Evidence & Research Update – May 2024

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and Research Schools Networks have a number of programmes and resources to support schools and advance understanding of implementing evidence based practice. Listed below are several new documents, podcasts and blogs.

Subsidised Teaching & Learning Programmes & Trails

School and Trust leaders can search the EEF website to find programmes and trials your school is eligible to participate in.

Examples of programmes schools in Halton, Warrington and Wigan may be eligible for include:

• Mastering Maths (Post-16 settings)

  Professional development for post-16 GCSE maths teachers which aims to improve GCSE maths outcomes for students in Further Education (FE) College and Sixth Form College settings. Approaches are underpinned by five key principles developed by the FE sector, which reflect the needs of students in the sector.

• Tutor Trust (Post-16 settings)

  Pilot to assess the Tutor Trust’s post-16, one-to-one tutoring and coaching programme.

• Primary Sciences Quality Mark (Primary schools) – This relates to Wigan schools only.

  Trial to test the impact of Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM), a one-year professional development and school improvement programme for science subject leads, to equip them with the knowledge, confidence, and support to (i) develop effective science leadership and (ii) undertake school self-evaluation, with the aim to improve school-wide science teaching, raise the profile of science, and support pupils’ science outcomes.

• Mathematical Reasoning (Primary schools)

  Trial to test the impact of a whole class programme to develop pupils’ understanding of the logical principles underlying mathematics.

• Maths Mastery (Secondary schools)

  A scale up of a whole-school subject improvement programme by Ark Curriculum Plus aiming to deepen pupils’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts.

Implementation Matters Blog

The Research Schools Network has asked leaders from Unity Schools Partnership reflect on how key learning drawn from studying the EEF implementation guidance as part of their NPQs is impacting their leadership practices in school.

Vital Vocabulary: Putting Research Evidence to Work Blog

The Research Schools Network has shared a blog from Charlotte Caldwell, ELE and English lead at Front Lawn Primary Academy, reflects on how using the evidence from the EEF helped develop the teaching of vocabulary across the school.

Getting Writing Right Blog

Great Heights Research School have produced this blog explores how a primary school investigated implementation of the stages of the writing process and how to use evidence to support more effective editing

Getting to the Root of Retrieval Blog

Great Heights Research School’s blog explores how one school went back to the evidence base to revisit their approach to retrieval to ensure that this strategy is being used for maximum effect.

Behaviour Strategies Podcast

In this podcast Amy Husband, an ELE from Staffordshire Research School, interviews Sam Strickland to discuss behaviour strategies for school teachers and leaders. Over 35 minutes, Amy and Sam discuss effective, evidence-informed, strategies to support high expectations for behaviour.

New EEF Implementation Guidance

The EEF has recently published a new edition of “A School’s Guide to Implementation”, a resource designed to support those working in education settings to make changes to practice meaningful, and long-lasting.