: ‘Pause and fix’, Using the EEF Check.Adapt framework to gather real time evidence and add immediate support. ‘Pause and fix’, Using the EEF Check.Adapt framework to gather real time evidence and add immediate support.

Although the start of a new school term is the perfect time to set priorities for the year ahead, it is always refreshing to discover a resource that is both easy to implement and has an immediate impact on teaching and learning. The EEF’s Check. Adapt framework is a practical way for teachers to use real-time observations of pupils to inform their next steps.

By helping teachers identify misconceptions and respond with timely adaptations, the resource supports inclusive teaching that enables all students to access learning, while maintaining high expectations for everyone.

At Hathershaw, our teaching and learning priority is to develop how we use evidence informed, formative assessment strategies that allows teachers to effectively monitor and adapt learning. We use active observation (Doug Lemov’s, Teach Like a Champion) to continually check students progress throughout the lesson, which allows us to immediately identify and respond to any potential misconceptions. Strategically making these checks during the lesson, rather than waiting to ​‘correct’ finished work, ensures that feedback happens in real time and allows teachers to actively respond to what they have observed.

When embedding our use of active observation an obvious challenge is what happens if some students understand the work and others do not? Combining active observation with the Check. Adapt framework supports teachers in deciding the best way to address misconceptions with some students, whilst ensuring that others can continue with their learning.

The simplicity of the one page guide, means that the document can be quickly referred to and used to guide next steps when planning, delivering or reviewing a lesson. The menu approach of the Check.Adapt framework provides three clear pathways: ​’most misunderstand’ so ​‘pause and fix’, ​‘some are unsure’ so ​‘adapt and support’, and ​‘most understand’ so ​‘extend and support’ so teachers know how to react when student understanding varies.

Once teachers have used targeted formative assessment strategies and observations to establish students’ level of understanding the ​‘adapt and move learning forward’ section can be used to decide on the next step with immediate strategies such as re-teaching, adding scaffolds and building additional depth. Each pathway provides multiple examples of suggested approaches that can be used with individual students or whole class groups depending on the pupils’ understanding.

​‘Although the resource is set out in three pathways, the suggested approaches aren’t fixed to one route. Classrooms are rarely that simple. Many approaches can be useful across different situations, depending on what pupils show you.’ Corrine Settle, EEF Interim Senior Content and Engagement Manager.

Combining active observation with the Check.Adapt resource also supports teachers in targeting priority groups and those who may face educational disadvantage. Planning for when students will be ​‘visited’ during the lesson supports inclusion and can help increase students’ feeling of belonging. It guarantees that ​‘everyone is heard’ as teachers systematically circulate the room and actively plan, record and respond to their lesson visits.

This real time responsiveness, when checking for understanding, ensures that assessment moves beyond simple data gathering and instead allows teachers to respond to their observations and make small, high impact adjustments. Developing a consistent use of the Check.Adapt resource as part of our formative assessment and adaptive teaching strategy also provides a shared language of adaptation and helps clarify to teachers and support staff that adaptive teaching is about responsive, in the moment scaffolding and prompting rather than planning separate lessons for individual students.

​‘The resource supports professional judgement. It offers possibilities, not a formula or tick box, so teachers can choose how best to act on what pupils show. In busy classrooms with curriculum pressures, it’s not always easy to pause and adjust, but those small, well-timed moves can make a bigger difference to pupils over time.’ Corrine Settle, EEF Interim Senior Content and Engagement Manager.

Creating a culture that moves away from individual differentiation also helps to develop a shared understanding that the learning intentions for disadvantaged students should be consistent with other students in the class and that high expectations should be held for all.

Using active observation alongside the Check. Adapt framework supports a consistent learning outcome for all students, while enabling teachers to check understanding and respond appropriately. This responsive approach can help ensure that all students are able to access the same learning, with the support they need to make progress.