When several secondary pupils show very low working-memory scores, they may lose instructions, notes or the next step of a task. The intervention should teach practical ways to record and retrieve important information during lessons, assignments and revision. It should not claim to increase working-memory capacity.

Identify where information is lost

Use examples from several subjects. Check whether pupils struggle to:

• hold multistep instructions;

• take notes while listening;

• retain an intermediate result;

• organise ideas while writing;

• keep track of an assignment;

• retrieve the next action after interruption.

Distinguish working-memory demand from unclear teaching, insecure knowledge, attention, language or processing speed.

Select a shared strategy

Possible targets include:

• recording the next two or three steps;

• annotating a worked example;

• using a checklist or visual plan;

• capturing key ideas in brief notes;

• grouping related information;

• using a mind map for an extended task;

• checking an external record rather than relying on recall.

Teach pupils when and why to use the strategy. One system used consistently is better than several tools that are not maintained.

Practise with real work

Model the strategy with current subject material. For note-taking, show how to identify the key idea, record it briefly and use it to continue the task. For assignments, model how to keep the goal, next action and checkpoint visible.

Pupils can practise together while using different subject examples. A short withdrawal session is justified only when it teaches a strategy that will then be used in ordinary lessons.

Monitor independence

Record the baseline, target context, delivery pattern, relevant teachers, review date and exit criteria. A typical pattern is a few short sessions to teach the strategy, for example two 20-minute sessions a week, followed by checks in lessons. How many sessions pupils need will vary, so the school decides where they fit and when to review progress (many schools review after six to eight weeks). Track lost steps, completed work, prompt dependence and transfer across subjects.

Digital transcription or note-taking tools may help in some contexts, but they should support understanding and remain manageable within the school's systems.

Guidance and resources

• EEF: Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning: free guidance on modelling strategies and reducing working-memory load in lessons.

• EEF: Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools: free guidance on targeted small-group and one-to-one support alongside high-quality teaching.

Memory-training games improve performance on the games themselves, but a review of the studies (Melby-Lervåg and Hulme, 2013) found the gains did not reliably carry over to reading or maths. The aim is to improve functioning in meaningful tasks, not an isolated memory-test score.