Research School Network: Don’t forget to look at the additional downloads! Getting so much more out of the Guidance Reports

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) now have a suite of 17 guidance reports which can be found here. These reports are a great place to start when you are looking for relevant evidence from a trusted source because they present the research to you in an easy to digest manner. Each guidance report is separated into a number of recommendations and then each recommendation is explained in further detail in the report. However the mistake that most people make is to just download the guidance report and leave it at that, but alongside each guidance report are additional resources to help to support you in your exploration of the evidence.

Take the latest version of ​‘Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2’ it has a few additional resources to download that are linked to the material inside the guidance report. One of those additional downloads are the vignettes that appear in the report and can be found here.

Taken from the preamble of the resource itself,

The vignettes include prompt questions for school leaders and teachers. These aim to encourage reflection on the scenarios presented and on readers’ own existing practices around supporting the development of their pupils’ literacy skills. The vignettes seek to represent common challenges faced by educators: not best practice, nor poor practice.

I can see these examples as being a great starter in a staff meeting to generate discussion about the issue presented. It would enable colleagues to be open and honest in their responses as the example is a common, but not personal, one. The vignette around ​‘language capabilities’ (shown below) could be used to unpick some of the key principles that are necessary in building vocabulary and address some of the pitfalls that colleagues might find themselves in.

Additionally, alongside the Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning guidance report is a brilliant school audit tool that guides you to assess your school as red, amber or green in three different areas: whole school approach to curriculum and teaching, teacher knowledge and pupil knowledge and behaviour. This can be used as a starting point if you are beginning to explore using metacognitive strategies in more detail.

Remember, the guidance reports are great but don’t forget to look at the additional downloads!

Sarah Izon

Director of Aspirer Research School