Essex Research School update - 17 March 2026
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Latest updates from the Essex Research School - including whole-school strategies for reading success, PD 'Spark Wars', Metacognition and Assessment for Learning, and Clips from the Classroom.
Levelling the Playing Field: Whole-School Strategies for Reading Success
This article examines how consistent systems, strong leadership, and evidence-informed practice can combine to improve reading outcomes for all pupils, particularly those who need it most.
Read the article here.
PD 'Spark Wars': A new hope for disadvantaged learners
Discover how purposeful, sustained professional development can transform outcomes for disadvantaged learners. This article explores why real change happens after the training, highlighting the crucial role of practice, feedback, and deliberate implementation in making high-quality teaching stick, and ensuring every pupil benefits.
Read the full article here.
Metacognition and Assessment for Learning
Explore how metacognition and Assessment for Learning empower children to understand how they learn, not just what they learn. This article reveals how modelling thinking, scaffolding strategies, and fostering independence can transform pupils into confident, reflective learners who take ownership of their progress.
Read the full article here.
Clips from the Classroom - A new approach to assessing maths at the end of Key Stage 1
Last term we launched a powerful new video in our Clips from the Classroom collection: Beyond Right and Wrong. Rather than simply celebrating correct answers, this clip brings us behind the scenes of mathematical thinking in action, showing how students wrestle with ambiguity, reason through choices, and deepen their understanding through discussion, not just “right vs wrong”.
Designed with built-in pause points and reflective prompts, the video invites us to slow down, observe, and think together about what high-quality mathematical discourse looks like in real classrooms. It’s an excellent resource for stimulating meaningful staff conversations, exploring how we might shift our own practice, and grounding professional learning in authentic classroom moments.
Curious to see it in practice? Click here to watch and reflect: Beyond Right and Wrong — Clips from the Classroom
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