Essex Research School update - 5 May 2026
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Latest updates from the Essex Research School – including Beyond the Gates: Why Belonging Sits at the Heart of Disadvantage and More Than a Score: Rethinking Assessment in Primary Maths.
Beyond the Gates: Why Belonging Sits at the Heart of Disadvantage
Last half term, we shared Part 1 of our Beyond the Gates series, Keeping Disadvantage at the Heart of the Strategy, which explored why disadvantage must remain central to whole-school and system leadership.
Now, Part 2 – Beyond the Gates: Why Belonging Sits at the Heart of Disadvantage – builds on this thinking, focusing on belonging as a key mechanism for improving outcomes. It moves the conversation from strategy to culture, highlighting how relationships and inclusion underpin effective approaches to tackling disadvantage.
Join our upcoming Leadership and Disadvantage event on 1 June 2026 (4:00-5:00pm) where Don Wry will explore how these ideas translate into practice.
More Than a Score: Rethinking Assessment in Primary Maths
Our latest blog post, More Than a Score: Rethinking Assessment to Transform Primary Maths Teaching, explores how shifting from “right or wrong” marking to careful observation and listening can reveal pupils’ thinking and shape teaching in real time. It highlights how assessment, when embedded within lessons, helps teachers identify misconceptions early and adapt practice accordingly.
Join our FREE PD event: Rethinking Assessment in Primary Maths on 6 July 2026 (4:00-5:00pm) to explore how this approach can be implemented in your setting.
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