The following Implementation Plans have been created by members of the EEF Research
Schools Network to support changes in their schools:
1. A plan to improve vocabulary and engagement with challenging texts at Bedlington
Academy in Northumberland. Note how precisely the problem has been specied
(why), which then feeds through into a sharp description of the intervention (what),
implementation activities (how), and implementation outcomes (how well).
2. An intervention designed to improve attendance of vulnerable pupils at Huntington
School in York.
3. A hypothetical example of an implementation plan for a new behaviour management
policy, based on the Improving Behaviour in Schools guidance report.
4. An implementation plan for the EEF project ‘Flash Marking’– an approach to improve
marking and feedback in Key Stage 4 English lessons, developed by Meols Cop High
School in Southport.
5. An implementation plan for the introduction of Knowledge Organisers at Durrington High
School in Worthing.
6. An implementation plan to improve reading at Key Stage One and Two, developed by
The Greetland Academy in Halifax.
7. An implementation plan to introduce retrieval practice at Bedlington Academy in
Northumberland.
PUTTING EVIDENCE TO WORK: A SCHOOL’S GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of Implementation Plans
This resource supports the Putting Evidence to Work: A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report.
IMPROVING VOCABULARY
Bedlington Academy - Northumberland
Teachers
• Teachers do not explicitly teach vocabulary
and lack the expertise to do so: CPD issue.
• Teachers need to calibrate their vocabulary
use with students.
• In every classroom explanation, teachers
use vocabulary that is too dicult or
misunderstood by our children so we need to
provide clear, helpful examples.
• A good deal of reading in classrooms
includes vocabulary that is unfamiliar and
dicult.
Students
• Students lack resilience to tackle challenging
texts in classrooms and examinations: it’s
preventing them from accessing larger mark
questions.
• Lack of student engagement when
presenting with texts; this impacts on
behaviour. Students switch o.
• Students need a word hoard of 50,000
to access their GCSE examinations. Poor
reading is hindering their condence and
progress in examinations: they cannot
access the academic curriculum of the
school. They are ‘word poor’.
• Due to a lack of vocabulary, students are
not able to comprehend texts and struggle
with higher-level skills such as inference and
identifying perspective/viewpoint, which
are the perquisite skills for subjects such as
History and English.
Attainment
• Attainment across most subjects is
signicantly below average at KS4.
• With new, bigger and more complex
qualications at every key stage, the
demands of academic vocabulary have
increased. This decit is proving an
insurmountable hurdle to attainment in our
school.
• Reading now forms a key element of every
qualication and examination and students
need the tools to read for understanding:
to attain, they need to possess a wealth
of background knowledge, requisite
breadth and depth of academic vocabulary
knowledge.
Active ingredient 1
The SEEC model is used to introduce
new vocabulary: Select; Explain; Explore;
Consolidate. Supported by ABC feedback
to scaold talk and promote use of
academic language.
Active ingredient 2
Teach subject-specic vocabulary through
etymology (the history of words).
Active ingredient 3
Teach subject-specic (tier 3) vocabulary
through morphology to develop ‘word
depth’ (the study of words parts/roots,
prexes and suxes, including Latin and
Greek). All key words identied in Schemes
of Work (SOW)—students are given
opportunities to practise them and develop
condence.
Active ingredient 4
Explicitly teach tier 2 vocabulary through
reading intervention and registration.
Explicit instruction and retrieval practice
used to support learning.
Intervention Description (what?)Problem (why?)
Training
• Consistent, iterative training over
the course of two academic years,
followed up by department time
and follow-up tasks. Minimum of six
sessions of dedicated CPD time.
Coaching
• In-school support from Research Leads,
vocabulary champions (some being
linguists) and SLT. Research Leads to
support and provide ongoing coaching
and training in their subject areas.
Monitoring
• Periodic SLT drop-ins, lesson
observation, work scrutiny, planner
check and SOW. Clear, actionable
results followed up by SLT, Research
Leads and Middle Leaders.
• Built into monitoring calendar and SLT
Link Meeting agendas.
Educational materials
• Access to materials from Research
School Network.
• All Research Leads and key sta to
have access to ‘Closing the Vocabulary
Gap’.
• Online portal access for schools to key
materials.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Short term
Fidelity:
• Sta demonstrate an understanding of vocabulary instruction
theory and principles.
• Sta are aware of and understand the vocabulary demands in
their subject area.
Acceptability:
• Majority of sta experience a growing condence in preparing
for vocabulary instruction and can draw on a range of practical
strategies to support it.
Reach:
• All sta are able to identify vocabulary demands in their subject
area across the year groups.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Medium term
Fidelity:
• Sta explicitly identify vocabulary to be taught in planning.
• By term 2, vocabulary instruction emerges in daily lessons
using a consistent format.
• Sta are able to adapt future planning to address vocabulary
based on assessment of it (currently exploring an assessment
model that does not add to workload).
• Departments/sta are able to create resources using a
consistent format to explicitly teach vocab in their subject area.
• Signs of improving quality of teaching and consistency in
planning/approach to Literacy.
Reach:
• Sta begin to use a range of practical strategies for teaching
vocabulary in lessons.
• Vocabulary becomes an integral aspect of SOWs.
Long term
Fidelity:
• Responsive and adaptive curriculum and planning.
• Consistent, embedded approach to teaching of vocabulary.
• Acceptability: sta have embedded vocabulary teaching into all
aspects of classroom practice.
• Sta feel condent and empowered to teach vocabulary.
• Improved quality of teaching: modelling and explanations.
Short term
• Increased student engagement and
condence in reading.
• Slowly developing vocabulary: tier 2
and subject specic.
Long term
• Increased P8 across the EBacc
subjects at KS4.
• Increased P8 in KS4 EBacc subjects for
disadvantaged pupils.
Medium term
• Improved student motivation, cognition
and metacognition: students have
strategies to work out unfamiliar
vocabulary.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
1
REDUCE VULNERABLE STUDENTS’ PERSISTENT ABSENTEEISM
Huntington School - York
School
• Too many of our vulnerable students
are persistently absent (by vulnerable
students we mean those students
who are low starters, have a Special
Educational Need or Disability, or are
disadvantaged, including those who are
in care).
Teachers
• Teachers generally, and pastoral sta
in particular, do not prioritise vulnerable
students’ attendance as highly as they
need to if we are going to improve our
vulnerable students’ attendance rates.
Student behaviours
• Vulnerable students and their families
do not value school attendance as
highly as their peers. When they are
absent, vulnerable students do not take
responsibility for catching up on their
work on returning to school.
Impact on attainment & progress
• Vulnerable students’ attainment at KS4 is
signicantly lower than expected; their A8
and P8 scores are signicantly lower than
other groups.
Problem (why?)
Active ingredient 1
Make attendance a higher priority in
students’, parents’ and teachers’ minds:
• Analyse our PA data for vulnerable
students to identify more precisely the
barriers to attending school.
• Ongoing education of students and
parents around the importance of
attendance and the impact that it has –
info sessions for targeted parents, letters
home and assemblies.
• Create attendance specic postcards
home and agree thresholds and logistics
for sending.
Active ingredient 2
Visit vulnerable students at home as part of
their KS2/KS3 transition package:
• Design protocol for visiting vulnerable
students at home, with an emphasis upon
high attendance and overcoming the
barriers to high attendance.
Active ingredient 3
Design and implement a “return-to-school”
protocol:
• Contact South Hunsley School to discuss
their “return-to-school” protocol and then
design a “return-to-school” protocol,
working with our students, which places
the onus upon the individual student to
catch up on work missed.
Intervention Description (what?)
Training
• September training day session on the
importance of attendance for vulnerable
students.
• Monitoring activities.
• Biannually, DHT pastoral undertakes
a qualitative and quantitative survey of
vulnerable students’ attendance and
reports to SLT.
• Role play a practice visit to help hardwire
the structure of the conversation with
parents.
Monitoring activities
• HTLs track the attendance of visitees
every three weeks until Christmas and
then once every half-term.
Training
September training day session on how
the “return-to-school” protocol works,
followed by similar form group sessions and
assemblies for students.
Monitoring activities
• HPLs track the catch-up activities as part
of their regular interventions with their
vulnerable students.
• HTLs track the attendance of visitees
every three weeks until Christmas and
then once every half-term.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Short term
Fidelity:
• First-day calling 100% ecient.
• Tutors and HTLs work with SSLs proactively and
independently to intervene when vulnerable students’
attendance dips below 96%.
• Vulnerable students’ parents proactively contact school
to discuss attendance issues with the SSLs.
• Most vulnerable students actively catch up work when
returning to school.
Reach:
• Most vulnerable students aware, when asked, of the
negative impact of absence upon their academic
attainment.
• All pastoral sta more focused upon improving
vulnerable students’ attendance.
Acceptability:
• Majority of teachers do not have to chase absent
students to catch up with their work.
Medium term
Reach:
• All vulnerable students proactively improving their
attendance and catch up with work on returning to
school.
Acceptability:
• No teachers have to chase absent students to catch up
with their work.
Long term
Reach:
• Relevant school sta automatically prioritise vulnerable
students’ attendance.
Acceptability:
• Student absenteeism places no extra burden
whatsoever upon teachers.
• Improved quality of teaching: modelling and
explanations.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Short term (rst term)
• Vulnerable students’ attendance
improves.
Long term (third term)
• Vulnerable students’ attendance in-line
with all students’ attendance in all
aspects.
Medium term (second term)
• Vulnerable students’ attendance generally
in-line with all students’ attendance.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
2
IMPROVING BEHAVIOUR
Implementation Plan Example
3
Active ingredient 1
Relevant policy:
• The behaviour policy makes sense to
sta and pupils. It is used consistently
in both culture-setting and corrective
behaviour conversations.
• Roles of dierent sta (class-based,
leadership, pastoral team and others)
are clearly dened and understood.
Active ingredient 2
Eective leadership:
• Leaders set clear expectations and
enable sta to consistently follow the
behaviour policy.
• Leaders support sta to respond
appropriately where behaviour does not
meet expectations.
Active ingredient 3
Empowered sta:
• Sta are clear on the behaviour policy
and condent their colleagues, including
senior leaders, will respond to incidents
consistently.
• Sta know pupils individually and
understand their inuences and
motivations.
• Subject and pastoral leads eectively
support behaviour across departments.
Active ingredient 4
Supported students:
• Students are clear about the
expectations regarding behaviour. They
know the consequences if they do not
meet these.
• Senior leaders, class teachers and
pastoral team have precise and
accurate information about pupils’
behaviour, based on survey data and
information from other stakeholders,
e.g. school nurse.
• Individuals with high behaviour needs
receive tailored support.
Intervention Description (what?)
Policy implementation
• Policies not always
being followed. There
is variability and lack of
consistency for sta,
students and parents.
Leadership
• Sta perception survey
demonstrates they
do not feel supported
by leadership to
respond eectively
and consistently to
behaviour incidents.
Sta
• Lack of coaching
for sta to develop
their classroom
management.
• Lack of training
available to experienced
sta, middle & senior
leaders on delivering
eective coaching/
mentoring sessions to
support sta in dealing
with behaviour.
Pupils
• Lack of clarity over
expectations, rewards
and sanctions.
• ‘High needs’ provision
for those with
behavioural issues
works for some pupils
but not others.
• Pupil survey shows
many pupils feel
disconnected from or
unsupported by school.
Problem (why?)
Collaborative expectation setting
• Launch ‘Expectations’ and provide clarity
to all pupils about the standards expected.
• Half-termly assemblies promoting ethos
and behaviour expectations.
• Sta brieng to have daily reminders about
expectations (over-communicate).
Training
Leadership:
• Use the ‘Creating a Culture’ paper from
Tom Bennett to re-establish the basics for
how a leader should operate.
• Charlie Taylor behaviour checklists used
and circulated to departments.
• External training and support provided
for senior leaders using the following
framework: attention to detail, sta
engagement, consistent practices, visible
leaders, detailed expectations, clarity
of culture, high sta report, all students
matter.
• Internal CPD provided for leaders on how
to coach.
Teachers:
• Intensive work around behaviour included
in induction process (all sta for intro
year). Provide clarity on expectations as
classroom teacher, form tutor and on duty
as well as support and non-teaching sta.
Half-termly half-days for one year.
• Package of support to help sta who are
experiencing dicult classes, focused on
classroom management strategies: two
training days per half term for three half
terms.
• Instructional coaching for sta who require
additional support.
• Promote HoD involvement in sorting
behavioural issues, including seeking
tailored training for high-needs pupils.
Monitoring
• Behaviour leader to conduct weekly QA of
behaviour and pastoral processes, inviting
feedback.
• Regular Learning House meetings to
discuss pastoral issues & rearm policy.
• Create an Incident Response process
to provide clarity of roles and escalation
procedures.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Short term (3 months)
Fidelity:
• Pupils and sta demonstrate knowledge and understanding of support and
consequences if they do not meet expectations.
• QA of policy implementation demonstrates increase in consistency.
• High needs pupils identied and targeted with tailored support; gaps in high needs
provision identied.
• Incidents logged correctly.
Reach:
• Every student can name core ‘Expectations’.
• All sta have attended CPD and INSET regarding behaviour.
• All most challenging students are supported through high needs provision,
usually tailored.
Acceptability:
• Sta generally agree with the direction of travel regarding behaviour.
• Reduction in the amount of exclusions for high-needs students.
Medium term (6 months)
Fidelity:
• Sanctions and support are consistent.
• The language of ‘Expectations’ is used spontaneously by sta and pupils in
conversations about behaviour and learning.
• Middle/TLR/Senior leaders actively taking part in coaching/training sessions.
• Correct support is being oered to students, with gaps in provision addressed.
• Systems and processes being implemented eectively.
• New data is integrated eectively to adapt support packages for high needs and
at-risk pupils.
Reach:
• All Middle/TLR/Senior leaders.
• All pupils assessed as ‘high needs’ are receiving tailored support.
• Proactive tailored interventions oered to pupils at risk of needing specic support
with behaviour.
Acceptability:
• Sta see positive dierences in the classroom environments, which is improving
teaching and learning.
• The behaviour policy is felt to be feasible to implement.
• Fewer students involved in serious behavioural incidents.
Long term (12 months)
Fidelity:
Sta experience a robust and informative induction process that provides clarity over
expectations for being eective in their role.
Reach:
• All sta understand their role and access specic training.
Acceptability
• Positive feedback for induction programme.
• All new sta complete induction programme. Any new sta to post holder positions
also attend additional coaching/training.
• Sta opinion on SLT (via sta voice) starts to make signicant improvement.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Short term (3 months)
• Pupils understand the school
rules and the behaviour
expected of them.
• There are fewer incidents
of pupils challenging a sta
member on their response to
a behaviour incident.
Medium term (6 months)
• Pupils who are classed as
high needs report that they
feel supported when asked
by behaviour leader or
pastoral lead.
• More behaviour incidents are
resolved within departments,
without pupils being sent
to SLT.
• Fewer students involved in
serious behavioural incidents.
Long term (12 months)
• Pupil survey shows pupils
feel supported by and
connected to their school.
• Embedded provision for high
needs students means more
pupils remain in class with
fewer xed-term internal or
external exclusions.
• Average academic progress
of high-needs pupils begins
to increase.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
‘FLASH MARKING’– IMPROVING MARKING AND FEEDBACK IN KEY STAGE 4 ENGLISH LESSONS
Meols Cop High School - Southport
Short term
Fidelity:
• Sta demonstrate understanding of FM theory and
principles.
• Removal of grades in day-to-day feedback.
• All feedback uses FM codes.
• Success criteria and model answers use FM codes.
• Some sta able to adapt future planning to address
improvements.
Reach:
• All sta using FM codes in Year 10 lessons.
Acceptability:
• Majority of sta experience a reduction in time spent on
marking.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Medium term
• Improved student motivation and
metacognition.
• More purposeful self and peer
assessment.
• Greater awareness of required skills.
Long term
• Increased levels of progress in KS4
English and English Literature.
• Increased levels of progress at KS4
English and English Literature for
disadvantaged pupils.
Short term
• Increased student engagement with
feedback.
• Students engage with codes and
are more focussed on skill sets than
attainment grades.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
Teachers
• Teachers spend too
much time on ineective
feedback.
• Sta workload.
Learner behaviours
• Ineective self/peer
assessment.
• Feedback not developing
student metacognition.
• Lack of student
engagement with
feedback.
• Feedback demotivating
for some students.
Attainment
• Less than expected
progress at KS4 English.
Problem (why?)
Active ingredient 1
No grades:
Remove grades from day-to-day feedback.
Active ingredient 2
Codes within lessons:
Provide feedback using codes that are skill
specic, known as Flash Marking (FM).
• FM codes given as success criteria.
• FM codes used to analyse model answers.
Active ingredient 3
Personalisation and planning:
• Feedback is personalised and used to
identify individual areas for development.
• FM codes are used to inform future
planning/intervention.
Active ingredient 4
Metacognition:
• Targets for improvement are addressed in
future work that focuses on a similar skill,
identied by a FM code.
• Students justify where they have met their
previous targets by highlighting their work.
• Skill areas are interleaved throughout the
year to allow students to develop their
metacognitive skills.
Intervention Description (what?)
Training
Three training sessions over two years, attended by two sta
(including Head of English). Training is cascaded to other
members of the department.
• Session 1 - Introduction to the theory and principles.
How to embed the codes into existing practice.
• Session 2 - Moderation of work. Demonstration videos.
Using FM to develop metacognitive skills and inform curriculum
planning.
• Session 3 - Refresher for any new members of sta.
Sharing good practice.
Educational materials
• Online portal access available to share training resources and
demonstration videos.
• Webinars.
Monitoring
• Periodic moderation of work via the web portal to ensure
delity.
Coaching
• In-school support - visits, coaching, observational support,
team teaching and planning.
Implementation Activities (how?)
4
Long term
Fidelity:
• Responsive and adaptive curriculum planning.
Acceptability:
• All sta have embedded FM into all aspects of
classroom practice.
Medium term
Fidelity:
• FM codes used to ensure previous targets are acted
upon.
• Tracking sheets are used to inform future planning.
• Areas for skills development interleaved into future
curriculum planning.
Acceptability:
• All sta experience a reduction in time spent on marking
and reallocate some of this time to curriculum planning.
INTRODUCING KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS
Durrington High School - Worthing
Short term
Fidelity:
• Production of knowledge organisers for all units in Year
9 and Year 10 from September 2018.
• Knowledge organisers to incorporate knowledge that
builds student cultural capital.
• Assessments, including vocabulary assessment, match
knowledge on knowledge organisers.
• Curriculum leaders to be accountable for ensuring
knowledge organisers are used in their areas.
Reach:
• All teachers using knowledge organisers for Year 9 and
Year 10 lessons by September 2018.
Acceptability:
• Sta experience a reduction in time spent on medium-
term and lesson planning for Year 10 and Year 9.
• Clarity about knowledge to be taught in specic units.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Medium term – Year 11
(plus Year 9 and 10)
As above plus:
• All students using knowledge organisers
as part of lessons and homework/
revision.
• All students using knowledge organisers
to self-check their learning, including
inclusion of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary.
• All students engaging with knowledge
organisers as a metacognitive tool
to plan, monitor and evaluate their
learning.
Long term – All year groups
As above plus:
• All students able to independently
plan eective revision sessions using
knowledge organisers as a central
resource.
• All students experience more accurate
self-monitoring of their learning.
• Increased level of progress for
disadvantaged students (and other
identied in September analysis).
Short term – Year 9 and 10
• Increased understanding of the aims
of a knowledge organiser, including an
understanding of what is a knowledge-
based curriculum.
From September 2018:
• Increased engagement with knowledge
organisers as part of lessons and
homework.
• Students experience clarity about
knowledge they need to know by the
end of each unit.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
Teachers
• New specications require decisions
about what knowledge to teach in
restricted lesson time.
• There is a lack of cohesion and
accumulation between knowledge
taught at KS3 and KS4.
• There can be a lack of consistency
between lessons in the same
subjects regarding what knowledge
is being taught.
• There can be a lack of challenge in
lessons for all or some students.
• Curriculum Teaching Assessment
policy has an expectation of explicit
vocabulary instruction (of tier 2 and
tier 3 vocabulary) in all subjects.
Students
• Students experience dierent lesson
content dependent on teacher.
• Many students are using ineective
revision strategies.
• Students do not have a framework
or schema for organising new
information.
• There is a lack of automaticity of
knowledge making higher-order
learning less likely.
• There is a gap in tier 2 and tier 3
vocabulary knowledge between
dierent groups of students
(disadvantaged and non-
disadvantaged).
Attainment
• Attainment gap evident for
disadvantaged students when
compared to national and non-
disadvantaged students at DHS
• Overall attainment for all students
2017/2018:
+X.XX P8,
XX.X A8
XX.X% basics 5+
• Attainment for PP students
2017/2018
-X.XX P8
XX.X A8
XX.X% basics
Problem (why?)
Active Ingredient 1
Curriculum Planning:
• A knowledge organiser, based on
knowledge that will build cultural capital as
well as meet specication demands, to be
in place for every unit of work in Year 9 and
Year 10 for all subjects by September 2018.
Active Ingredient 2
Explicit Vocabulary Instruction:
• All knowledge organisers to include tier 2
and tier 3 vocabulary. This vocabulary is
taught explicitly using strategies such as
‘STI’.
Active Ingredient 3
Lesson Planning:
• All teachers of the same subject explicitly
teach the knowledge on the knowledge
organiser and go beyond this as
appropriate.
Active Ingredient 4
Assessment & Metacognition:
• Teachers to use knowledge organisers for
formative assessment strategies such as
quizzing, and students to use knowledge
organisers for monitoring of learning, for
example through self-quizzing and self-
checking of work.
Intervention Description (what?)
Mandate change
• Use of CTA policy to declare a knowledge-based
curriculum to sta and students.
• Declare knowledge organisers for Year 9 and Year 8
as a whole-school priority from September 2018.
Conduct ongoing training
• Introduction of knowledge organisers at November
INSET.
• Share examples from dierent teachers in January
and March INSET.
• Refresher for new members of sta in September
2018 INSET.
Coaching/tailor strategies
• T&L senior leaders oer in-school support with
production and use of knowledge organisers for
individual teams.
Identify and prepare champions
• Identify an individual per curriculum area who
motivates colleagues and models eective
implementation. These teachers to present at
INSETs in 2018/2019 and lead one SPDs per term
on the knowledge organiser in use for Year 9 and
Year 10.
Develop academic partners
• Partner curriculum leaders and other teachers
responsible for creating knowledge organisers
with external subject specialists, for example
departments in other schools, exam boards or
university partners, to help create and moderate
KOs.
Model change
• Share models of KOs via school VLE.
Monitoring
• Review of KOs a standing agenda item for T&L line
management meetings (last fortnight of every term).
• Line managers to review departmental use of
knowledge organisers at termly T&L reviews.
• Ongoing discussion and review of KOs at T&L
briengs with curriculum leaders.
• Periodic moderation of knowledge organisers by
SLT via VLE to ensure delity. Actions fed back to
line managers.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Medium term
Fidelity:
• Knowledge organisers used to plan and review
curriculum for Year 9 and Year 10 on an ongoing basis.
• Production of knowledge organisers for all units in Year
11 from December 2018.
Reach:
• All teachers using knowledge organisers for Year 11
teaching and revision materials by January 2019.
Acceptability:
• Sta experience a reduction in time spent on medium-
term and lesson planning for Year 11.
• Revision sessions and resources are centralised.
Long term
Fidelity:
• KOs in place for all year groups by September 2019.
• Knowledge organisers are updated as part of curriculum
reviews.
Reach:
• All teachers using knowledge organisers for all year
groups.
5
IMPROVING READING AT KS1/2
The Greetland Academy – Halifax
Short term
Fidelity:
• TAs implement NELI with accuracy and stick to agreed
timetables.
• Sta in EYFS and KS1 follow the structure for high
quality daily phonics.
• All sta demonstrate an understanding of vocabulary
instruction theory and principles.
• All sta use and apply the six strategies for
comprehension.
Reach:
• All sta use the approaches to reading and language
where appropriate in their planning.
• All learning support sta are familiar with the diagnostic
testing for reading.
Acceptability:
• TAs feel condent in delivering and assessing NELI.
• Sta condence in teaching reading increases.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Medium term
• Improved student motivation, cognition
and metacognition: students have
strategies to support comprehension.
• Pupils who have been on the NELI
programme show improved outcomes.
• Improved spellings in written work
using phonics.
• Increased evidence of sight recognition
of familiar words.
• Increased evidence of reading beyond
the classroom.
Long term
• Improved phonics outcomes in Y1.
• Improved reading outcomes at KS1
and 2.
Short term
• Increased pupil engagement and
condence in reading.
• Developing oral language skills,
including vocabulary.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
Teachers
• Subject knowledge: some sta
lack sucient knowledge of the
processes involved in the teaching
of reading: e.g. Scarborough reading
rope.
• Diagnostics/interventions: weak
identication of why children are
struggling, lack of precise diagnosis
and choice of interventions with
weak evidence.
• Consistency of practice: phonics,
mixed schemes.
Students
• Gaps in vocabulary.
• Weak application of phonics to
spelling.
• Limited sight recognition of familiar
words.
• Limited engagement with reading
beyond the classroom.
Problem (why?)
Active ingredient 1
Teaching to develop oral language:
• Oral rehearsal of written work,
modelling, identication of target tier 2
vocabulary based on text choices.
Active ingredient 2
Modelling of reading/exposure to high
quality texts:
• Adults to read aloud every day
using a range of quality ction and
non-ction texts, modelling reading
comprehension strategies where
appropriate.
Active ingredient 3
Consistency of phonics teaching:
• Implement daily teaching of phonics
in EYFS and KS1 (systematic,
responsive, engaging, adaptive,
focused) using the agreed scheme.
Active ingredient 4
Consistency of comprehension teaching:
• Explicitly teach and identify the six
comprehension strategies matched
to appropriate texts: prediction,
questioning, clarifying, summarising,
inference, activating prior knowledge.
Active ingredient 5
• Identication of pupils for oral language
intervention.
• Identify pupils who will benet from
Nueld Early language Intervention
(NELI) in reception and year 1 using
diagnostic testing.
Intervention Description (what?)
Active ingredient 1
Training:
• Whole sta training: initial 3 hour session to connect
and develop sta knowledge of the evidence base,
followed up by two further sessions over the rst two
terms. Research School to lead.
• Training for TAs in NELI intervention programme.
Active ingredient 2
Coaching:
• Follow up fortnightly coaching sessions (phase specic)
led by the English lead and SLT in the rst term to
support adoption and delity.
• As practice develops, identify sta champion to support
ongoing coaching and provide examples for others.
Active ingredient 3
Resources:
• Diagnostics suite for reading (phonological, uency
scale etc).
• NELI training and resources.
• EEF guidance reports for all sta.
Active ingredient 4
Monitoring:
• SLT: periodic learning walks, lesson observations.
• Standing item on phase meetings; sta feedback on
actions taken and impacts.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Medium term
Fidelity:
• Explicit language development is evident in lesson
planning and resources by term 2.
• Signs of improving quality of teaching and consistency
in planning and approach to Literacy.
• Sta are able to provide examples of modelling and
scaolding to support each other.
• Schemes of work evidence the use of the
comprehension strategies.
Long term
Fidelity:
• Responsive and adaptive curriculum and planning.
• Consistent, embedded approach to teaching of reading.
• Improved quality of teaching: modelling and explanations.
Acceptability:
• Sta feel condent and empowered to teach
comprehension.
6
INTRODUCING RETRIEVAL PRACTICE
Bedlington Academy – Northumberland
Short term
Fidelity:
• Shared understanding of the principles and active
ingredients of the intervention.
• All sta incorporating SMART Connect and SMART
Consolidate into lessons.
Reach:
• All sta are able to identify knowledge gaps in their
subject area across the year groups.
Acceptability:
• Sta feedback indicates that the strategy is manageable
and useful in their classroom.
Implementation Outcomes (how well?)
Medium term
• Improved student motivation, cognition
and metacognition: students have
strategies to develop memory and
recall.
• Student progress data shows
improvement in terms of assessment /
progress exam scores (by end of HT5).
Long term
• Milestone: outcomes data at GCSE
(August) shows improvement in P8 and
APS score for all student groups.
• 2018 outcomes: overall P8 +0.26, A8
43.97 (improved from -0.4 and 37.39
in 2017).
Short term
• Increased student engagement and
condence in retrieval practice.
• Improvements in subject-specic
vocabulary and core knowledge
evident.
• Students can articulate that there is
a consistent approach in lessons to
retrieval practice.
Final Outcomes (and so?)
Teachers
• Cite ‘lack of resilience and revision’
as key factors in students’
underperformance in new
examinations.
• Do not understand the evidence in
terms of cognitive science and how
retrieval practice, including spaced
retrieval and interleaving, can support
the development of memory.
• Do not incorporate time into lessons
for retrieval practice.
• Have been previously trained to
teach in methods which favour skills
over knowledge.
Students
• Lack resilience to tackle challenging
question (higher tari). This is often
due to lack of a secure knowledge.
• Are unable to apply information if
they cannot condently recall the
information.
• Need a word hoard of 50,000 to
access GCSEs. Poor vocabulary
is hindering their condence and
progress in examinations.
• Are not able to comprehend texts
and struggle with higher-level skills
such as inference and evaluation.
Attainment
• Low attainment and progress is
evident at KS4 (P8 -0.4 in 2017).
Disadvantaged pupils perform
signicantly less well than their
non-disadvantaged peers (P8 -0.53
compared with -0.29 for non-
disadvantaged).
• With bigger and more complex
qualications at every key stage, the
demands of the curriculum in terms
of knowledge (including knowledge
of academic vocabulary) have
increased. This decit is proving a
barrier to improved attainment in our
school.
Problem (why?)
Active ingredient 1
Connect to previous learning
• Introduce retrieval practice at the start of
every lesson, replacing current ‘Connect’
(starter) activity, and focusing on spaced
retrieval of information from previous
lessons.
• This phase of the lesson to last no more
than 5 minutes and to be known as ‘SMART
Connect’.
Active ingredient 2
Consolidate immediate learning
• Introduce retrieval practice at the end of
every lesson, replacing current ‘Consolidate’
(plenary) activity, and to focus on retrieval of
information from the lesson which has just
taken place.
• This phase of the lesson to last no more
than 5 minutes and to be known as ‘SMART
Consolidate’.
Active ingredient 3
Retrieve from memory
• SMART Connect and SMART Consolidate
to be closed book (from memory).
Active ingredient 4
Quizzing
• SMART activities to take the format of quiz
questions which test knowledge of factual
material, understanding of key vocabulary
or application of key knowledge. Questions
may be multiple choice, true / false or short
answer.
• Sta draw on a range of formats to present
the retrieval practice, including retrieval grids
and Powerpoint slide templates.
• Answers should be provided and students
self-check responses.
Active ingredient 5
Consistent format
• All sta to refer consistently to these lesson
phases using the terms ‘SMART Connect’
and ‘SMART Consolidate’.
• SMART logo to be displayed on board /
PPT slides during these lesson phases to
ensure recognition of these lesson phases
and metacognition of the strategies.
Intervention Description (what?)
Feasibility
• Conduct in-house RCT to test if retrieval practice
has a positive impact on vocabulary retention.
Training
• Consistent, iterative Core CPD over the course of
two years to introduce:
a. rationale for strategy
b. link to evidence
c. active ingredients of strategy
• Core CPD followed up by department CPD to
develop subject-specic examples, long term
plans and medium term plans.
Communications
• ‘Nudge’ emails and verbal reminders regularly to
address misconceptions, ensure delity and tweak
practice (2-3 weekly).
Coaching
• Year 1: in-school support from subject facilitators
and T&L Leaders.
• Year 2: Research Leads appointed to support and
provide ongoing coaching and training in priority
subject areas.
Monitoring
• Lesson drop-ins from week 2 to share good
practice and promote delity.
• Planning check to identify sta who need further
support, and implement mentoring plans when
required—half termly.
• Good practice to be shared and celebrated via a
celebration event.
Educational materials
• Logo provided for PPT slides and classroom
display.
• Copies of relevant evidence sources for all sta.
Implementation Activities (how?)
Medium term
Fidelity:
• Sta explicitly identify retrieval practice in planning.
• All sta using SMART Connect & Consolidate with
delity (by end of HT4).
• Sta are able to adapt future planning to address
knowledge gaps based on assessment of it.
• Departments are creating resources using a consistent
format to explicitly engage students in retrieval practice.
• Signs of improving quality of teaching and consistency
in planning/approach to retrieval practice.
Reach:
• Sta begin to use and share a range of practical
strategies for retrieval practice in lessons.
• Retrieval practice becomes an integral aspect of SOWs.
Long term
Fidelity:
• Responsive and adaptive curriculum and planning.
• Consistent, embedded approach to retrieval practice.
Acceptability:
• Sta feel condent and empowered to teach retrieval
practice.
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