Teaching assistants (TAs) are crucial to the work of schools and colleges across England. Their contributions are invaluable, particularly for those pupils most in need of additional support. The TA role is broad, changeable and context specific. Duties can include supporting pupils' readiness for learning, access to learning and recap of…

Implementation is making, and acting on, evidence-informed decisions. Yet awareness of evidence does not necessarily result in improved outcomes: implementation is critical for turning engagement with research into tangible changes in school practices and pupil outcomes, including, crucially, for pupils experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.…

A current priority for the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is to further the understanding of current practice and research priorities in teaching Writing. Pearson were commissioned in October 2023 to conduct a study of current practice in the teaching of Writing in Primary and Secondary State schools in England, to inform priorities for…

"Implementation in education" refers to active and planned efforts to introduce and sustain an approach in schools. It involves making, and acting on, evidence-informed decisions. There is substantial evidence indicating that quality implementation amplifies the effectiveness of a range of school-based approaches. However, implementation…

COVID has potentially reversed a decade of progress in closing the attainment gap. The evidence is clear that disadvantaged students have fallen further behind during the pandemic. This guide is designed as a practical starting point to support school leaders to develop, implement and monitor an evidence-informed approach to their Pupil Premium…

This report presents the results of an Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)-funded, independent evaluation designed to investigate the extent to which, and in what ways, Research Schools (RSs) in Opportunity Areas (OAs) had supported schools to enact evidence-based practices in their classrooms. The evidence centred upon the lived experiences of…

This research briefing summarises findings from a nationally representative survey of schools and teachers, which investigated teachers' research use. The survey was designed with reference to the principles adopted in an earlier 2014 study in which the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the Education Endowment Foundation…

This exploratory study was commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (the EEF). The report presents findings on the challenges facing schools in disadvantaged circumstances (characterised by the EEF as 'Priority Schools'). Priority Schools, which include both primary and secondary schools, have a high proportion of pupils eligible for…

Schools are learning organisations. They continuously strive to do better for the children and young people in their charge. In doing so, they try new things, seek to learn from those experiences, and work to adopt and embed the practices that work best. Implementation is a key aspect of what schools do to improve, and yet it is a domain of school…

Schools in England have experienced unprecedented disruptions due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There were two periods during which in-person learning was restricted for the majority of pupils: first for 14 weeks in spring 2020; and then for eight weeks in winter 2021. During these periods of partial closure, many pupils experienced some…

This report offers seven practical, evidence-based recommendations that are relevant to all pupils, and particularly to those struggling with their literacy. To develop the recommendations, we reviewed the best available international research and consulted experts to arrive at key principles for effective literacy teaching. This second edition of…

This report is part of a series of four guidance reports that the EEF has produced on the theme of language and literacy. It focuses on pupils between the ages of 5 and 7 in Key Stage 1. However, it may also be applicable to older pupils who have fallen behind their peers, or younger pupils who are making rapid progress. Separate reports cover…

This report presents findings from exploratory, descriptive meta-analyses of effect sizes reported by the first 82 EEF evaluations that used a randomised controlled trial (RCT) or clustered RCT impact evaluation design published up to January 2019. The review used a theoretical framework derived from literature with five overarching themes to…

This document summarises key findings from the quantitative strands of a review of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) evaluations that had reported from the establishment of EEF in 2011 up to January 2019. The quantitative strands summarised include meta-analyses of effect sizes reported for attainment outcomes and descriptive analyses of…

This document provides supplementary statistical tables to support the review of Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) evaluations. This includes: (1) Descriptive (univariate) tables for all explanatory variables; (2) Tables for the meta-analyses of primary ITT effect sizes; (3) Tables for the meta-analyses of secondary ITT effect sizes; (4) Tables…