HELEN RIDDLE, DIRECTOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE, UK
During a low-stakes assessment, one of my Year 10 history students, Lottie (not her real name), became visibly overwhelmed and was unable to begin. Faced with an extended question, she froze, struggling to identify how to start and needing significant teacher support. While her subject knowledge was reasonably secure, she appeared unable to tolerate the uncertainty of the task (there was not ‘one right answer’) or identify a way forward. This prompted my reflection on how to support students when learning is cognitively uncomfortable. The cognitive demands of GCSE study require students to engage with uncertainty, extended reasoning and independent thinking. In subjects such as history, this includes constructing explanations, evaluating interpretations and managing complex written responses. For some students, these demands can lead to anxiety, hesitation or an inability to begin tasks without reassur
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