pupil Book Study approach focuses on:
📖 Evaluating curriculum impact – Ensuring that knowledge is embedded and subject-specific skills are developed.
🔄 Retrieval and fluency practice – Helping children retain and apply learning effectively.
🗣 Oracy and vocabulary acquisition – Ensuring pupils confidently articulate ideas using precise academic language.
📚 Subject progression and depth – Checking that learning builds sequentially across key stages.

What is Pupil Book Study?

Pupil Book Study is a structured process where teachers and leaders review pupils’ workbooks alongside discussions with children. Developed by Alex Bedford, creator of CUSP, this approach provides schools with an Ofsted-aligned method of understanding how well curriculum intent, implementation, and impact translate into real learning.

Through Pupil Book Study, we explore:
✅ How well children articulate their learning and apply key knowledge.
✅ How effectively they retrieve and recall information from previous lessons and units.
✅ How their books demonstrate progression, subject-specific expectations, and depth of understanding.

This process provides a real-time evaluation of how well children are learning, ensuring that teaching is meeting their needs and that knowledge is being embedded effectively.

How Pupil Book Study Works at Brockmoor

Our Pupil Book Study sessions take place regularly across different subjects and year groups, ensuring we gain a comprehensive understanding of how children are learning over time.

Each session follows a structured approach:
📌 Step 1: Selecting Pupils – We choose a range of pupils from each year group, ensuring a mix of higher, middle, and lower attaining children.
📌 Step 2: Reviewing Books – Pupils bring their subject books and discuss their learning, demonstrating understanding and retrieval of key knowledge.
📌 Step 3: Questioning and Discussion – Children explain concepts, vocabulary, and processes, allowing teachers to assess comprehension and depth.
📌 Step 4: Evaluating Subject Progression – We look at how learning builds over time and ensure consistency across the curriculum.
📌 Step 5: Feedback and Action – Findings from book studies inform curriculum adjustments, teaching improvements, and targeted interventions.

Why is Pupil Book Study So Important?

📖 Assessing Curriculum Depth
Pupil Book Study allows us to evaluate whether knowledge is secure, meaningful, and connected across subjects. It provides insight into what is being taught and, crucially, what is being remembered.

🗣 Developing Oracy and Vocabulary
Pupil Book Study ensures that children can use precise, subject-specific vocabulary confidently and accurately, improving oral and written communication skills.

🔄 Embedding Retrieval Practice
By revisiting prior learning, children develop strong recall abilities, supporting long-term retention and mastery of concepts.

🔍 Enhancing Teacher Reflection
Pupil Book Study provides real-time feedback for teachers, allowing them to refine instruction and target gaps effectively.

📈 Supporting Ofsted Readiness
This method aligns with Ofsted’s focus on pupil voice, curriculum progression, and book scrutiny, ensuring that Brockmoor pupils can confidently articulate their learning and show clear progression over time.

How Pupil Book Study Supports Different Subjects

Our structured approach ensures consistency across all subjects, with tailored questioning and evaluation for different disciplines.

📖 English – Do pupils use high-level vocabulary in writing? Can they retrieve and apply grammatical skills?
🔢 Maths – Are problem-solving strategies embedded? Do pupils demonstrate fluency and reasoning?
🌍 History & Geography – Can children discuss historical significance and geographical concepts confidently?
🔬 Science – Do pupils understand scientific processes? Can they explain their investigations and results?
🎨 Art & Design – Can children articulate how techniques and materials are used creatively?

This ensures that knowledge is not only taught but deeply understood and applied across the curriculum.

The Impact of Pupil Book Study at Brockmoor

✅ Curriculum Retention – Pupils recall knowledge more effectively, ensuring deeper understanding over time.
✅ Improved Vocabulary & Oracy – Children articulate subject knowledge using accurate terminology.
✅ High-Quality Teaching & Learning – Real-time feedback informs instruction and intervention.
✅ Confidence in Learning – Pupils take ownership of their education, discussing their progress with clarity.

At Brockmoor Primary School, Pupil Book Study is a key driver of excellence, helping us ensure that every child can think, reason, and express their learning confidently.

📢 Want to know more?
📩 Contact us to see how Pupil Book Study is shaping learning at Brockmoor Primary School!