Evidence into Action

Developing oral language

In this instalment, hosts Alex Quigley and, EEF programme manager, Sarah Tillotson, are joined by guests including programme developers, speech therapists and school practitioners, to discuss oral language interventions and how to successfully implement them schools.

• Gillian West, Lecturer at the University of Oxford Department of Education; & Claudine Bowyer-Crane, Associate Research Director at the National Institute of Economic & Social Research (NIESR) explore the development of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), along with the research on the impact of the Covid pandemic on young children. (Start – 38:12);
• Caroline Coyne, Joanne Burr & Rhian Owen - all part of Communicate SLT CIC - discuss the Leading Language and Loving It programme and approach. (38:13 – 55:34); and
• Charlotte Hardwick, a teaching assistant at Settrington Primary School and Rebecca Austwick, headteacher at Bentley High St Primary in Doncaster, explore the process of developing pupils' oral language and implementing NELI successfully in schools. (55:35 – End)

Exploring the complexities of reading comprehension

In this episode, regular host Alex Quigley is joined by Caroline Bilton, assistant headteacher at Cragside Primary School and the EEF’s literacy specialist, to discuss teaching reading comprehension with our expert panel:

• Professor Kate Nation, experimental psychologist and expert on language and literacy development in school children, explains the process of learning to comprehend text; (Start – 19:43);
• Hydeh Fayez, Year 5 teacher and evidence lead in education, highlights the importance of exposing children to high-quality texts; (19:48 – 31:41); and
• Stella Jones, Director of Teaching and Learning at Tower End Associate Research School, describes her school’s approach to improving pupils’ reading fluency. (31:48 – End)

Further resources:

• EEF Improving Literacy in KS2 Guidance Report (Published November 2021) and additional tools

Setting pupils up for success in maths

In this instalment, host Alex Quigley discusses best practice in maths teaching, from establishing strong foundations in the early years, to making purposeful use of pupils’ misconceptions:

• Simon Cox, EEF maths specialist and current secondary school teacher, discusses how maths teaching has changed in recent years and the importance of assessment (Start – 15:07);
• Craig Barton, author and educational podcaster, highlights the importance of misconceptions and how they can be effectively tackled; (15:08 – 41:47); and
• Fliss James, Early Years teacher at East London Research School, Specialist Lead and Evidence Lead in Education, explains how to cultivate a deep, holistic understanding of early mathematical concepts. (41:48 – End)

Further resources:

• EEF, Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and KS1 Guidance Report (Published January 2020)

Making the Difference for Disadvantaged Pupils

This episode focuses on how schools can ‘Make the Difference for Disadvantaged Pupils’. We explore the big picture of the challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils.  

Host, EEF National Content Manager, Alex Quigley, is joined by expert guests including:

• Natalie Perrera, Executive Director and Head of Research at the Education Policy Institute
• Professor Becky Francis, the CEO of the EEF
• Sonia Thompson, the headteacher of St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, in Birmingham.

Resources and links: 

• The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium (Updated September 2024) and associated resources