How to Plan Engaging & Impactful Revision Lessons (That Actually Show Progression)

Let’s be honest—revision lessons can feel flat.
Silent students, repetitive tasks, and worst of all, trying to show progress when your lesson is being observed? Nightmare.

I used to dread it too—until I challenged myself to completely rethink what a revision lesson could look like. And guess what? It worked.

Whether you're planning for A-level, GCSE, or KS3, here’s how to design revision lessons that are dynamic, engaging, and observation-worthy.

🎧 Prefer to Listen or Watch?

This post is based on S1 E06 of my Teach & Tell podcast.
Want to hear the full story, teaching tips, and ideas in action?

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☕ Quick Coffee Catch-Up

This week’s been such a joy! I had a long weekend in Luxembourg visiting the Christmas markets (yes, wildly off-season by the time you're reading this—but still magical 🧣✨). It made me reflect on how grateful I am for the freedom that self-employment brings.

And this weekend? It’s time for our annual “Christmas Day” with uni friends—20 people, 10 children, 2 dogs, games, gifts, and a chaotic group sleepover. I say “sleep”… but let’s be honest, 10 kids in one house? Not happening.

🚫 The Problem With Traditional Revision Lessons

For years, I avoided having revision lessons observed.
Why? They didn’t feel like a fair representation of my teaching—mostly independent exam questions, minimal engagement, and little visible progression.

But one day, I couldn’t avoid it: my headteacher (also my line manager) was set to observe an A-level Biology lesson during revision week. So I asked myself:

What if a revision lesson could be just as engaging and impactful as any other lesson?

Spoiler: it can be—and here’s how.

🔄 5 Steps to a High-Impact Revision Lesson

1. Start With Active Recall

Kick things off with a quick-fire whiteboard task.
Example: “List all the biological molecules you can think of.”
It’s simple, zero prep, and perfect for warming up student memory—an essential part of effective revision.

2. Deepen Thinking With a Flexible Card Sort

I created a card pack of biological molecules and used it three different ways:

• Sort by type (e.g. carbs, proteins, lipids)

• Sort by bonds, functions, or reactions

• Explain their grouping and challenge peers

This gradually increased difficulty and encouraged paired discussion—great for building confidence and visible progression.

💡 Pro Tip: Reduce pressure by pairing students. Discussion builds clarity and keeps energy up.

3. Add Depth With a Diamond 9

Ask students to rank concepts—like biological molecules—by importance to survival.

This activity sparks debate, promotes evaluative thinking, and links directly to essay skills. I played devil’s advocate to push reasoning and challenge assumptions.

4. Focus on Exam Technique

Give students jumbled model answers and ask them to:

• Sort answers into two sets

• Reconstruct the original question

• Identify command words (“describe,” “explain,” “evaluate”)

• Justify their groupings

This exercise builds familiarity with exam structure and key terminology, reinforcing both content and technique.

5. Finish With a TARSIA Quiz

Wrap it up with a TARSIA puzzle—a fast-paced, high-energy team activity that reinforces learning in a fun way. Bonus: even A-level students still love a sticker prize 🏆

🧠 Plenary + Homework Strategy

End with a SMART target task: students create a personal revision goal to work on before the next test.
Their homework? Focus on that target. Clear, focused, and easy to track.

⚡ Quick Tip of the Week

Create one card sort—but use it in multiple ways.
My simple card set filled 30 minutes of lesson time, and my headteacher called it a “differentiation masterclass.” Versatile, effective, and easy to reuse!

📚 Resource Roundup

🎁 Free Resource: Download my TARSIA quiz template to use in your own lessons. It’s fully editable and adaptable to any topic.

👉 Grab your quiz template here

🎓 Free Online CPD Sessions – Sign Up Now!

I’m running three FREE online CPD sessions packed with strategies, templates, and teacher hacks you can use immediately:

🧠 ChatGPT in Education & Streamlining Workload
📅 Tuesday 21st January 2025 | 4–5 PM
Topics: Whole-class feedback, AI prompts, PowerPoint templates, saved email replies, and more.

📘 Teaching the AQA Biology Essay
📅 Tuesday 4th February 2025 | 4–5 PM
Includes a full walkthrough of the A-level essay bundle and real marking examples.

🛠️ Ready-Made PowerPoint Lessons + Essay Bundle Tour
📅 Tuesday 4th March 2025 | 4–5 PM

🔗 Sign up via the link in the show notes or DM me on Instagram @miss.estruch.teach.and.tell

💬 Final Thoughts

Revision lessons don’t have to be quiet, linear, or uninspiring. With just a few creative tweaks, you can build a revision session that’s fun, deep, and full of visible progression—whether it’s observed or not.

If you found these tips helpful:

✅ Subscribe to the Teach & Tell podcast
✅ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (it truly helps so much!)
✅ Follow me for more resources on Instagram: @miss.estruch.teach.and.tell

You bring the coffee, I’ll bring the Teach & Tell.
See you next week!

- Katie