Essex Research School update – 19 October 2026
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Latest updates from the Essex Research School – including free online professional development events in November and a new blog post on 'Beyond the Staffing Ratio: Are SEND Support Hours Reaching the Pupils Who Need Them Most?'
📖 Beyond the Staffing Ratio: Are SEND Support Hours Reaching the Pupils Who Need Them Most?
New blog post
Schools invest considerable expertise, time and funding in supporting pupils with SEND, but how confident are we that additional support is reaching the pupils who need it most?
This new Essex Research School blog post explores why staffing ratios alone cannot tell us whether support is appropriately targeted or making a meaningful difference. Drawing on EEF guidance and research undertaken across HEARTS Academy Trust, it considers the idea of ‘support drift’, where provision can gradually move away from its original purpose, and offers practical questions for leaders reviewing SEND deployment.
📚 Beyond the Staffing Ratio: Are SEND Support Hours Reaching the Pupils Who Need Them Most?
Free online PD event: Wednesday 18 November 2026 | 4.00–5.00pm | Online
Following our latest blog post exploring SEND deployment, join Essex Research School for a free online PD event looking more closely at how leaders can move beyond staffing numbers to consider whether additional support is aligned with pupil need and making a meaningful difference.
A valuable opportunity for school and trust leaders to reflect on how support is deployed and the questions we should be asking about need, provision and impact.
📅 Find out more and book your place
📚 Be More Ted? Implementing Change in a School Context
Free online PD event: Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 4.00–5.00pm | Online
What can schools learn from Ted Lasso about implementing change?
Ben Cadigan, ELE and Lead Mentor at Buckingham Partnership SCITT, will explore why even well-intentioned initiatives can struggle to gain traction and how leaders can create the conditions for meaningful, lasting change. Drawing on the EEF’s Effective Implementation guidance, the session will consider motivation, professional development, developing expertise and creating a culture of curiosity rather than judgement.
📚 Find out more and book a place
📚 Strategic Implementation: A Multi-Faceted Vehicle for Driving Leadership Impact
Free online PD event: 17 November 2026 | 4.00–5.00pm | Online
How can strategic implementation strengthen leadership and support sustainable school improvement?
Nicola Spearman, Secondary ELE and experienced school leader, will share learning from her school’s improvement journey and explore how engagement with the EEF’s A School’s Guide to Implementation transformed leadership thinking, planning and practice. The session will focus on implementation as a process, developing leadership expertise, creating clarity through strategic planning and protecting the time needed to make change stick.
📚 Find out more and book your place
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