Inspiring Innovation and Impact
Active research in schools engages all educators in improving their own practice, which in turn drives school improvement and leads to better outcomes for the entire school community.
Purpose:
At King Edwin Primary School, we place Research and Development (R&D) at the heart of our school’s vision and daily practice. We believe that engaging in research empowers teachers to investigate their own approaches, evaluate the impact of different strategies, and make informed decisions based on evidence.
Research and development has long been a priority at King Edwin Primary School, seen as fundamental to building a strong foundation for continuous school improvement. It supports the development of a self-improving education system by ensuring that initiatives and practices are based on what works best for our pupils. Through this commitment to evidence-informed practice, we aim to enhance teaching, learning, and leadership across our school.
What the Research suggests:
- research-rich environments are indeed best high performing education systems (internationally)
- if teachers want to be effective, teachers and teacher educators need to engage with research – keep up to date with recent academic developments in their subject and in education overall
- teachers and teacher educators need the capacity, motivation, confidence and opportunities to engage with and in research
- research cannot just stop after the initial teacher education – but should be sustained throughout their careers so that enquiry is embedded in the professional lives of teachers and schools and become normal way of teaching and learning
(BERA)
Vision & Principles:
Teaching and learning:
In a research-rich, self-improving education system:
- Every learner is entitled to teaching that is informed by the latest relevant research.
- Every teacher is entitled to work in a research-rich environment that supports the development of their research literacy, and offers access to facilities and resources (both on-site and online) that support sustained engagement with and in research.
Teachers’ professional identity and practice:
In a research-rich, self-improving education system:
- Teachers share a common responsibility for the continuous development of their research literacy. This informs all aspects of their professional practice and is written into initial and continuing teacher education programmes, standards, and in registration and licensing frameworks.
- During the course of qualifying and throughout their careers, teachers have multiple opportunities to engage in research and enquiry, collaborating with colleagues in other schools of the wider research community.
School leadership:
In a research-rich, self-improving education system:
- Research literacy has a prominent place in development programmes for governors, for parents’ organisations and for senior and middle leaders, such that the development of research-rich school and college environments is seen as a key leadership responsibility.
- The levers that hold schools and colleges – and other educational institutions and agencies – to account, notably inspection frameworks, explicitly recognise the importance of research literacy to teachers’ professional identity and practice. They also see research literacy as an important prerequisite for school improvement and a research-rich culture as a key feature of any school designated ‘outstanding’.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF):
At King Edwin Primary School, we understand the important role the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) plays in national research. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement, providing vital guidance reports for such research and development initiatives.
Implementation:
‘Implementation – the process of putting a decision or plan into effect.’
Oxford English Dictionary
‘Vision without implementation is hallucination.’
Thomas Edison
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.
There are legitimate barriers to implementing effectively in schools – the bombardment of new ideas and initiatives, limited time and resources, and the pressure to yield quick results, to name just a few. Nevertheless, this guidance report shows a lot can be achieved with careful thought, planning, and delivery using existing resources and structures. It is about making the implicit explicit, providing clarity and purpose to existing processes, and reframing what you are already doing, rather than bolting on a whole new set of procedures.
(Education Endowment Foundation, Implementation Guidance report, 2019)
Projects Trialed in Schools:
Here are just some of the projects we have been involved in…
Abracadabra (ABRA) is an online toolkit composed of phonics, fluency and comprehension activities based around a series of age-appropriate texts. The trial assesses a 20 week programme of lesson plans using the ABRA activities (referred to here as the ICT programme). The trial also assesses the impact of an offline, paper version of the same programme (referred to here at the non-ICT programme).
The study was funded by the Education Endowment Foundation and Nominet Trust as part of a funding round focusing on the use of digital technology to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.
The onebillion programme consists of two apps that are designed to support the acquisition of basic mathematical skills for pupils aged 3-6. This project tested the impact of the apps on pupils in year 1 who had been identified by their teachers as being in the bottom half of the class in mathematics. The apps were developed by onebillion, a not-for-profit organisation. In this project, teaching assistants were trained to use the apps by a team from the University of Nottingham.
An independent charity founded over 35 years ago, the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) works with member schools, education leaders and practitioners to improve provision for more able learners, driving whole-school improvement and raising achievement for all.
SOLO Taxonomy (structure of observed learning outcomes) provides a simple, reliable and robust model for three levels of understanding – surface deep and conceptual
(Biggs and Collis 1982)
NACE/nrich Ambassador Project
NRICH is working with NACE to expand the network of NRICH Ambassadors, who support the NRICH team by sharing their knowledge of NRICH resources within their settings and local area.
Our three day Ambassadors programme is designed to allow delegates time to explore the vision behind the vast array of NRICH materials and ways to maximise their potential in the clasroom. After the programme has been completed, Ambassadors should feel confident using NRICH resources in their settings as well as supporting their colleagues too.
If you require more information about how your school could receive nrich CPD from our resident Ambassador (Mr Bandy), please contact our office for more details.
🔍 1. Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning
What it is: Metacognition means “thinking about thinking.” It helps children understand how they learn best.
Why it matters: Research (including from the Education Endowment Foundation) shows that when pupils are taught how to plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning, they become more independent and resilient learners.
For parents: Encourage children to reflect on what helped them succeed with a task.
🧠 2. Cognitive Load Theory
What it is: A theory about how the brain processes and stores new information.
Why it matters: If children are overwhelmed with too much information at once, learning can become less effective. Teachers use this theory to break learning into manageable chunks and revisit key concepts regularly.
For parents: This helps explain why repetition and practice at home (like times tables or reading) are still so important.
🌱 3. Growth Mindset
What it is: The belief that ability and intelligence can grow with effort and perseverance (developed by Carol Dweck).
Why it matters: Encouraging a growth mindset helps children become more motivated and resilient when they face challenges.
For parents: This ties in well with praise at home—focusing on effort (“You worked really hard!”) rather than fixed traits (“You’re so smart!”).
💬 4. Oracy and Vocabulary Development
What it is: Oracy refers to speaking and listening skills, which are essential for learning across the curriculum.
Why it matters: Strong oral language is linked to better writing, reading comprehension, and confidence.
For parents: Encourage talk at home—ask open-ended questions, discuss books, or have regular family conversations at meals.
📚 5. Reading for Pleasure and Reading Fluency
What it is: The idea that children who enjoy reading do better academically across all subjects.
Why it matters: Reading widely helps children develop imagination, empathy, and vocabulary.
For parents: Creating a reading culture at home—such as setting aside time to read together or letting children choose books—can support this.