Evidence Led Practice Blog
This blog contains perspectives on using research evidence in schools, reflections on 'what works' and recommendations for useful evidence resources.
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- 03/03/25
Building Positive Behaviour with the EEF's 'Establish, Maintain, Restore' Framework
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) published a comprehensive research review in 2021 called Improving Behaviour In Schools. This guidance report has three sections. The first details proactive strategies that can be deployed at classroom level to reduce the chance of misbehaviour occurring...Read Full Story - 21/01/25
Attending to the contextual factors – a case study on implementation and teacher development
Staff meetings are a part of all teachers’ weekly timetables – whether that be the full teaching team, departments or key stage phase meetings. I am not aware of many schools that do not allocate guided time to sitting down together. In my experience, due to packed timetables...Read Full Story - 01/10/24
Implementation for evidence informed approaches - Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning across the school
Three years ago, evidence-based practice was relatively unknown to us as a whole staff discussion point, let alone being seen as key to addressing school development, but knowing this was our next undertaking we went for it (strategically)!Read Full Story - 17/06/24
The FAME approach and revisiting the Seven-Step Model
Having completed a substantial amount of CPD around metacognition over the last two years, we recently revisited the importance of modelling and shared writing from EYFS to the end of KS2 in our setting. Improving outcomes in writing continues to be a high priority element of our School Development...Read Full Story - 05/03/24
“I wish I had thought of that sooner” - The Integrated Model of Metacognition
“Evidence suggests the use of ‘metacognitive strategies’ – which get pupils to think about their own learning – can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months’ progress when used well. However, while the potential impact of these approaches is very high...Read Full Story - 18/01/24
Revisiting Cognitive Load Theory - Links to Embodied Cognition
As leaders and practitioners, we all appreciate the importance of continually reviewing developments in our field in order to ensure our practice remains relevant and maximises the learning outcomes of our pupils. Although Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has been known and developed within the academic...Read Full Story - 14/11/23
Accessible professional development for the Early Years: update to the EEF Early Years Evidence Store
Those of us who work in or with Early Years settings will know the value of research which is both accessible and practically based. That is why I was so pleased to read today that the EEF is making good on its commitment to expanding the number of themes covered within its Early Years Evidence Stor...Read Full Story - 01/07/23
Research engaged and evidence informed - lessons from the flipped classroom
Having been involved with continuous professional learning and development for teachers and schools for a number of years, I am committed to the use of research to inform practice but am always also acutely aware of how this can become something that can be viewed as a ‘luxury’ or...Read Full Story - 17/03/23
The power of disciplined professional enquiry
This year our primary trainee teachers were set a simple professional enquiry task. They were asked to think about how pupils learn, with a particular focus on cognitive load theory. The task was to be presented as a question; What impact does X have on the outcomes for pupil/pupils Y over a 6-week...Read Full Story - 01/02/23
Implementing the EEF’s ‘Five-a-day' principle to support SEND learners in the classroom
The EEF’s ‘Five-a-day' principle to support pupils with SEND, taken from their ‘Special Educational Needs in Mainstream School’s’ guidance report, is illustrated in the diagram below.Read Full Story - 05/12/22
The Importance of Activating Prior Knowledge
I have previously written about the role of memory in classroom pedagogy. This post draws upon both this theme and its link to Metacognition in the discussion of the topic, Activating Prior Knowledge.Read Full Story - 13/10/22
Learning through the arts – teacher development through Disciplined Inquiry
With the current – and often necessary – focus on enabling pupils whose schooling has been significantly disrupted by Covid to ‘catch up’, we could perhaps be forgiven for overlooking the impact that learning through the arts can have on children’s learning and wel...Read Full Story