Paul Main

Paul Main – FRSA, FCCT | Founder, Structural Learning | Metacognition Researcher

Paul Main is an educator and metacognition researcher who founded Structural Learning in 2002 to give teachers practical tools grounded in cognitive science. With over 22 years of experience working with schools, he has dedicated his career to bridging the gap between educational research and everyday classroom practice.

Qualifications & Credentials

• BSc Psychology – University of Sunderland
• FRSA – Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
• FCCT – Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching
• 128+ Academic Citations on Google Scholar

Research & Academic Partnerships

Paul's research collaboration with the University of Bedfordshire examined how physical manipulation of learning materials improves students' ability to organise thoughts and translate them into written work. A recent evaluation by Cambridge University found that the Structural Learning toolkit improved engagement and written responses among hard-to-reach Year 7 students.

He has collaborated with:

• National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)
• Curious Minds
• Independent Schools Association
• Independent Association of Prep Schools
• Thinking Schools South Africa

International Work

Paul works with schools and education systems internationally:

• Canada: Leading a multi-year critical thinking initiative with Quebec's English-sector school boards, training consultants across nine boards to embed explicit instruction and structured thinking into English Language Arts.
• Bulgaria: Partnering with the Sofia Institute for Effective Learning to implement the Thinking Framework across their network of progressive schools.
• Czech Republic: Delivering whole-school training at the International School of Brno from Early Years through IB Diploma.
• India: Presenting at the Propel Curriculum Conference on whole-school transformation and active learning.
• South Africa: Supporting Thinking Schools South Africa in their mission to embed cognitive education across the continent.

Schools & Organisations

Paul works across the full spectrum of education settings: state primaries, independent schools, special schools, hospital schools, and international institutions. Schools using Structural Learning resources include:

• Harrow International School
• University of East Anglia network
• Leicester Children's Hospital School
• Bablake School, Coventry
• Bishop Alexander Primary School
• Heathlands School
• Anglian Gateway MAT
• OLICAT MAT
• The LETTA Trust

Products Created

• Thinking Framework: 30 thinking skill cards across 5 colour-coded categories, used in thousands of classrooms worldwide.
• Writer's Block: Physical sentence-building blocks that make grammar, syntax, and composition tangible.
• Map It: 8 graphic organiser templates for visual thinking across the curriculum.
• Say It: Oracy prompt cards that structure classroom dialogue and discussion.

What Schools Say

"Paul delivered an insightful INSET session to the staff on metacognition and what this looks like in the classroom. Staff found the session interesting and enjoyed the 'hands on' approach."

"Paul Main recently presented a zoom talk on structural learning to Harrow PATOSS. Paul was very engaging, interesting and provided the teachers with practical ideas to support our learners. We would highly recommend him." – Sharon Goldstone, PATOSS

"Paul delivered a fantastic INSET day in my school where we looked in some detail at metacognition, structured learning and how to enable pupils to explore their learning whilst promoting engagement and progress." – Maarten Crommelin, Headteacher, Maudsley and Bethlem Hospital School

"Structural Learning and Paul's wealth of expertise has proven invaluable to the Outreach Team at UEA during the creation of Year 7 metacognition workshops. His understanding of metacognition and his ability to come up with practical and realisable solutions is highly commendable!" – Julie Smith, University of East Anglia

"We really like the Thinking Framework and the Learning Skills Framework. The key aspect is that they are structured as thinking processes so well." – Yavor Djonev, Bulgarian Progressive Schools

Expertise Areas

• Metacognition & Self-Regulation: Teaching students to monitor, evaluate, and direct their own thinking processes.
• Explicit Instruction: Translating research on direct instruction into practical classroom routines.
• Structured Literacy: Using physical tools and visual frameworks to support reading and writing development.
• Thinking Skills Development: Building higher-order thinking through systematic instruction and graphic organisers.
• Teacher Professional Development: Evidence-informed CPD for schools, Multi Academy Trusts, and international school boards.

Contact

Email: paul@structural-learning.com
Phone: +44 7968 05668
Address: Structural Learning, 1st Floor, 121 High Street, Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, CB24 8SD, United Kingdom

View Google Scholar Profile