Evidence into Action

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. 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.

• Jonathan Sharples, Associate Professor, EEF (Start - 28:23)
• Phil Stock, Director of Greenshaw Research School (28:23 - 49:27)
• Laura Spence, Director of Gloucestershire Research School (49:27 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF, A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report (Updated April 2024)
• Engage and Unite: moving beyond buy-in – blog from Greenshaw Research School

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. 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.

• Prof Rob Coe, Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education, EEF Senior Associate (3:10 - 30:03)
• Sean Harris, Lead for Research Improvement and Innovation at Tees Valley Education Trust (30:03 - 48:33) 
• Claire Williams, Deputy Headteacher of Alexandra Park Primary School and Director of Alexandra Park Research School (48:33 - End)

Further Resources: 

• EEF Using Research Evidence – a concise guide (Published January 2024)
• Research School Network
• The COM-B Model for behaviour change – an explainer from The Decision Lab

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

• Owen Carter, Director at ImpactEd (Start - 19:48)
• Jane Elsworth, Director of Huntington Research School (19:48 - 41:28)
• Oliver Kerr, Headteacher of Old Moat Primary School, Manchester (41:28 - End)

Further Resources:

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

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Primary Science

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Grace Coker, EEF Content Specialist for maths, and expert guests. They discuss high-quality science teaching that fosters progress and children’s interest in science.

• Sarah Earle, Reader in Education, Bath Spa University (Start - 28:14)
  
• Ben Rogers, Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Paradigm Trust (28:14 - 47:21)
• Mikaela Moore, Director of Primary Science, Delta Academy Trust (47:21 - End)

Further Resources:

• Improving primary science guidance report, Education Endowment Foundation (Published November 2023)
• 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.

Defining disadvantage

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by Kirsten Mould and expert guests to discuss how best to support pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Guests include:

• Dr Rebecca Montacute, Head of Research and Policy, Sutton Trust (Start - 30:32)
• Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium Adviser, Unity School’s Partnership (30:32 - 53:26)
  
• Gill Fearns, Director, Lancashire Research School (53:26 - End)

Further Resources:

• 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 (Updated September 2024)

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.

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

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host Nicola Cherry, EEF Early Years Content Specialist and Early Years Delivery Manager for North Somerset Council, alongside expert guests. They discuss PSED and how we can support how early years practice can be enriched through evidence-use.

• Claudia Coussins, Deputy Head of Early Years - Policy and Practice, Anna Freud Centre (Start - 20:45)
• Ruth Coleman, Headteacher, Highfield Nursery School (20:45 - 38:44)
• Louise Jackson, Independent Consultant, Author, Trainer and Teacher, Wye Early Years (38:44 - End)

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 Resources:

• EEF Early Years Hub
• Since this episode was recorded there have been updates to the Early Years Evidence Store, including the Personal, Social & Emotional Development theme, the Self-Regulation & Executive Function theme and the ‘Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing in the early years’ guide.

    

   

SEN in mainstream and adaptive teaching

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Kirsten Mould, EEF Senior Content Specialist, and expert guests to discuss how best to support pupils with SEND, outlining the current challenges and opportunities in schools.

• Gary Aubin, EEF Associate content specialist for SEND and Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Future Academies (3:10 - 23:47)
• 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) (23:47 - 43:07)
• Jon Eaton, Director of Kingsbridge Research School and Research Lead at Kingsbridge Community College (43:07 - End

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

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

Metacognition

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host, Hannah Heron, Learning Behaviours Content Specialist for the EEF, and expert guests, to discuss metacognition, with particular focus on putting study strategies into practice.

• Professor John Dunlosky, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Science of Learning Center at Kent State University (Start - 34:16)
• Jo Ashcroft, CEO of the CLIC Trust (34:16 - 49:34)
• Freya Morrissey, Head of English at Teign School (49:34 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Guidance Report (Published April 2018)

 

Vocabulary and Language

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley is joined by co-host Alex Reynolds, Literacy Content Specialist for the EEF, and expert guests to discuss vocabulary instruction, connections to reading and the curriculum.

• Professor Jessie Ricketts, Director of Language and the reading acquisition research group for the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London (Start - 27:25)
• Marcus Jones, Literacy Lead at Huntington Research School and English Teacher (27:25 - 50:32)
• Host and co-host reflections (50:32 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF Vocabulary in Action Classroom Strategies Resource
• EEF Vocabulary in Action: Misconceptions Resource
• EEF Blog, Through the Keyhole of the Reading House, Part 1: Vocabulary, Comprehension and Word Reading

English as an Additional Language

In this instalment, hosts Alex Quigley and EEF Senior Content Manager Kirsten Mould are joined by expert guests in linguistics and education, alongside education leaders, to discuss how best to support pupils with English as an Additional Language.

Guests include:

• Prof Victoria Murphy, Director of the Department of Education & Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Oxford (Start - 27:45)
• Diana Sutton, The Bell Foundation (27:45 - 42:27)
• Karl Rogerson, Principal of Billesley Primary School and Director of Billesley Research School (42:27 - End)