Five-Part Lesson Model

“The structure of the curriculum especially helps pupils who join the school at different points.”

Ofsted, March 2025

Our Lesson Structure: The St. Michael’s Five-Part Model

At St. Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy, every lesson follows a consistent and research-informed structure known as the Five-Part Model. This approach ensures high-quality teaching and learning across the school, providing clarity, continuity, and challenge for all pupils.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that explicit instruction, scaffolding, and diagnostic assessment are key components of effective teaching. These strategies, when embedded within a structured lesson format, support long-term knowledge retention, address misconceptions, and promote confident, independent learners.

Part One: Set the Scene

Each lesson begins by establishing a strong foundation for learning:

  • Revisiting and revising prior knowledge
  • Providing feedback based on whole-class assessment
  • Sharing the learning objective clearly with pupils
  • Explicitly introducing and teaching key vocabulary

Part Two: Direct Instruction

Teachers deliver new content through carefully structured teaching:

  • Breaking learning into manageable steps or ‘chunks’
  • Using the “I do, we do, you do” model to scaffold understanding
  • Incorporating visual models and supportive scaffolds to aid comprehension

Part Three: Hinge Question

A key point in the lesson to check understanding and inform next steps:

  • A carefully designed multiple-choice question
  • Used as a formative assessment tool
  • Provides immediate insight into pupil understanding and guides further instruction

Part Four: Independent Practice

Pupils apply their learning with increasing independence:

  • Adults provide targeted support where needed
  • Pupils work independently, using scaffolds and models as appropriate

Part Five: Plenary

The lesson concludes with reflection and consolidation:

  • Summarising key learning points
  • Reviewing the learning objective
  • Reinforcing and consolidating new knowledge

This consistent structure supports both pupils and staff, ensuring that every lesson is purposeful, engaging, and effective. It reflects our commitment to high standards, excellent pedagogy, and the belief that every child can succeed.

References

[1] 1. High-quality teaching | EEF – Education Endowment Foundation