The Barreto-Bridge Method (BBM) introduces an innovative approach to educational content development that addresses the increasing gap between traditional teaching methods and modern learning requirements. This methodology uniquely combines narrative storytelling with technical content delivery, creating an effective bridge between experiential…

The impact of many interventions weakens during the scaling up process and low fidelity of implementation (i.e. delivering an intervention but not as it was intended) may explain why. In this paper we introduce, discuss, and exemplify the use of a framework for developing fidelity tools that aim to measure and promote fidelity of implementation.…

Retrieval practice has been shown to be an effective and efficient way to enhance learning and which has led researchers to call for retrieval practice to be part of teachers' regular repertoire of activities within a classroom. Recent policy changes in England have seen retrieval practice being encouraged and emphasized as a strategy that…

Pupil premium is a direct grant paid to state-funded schools in England which aims to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils aged 5-16. As disruption to learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils, the recovery premium grant was introduced in 2021 to help address this. Recovery premium funding finished…

This study employed a small-scale qualitative approach to examine how the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme operates in secondary schools, focusing on facilitating factors and challenges in its implementation. Research on ELSA interventions in secondary schools is limited; this study seeks to address this gap and provide…

This article reports on data and analysis from a case study investigating policy enactments in a multi-academy trust (MAT) in England. The focus is the influence of a policy intermediary organisation (PIO), The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), on policy making by school leaders. The case is located in the literacy policy of a MAT of 15…

Anita Harley, Phonics Lead at Princecroft Primary School in the rural town of Warminster in the UK, describes how a focus on teacher development and using Sounds-Write with fidelity has resulted in increased attainment in phonics and spelling for children, the vast majority of whom now meet or exceed expected standards. [For the complete volume,…

Prior to implementing Sounds-Write in 2016, phonics attainment in Year 1 at Selby Primary School in North Yorkshire (UK) was at or above the national average, but little progress was made by the weaker readers by the end of Key Stage 2. Emma Darwin, Phonics Lead at the school, presents data for a Year 4 cohort who have been taught using…

The EdTech sector has seen rapid growth in the past decade, further catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic that required many teachers and schools to turn to technology-based solutions to support learning over periods of school closures (Karboul, 2020). Since the 2020s, over two-thirds of schools in England have increased their use of technology,…

In 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) commissioned a consortium of evaluation and early years assessment specialists to evaluate the first phase of Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP1). The evaluation was led by Ecorys, with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Professor Kathy Sylva (the University of…

To develop positive learning environments, it is important that supporting mental health and wellbeing is a priority. Whole-school programmes are considered an effective way of developing provision in schools; however, poor implementation can limit the impact of such programmes, and there is a lack of clarity about the key factors affecting the…

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.…

The quality of sex education varies. In England from 2020, the government attempted to improve provision by making lessons a statutory requirement. We assessed implementation in 25 secondary schools in 2022-23, framed by May's general theory of implementation. This identifies processes of sense-making, cognitive participation, collective action…

In England, the national mortality review programme for people with intellectual disabilities, the LeDeR programme, was established in 2015. The programme supports local areas to review the deaths of all people with intellectual disabilities aged 4 years and over. Each death has an initial review; if indicated, a full multi-agency review takes…

It is estimated that trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as exposure to violence, abuse and neglect affect approximately a third of school-aged children in England and Wales. There is strong and growing evidence for the devastating impact of trauma across the lifespan, with psychological and biological effects indicated by…