Evidence into Action

Ep 25: Retrieval practice

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Rachael Cattrall (EEF content specialist alumna) and expert guests including:

• Dr Tom Perry – Associate Professor, University of Warwick.
• Rachel Wilson – Year 6 teacher & Deputy Research Director of Norwich Research School.
• Mark Miller - Director of Bradford Research School, Dixons Academies Trust.

They discuss the evolution of retrieval practice and insights into cognitive science, including how these principles and practices are being applied in classrooms.

Resources to support retrieval practice

• Cognitive Science Approaches in the Classroom: a Review of  the Evidence (summary)
• EEF Podcast: Cognitive Science in the Classroom
• The Processes of Memory: A brief explainer
• Cognitive Load Theory: A brief explainer

Ep. 24: Implementation in schools

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Kirsten Mould (EEF Senior Content and Engagement Manager) and expert guests including:

• Jonathan Sharples (Associate Professor, EEF)
• Phil Stock (Director of Greenshaw Research School)
• Laura Spence (Director of Gloucestershire Research School)

They discuss implementation in schools following the recent update of the EEF's implementation guidance report. They explore how we think about implementation and what it looks like in a practical sense.

Resources to support implementation in schools

• A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report
• Engage and Unite: moving beyond buy-in – blog from Greenshaw Research School

Ep. 23: Using research evidence well in education

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Kirstin Mulholland (EEF Associate for School Engagement and Evidence Use) and expert guests including:

• Prof Rob Coe (Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education, EEF Senior Associate)
• Sean Harris (Lead for Research Improvement and Innovation at Tees Valley Education Trust)
• Claire Williams (Deputy Headteacher of Alexandra Park Primary School and Director of Alexandra Park Research School)

They discuss using research evidence well in the context of education, exploring the development of a culture and capacity for engaging with evidence in schools.

Resources to support using research evidence

• EEF Using Research Evidence – a concise guide
• Research School Network
• The COM-B Model for behaviour change – an explainer from The Decision Lab

Ep 22: Supporting school attendance

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Freya Morrissey (EEF Content Specialist for Learning Behaviours) and expert guests including:

• Owen Carter (Director at ImpactEd)
• Jane Elsworth (Director of Huntington Research School)
• Oliver Kerr (Headteacher of Old Moat Primary School, Manchester)

They discuss the complex topic of attendance and explore what the evidence tells us about the best ways to support it.

Resources to support school attendance:

• Impact Ed: Understanding Attendance report
• EEF Supporting School Attendance webpage
• EEF’s Attendance intervention rapid evidence review 2022

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Ep 21: Primary science

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Grace Cocker (EEF Content Specialist for maths) and expert guests including:

• Sarah Earle (Reader in Education, Bath Spa University)
  
• Ben Rogers (Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Paradigm Trust)
• Mikaela Moore (Director of Primary Science, Delta Academy Trust)

They discuss high-quality science teaching that fosters progress and children’s interest in science.

Resources to support pupils to improve primary science:

• Improving primary science guidance report, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
• Guidance and resources to support teaching and assessment, Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS)
• Explorify resources

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Ep 20: Defining disadvantage

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by Kirsten Mould and expert guests including:

• Dr Rebecca Montacute, Head of Research and Policy, Sutton Trust
• Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium Adviser, Unity School’s Partnership
  
• Gill Fearns, Director, Lancashire Research School

They discuss how to support for pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

For more on educational disadvantage and resources to support disadvantaged pupils:

• Contextual Admissions, Sutton Trust
• The COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study
• Elitist Britain, Sutton Trust
• The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium, Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Ep 19: Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED) in the early years

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by expert guests including:

• Claudia Coussins, Deputy Head of Early Years - Policy and Practice, Anna Freud Centre
• Ruth Coleman, Headteacher, Highfield Nursery School
• Louise Jackson, Independent Consultant, Author, Trainer and Teacher, Wye Early Years
• Nicola Cherry, Early Years Delivery Manager, North Somerset Council

Our hosts and expert panel discuss PSED and how we can support how early years practice can be enriched through evidence-use.

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Ep 18: SEN in mainstream and adaptive teaching

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Kirsten Mould (our Senior Content Specialist) and expert guests including:

• Jon Eaton, Director of Kingsbridge Research School and Research Lead at Kingsbridge Community College
• Rebecca Gonyora, Director of Inclusion (MAT) Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust and Deputy Regional SEN Lead for East of England and East London (WSS)
• Gary Aubin, our Associate content specialist for SEND and Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Future Academies

They discuss how best to support pupils with SEND, outlining the current challenges and opportunities in schools.

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Further reading

• EEF’s Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools guidance report
• EEF resource: reflecting on your practice
• EEF blog: Assess, adjust, adapt – what does adaptive teaching mean to you?
• EEF blog: Moving from ‘differentiation’ to ‘adaptive teaching’
• Whole School SEND

Ep 17: Metacognition

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Hannah Heron (EEF Content Specialist for Learning Behaviours) and expert guests including:

• Professor John Dunlosky (Professor of Psychology and Director of the Science of Learning Center at Kent State University)
• Jo Ashcroft (CEO of the CLIC Trust)
• Freya Morrissey (Head of English at Teign School)

They discuss metacognition with particular focus on putting study strategies into practice.

Ep 16: High quality talk

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Kirstin Mulholland, EEF associate for content and engagement, with particular interest in maths.

Expert guests take part in discussions including:

• Professor Neil Mercer, Director of Oracy at the University of Cambridge
• Mrs Nicola Hemming, Deputy Headteacher at Clifton Primary School, Birmingham
• Simon Cox, Leader at Blackpool Research School

They discuss high quality talk and how it can be applied and developed in classrooms.