Research School Network: Developing Independent Learners: What Can Colleges and Sixth Forms Do? Approaches with the strongest evidence for developing independence among 16 – 19 learners

Another summer has come to an end and with that pupils of all ages will be grappling with the transition process that the start of a new academic year brings. Arguably one of the most challenging points of transition emerges for our outgoing year 11 pupils; only a few months ago they were arriving at school in their uniforms and for the most part they were swept along with broadly similar timetables, contact time with teachers and familiar peer networks. These young people are now selecting their own destinations and pathways as they embark on the next stage of their education journey and with that there are often greater expectations around managing their learning, engaging with their studies, and planning and managing their work (EEF, 2026). As a History and Politics teacher, and Post 16 form tutor, my timetable was often spent with young people grappling with these expectations and assumptions that their independent learning skills had developed over the summer months. 

Independence, however, is something we need to teach rather than simply expect. 

Refinements to pedagogy and practice are needed with the UK and international literature stressing that the promotion of independent learning necessitates a whole-school approach (Wilson, 2000; Artelt et al., 2003). 

Evidence-informed approaches to teaching and learning can help colleges and sixth-forms focus effort where it is most likely to improve outcomes. Developing independent learning capabilities matters for all learners, but it may be particularly important when considering how we support learners experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. We should be cautious about assuming that every young person enters post-16 education with the same prior experiences, resources or opportunities to develop the behaviours associated with independent study. In the 16 – 19 phase, 31 per cent of students were defined as disadvantaged in 2025, based on their free school meal eligibility between reception and year 11. The national attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their peers at the end of 16 – 19 education stood at 3.4 grades in 2025, slightly wider than in 2019 (EPI, 2026). This equates to more than a full grade per subject and reinforces the importance of identifying evidence-informed approaches that can improve learning and outcomes.

The latest EEF resource​‘Developing Independent Learners’ focuses on three approaches with the strongest evidence base for 16 – 19 learners; metacognition, feedback and collaborative learning. Here, we focus on collaborative learning and consider the deliberate decisions teachers can make to ensure working with others develops, rather than diminishes, learner independence.

Effective collaborative learning is deliberately designed so that all learners think carefully, develop their own explanations, and take responsibility for their own learning. It is distinct from unstructured group work where learners are simply placed into groups (EEF, 2026). The evidence for collaborative learning for 16 – 19 learners has been identified from twenty-two relevant studies with an average impact measure of an additional five months. Effective collaborative learning is not simply a matter of placing learners into groups. It requires deliberate design so that every learner is expected to think and take responsibility for their learning. This means that the quality of collaborative learning is shaped by teacher decisions at every stage: before, during and after learners work together.

The Before – During – After framework provides a simple way to make these decisions visible.

For leaders, this raises an important implementation question: to what extent do colleagues share an understanding of what effective collaborative learning looks like in practice? Professional development can provide opportunities to unite around a shared understanding, while recognising that collaborative learning will look different across the wide range of subjects and disciplines offered within colleges and sixth forms. 

For colleagues working with 16 – 19 learners, you may be interested in The Evidence Partnership. This is a new collaborative initiative to help colleges across England access, understand, and apply research evidence to their teaching and learning. The partnership brings together further education and sixth form colleges to champion the use of evidence to improve progress and outcomes – with a focus on socio-economically disadvantaged learners. 

The partnership is made up of six colleges, each serving its local community while offering a broad curriculum to learners. Together, they bring valuable insights from a range of local contexts. This diversity forms a strong foundation for collaboration and this will enable the EEF and Research Schools to explore the priorities of the 16 – 19 sector.

You can find out more information about the Evidence Partnership, the members and other resources relevant to 16 – 19 settings here.

References

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2026) Developing Independent Learners. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/16 – 19/developing-independent-learners

Education Policy Institute (EPI) (2026) Annual Report 2026: Disadvantage. London: Education Policy Institute. Available at: Education Policy Institute – Disadvantage

Meyer, B., Haywood, N., Sachdev, D. and Faraday, S. (2008) Independent Learning: Literature Review. Research Report DCSF-RR051. London: Department for Children, Schools and Families.