How to Run Great Revision Classes

As exam season approaches, we shift gears from teaching new content to helping students consolidate what they know. It’s easy for revision lessons to become rushed, repetitive, or overly test-focused, but they can also be some of the most powerful lessons of the year.

Tips for revision classes

• Keep the routine the same. If your students are used to a Do Now, keep using it. Routines make the most of teaching time and help create calm, predictable classrooms.
• Explicitly teach key knowledge and common errors. Show students the mistakes they often make, and clarify misconceptions by highlighting similarities and differences.
• Use example–problem pairs and frequent checks for understanding. Keep doing what works. The best revision lessons still rely on explicit teaching and retrieval.
• Model how to revise effectively. Teach the process: attempt a question → check the answer → improve the response → recheck. Students need to see what good revision looks like.

Some considerations

• Avoid relying solely on practice tests or past papers. Use them strategically, but don’t let them replace teaching.
• Don’t assume students know how to study. Most don’t. Teach them exactly how to revise to avoid unhelpful habits like rereading or highlighting.
• Avoid giving too much unstructured time. Students with weaker learning habits often waste it, and it can lead to disruptions.

In short: the best revision lessons feel calm, structured, and purposeful. They focus on teaching, not just testing.

Happy coaching.

Kind regards
Mark

Upcoming events

• 29 October – Staff Development Collective Free Webinar with Chris McGuire from PAC. If you haven’t already signed up for our Staff Development Collective, please do so here to receive the webinar link.