They are joined by Professor Camilla Gilmore (Professor of Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University and Curriculum Specialist at Maths Horizons), Dr Helen Drury, (Dean of Maths Education at Purposeful Ventures and Co-Lead at Maths Horizons), and practitioners Tom Pole (Director of Tudor Grange Research School and Associate Principal at Tudor Grange Academy) and Mike Williams  (Maths lead and Year 6 teacher at Alexandra Park primary school).

Together, they draw on insights from research and the classroom to unpack what effective problem solving looks like, and why giving all pupils opportunities to tackle rich mathematical tasks is important. 

Guest speakers:

• Professor Camilla Gilmore (Professor of Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University and Curriculum Specialist at Maths Horizons) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-gilmore 
• Dr Helen Drury (Dean of Maths Education at Purposeful Ventures and Co-Lead at Maths Horizons) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-drury/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/company/maths-horizons/ 
• Tom Pole (Director of Tudor Grange Research School and Associate Principal at Tudor Grange Academy) LinkedIn: LinkedIn - @Tudor Grange Research School; Bluesky - @tgresearchsch.bsky.social
• Mike Williams (Maths lead and Year 6 teacher at Alexandra Park primary school) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-williams-2021bb413/; X: https://x.com/mikewteach?s=21

Resources

• Education Endowment Foundation (2021) Improving mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3 Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: EEF-Improving-Mathematics-in-Key-Stages-2-and-3-2022-Update.pdf
• Education Endowment Foundation (2021) Improving mathematics in Early Years and Key Stage 1 Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: EEF_Maths_EY_KS1_Guidance_Report.pdf
• Education Endowment Foundation (2025) Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning: Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning - Guidance report | Education Endowment Foundation

Further resources:

• Maths Horizons problem-solving and reasoning resources
• EEF blog, Using worked examples to support mathematical problem-solving
• EEF blog, Thinking Aloud to support mathematical problem-solving

Episode Transcript

Maths: prioritising problem solving | Evidence into Action

Joined by David Robinson (Education Policy Institute), Ruth Kendrick (Group Director of Teaching and Learning, New City College) and Emma Mills (Head of Teaching and Learning Development, Truro and Penwith College), they unpack what the evidence says about widening attainment and participation gaps, including the growing post-16 participation gap and what leaders can do in different contexts.

The conversation focuses on practical actions that highlight high-quality, evidence-informed teaching and professional development, remove hidden costs and structural barriers, and prioritise belonging so learners can access and thrive.

Guest speakers:

• David Robinson (Director of Post 16 and Skills, Education Policy Institute   EPI)
• Ruth Kendrick (Group Director of Teaching and Learning, New City College)
• Emma Mills (Head of Teaching and Learning Development, Truro and Penwith College)

Resources:

• EPI (2024) Closing the Forgotten Gap: Implementing a 16-19 Student Premium. London: Education Policy Institute. Available at: Closing the Forgotten Gap: Implementing a 16-19 Student Premium - Education Policy Institute 
• EPI (2025) Annual report 2025: Disadvantage. London: Education Policy Institute. Available at: Education Policy Institute | Annual report - Disadvantage  
• EPI (2025) Annual report 2025: Regional Gaps. London: Education Policy Institute. Available at: Education Policy Institute | Annual report - Regional gaps 

Further resources:

• Find the EEF’s 16-19 hub
• Sign up to EEF’s 16-19 newsletters. 
• Explore EEF’s Effective Professional Development guidance. 
• Find out more about the EEF’s Evidence Partner Colleges. 

See here for the episode transcript - Exploring disadvantage in 16–19 settings | Evidence into Action

Guest speakers:

• Dr Beverley Jennings (EEF Programme Manager)
• Tom Colquhoun (Director of Somerset Research School and Assistant Headteacher at The Blue School, Wells) BlueSky: @somersetrs.bsky.social; Instagram: @somersetresearchschool; LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/somerset-research-school-134400386
• Emily Smeaton (Director of North Yorkshire Coast Research School and Lecturer in ITE at York St John University) X: @NYCResearchSch; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-yorkshire-coast-research-school

Further resources:

•  Education Endowment Foundation (2024) Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning: Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/metacognition - Education Endowment Foundation (2024) ‘Updated EEF guide to metacognition and self-regulation’, EEF News, 21 November. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/updated-eef-guide-to-metacognition-and-self-regulation

Resources:

• EEF’s Metacognitive strategies
• EEF’s Scaffold pupil’s use of metacognition EEF’s Promoting metacognitive talk

Transcript: Metacognition: Moving forward with new evidence | Transcript

Guest Speakers:

• Mandy Senior (Assistant Principal- Thomas Rotherham College, Trust improvement partner- Inspire Learning Trust)
• Sue Smith (Learning and Development Manager, East Lancashire Learning Group)

Further resources

• EEF’s 16-19 hub with the latest news and links to key resources, and for further insights into our Evidence Partnership colleges.  
• EEF’s Effective professional development guidance for 16-19 settings
• EEF’s KEEP framework (knowledge, engagement, execution, practice)
• EEF’s schools guide to implementation – very relevant also to 16-19 settings. 

Sign up for EEF’s 16-19 newsletter here. 

Guest Speakers:

• Natalie Ohene (EEF Senior Policy Manager), LinkedIn 
• Lisa Wise (Headteacher of Wilbury Primary School and Executive Lead for School Improvement at Children First Academy Trust) @WilburyPrimary @ChildrenFirstAT
• Stuart Mayle (Headteacher of Brambles Primary Academy) LinkedIn Tees Valley Education LinkedIn

Further resources

• Verian project report, Understanding Pupil Premium spending in schools
• The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium
• The EEF Guide to the Early Years Pupil Premium
• For more support, get in touch with your local Research School

They are joined by expert Gary Aubin who discusses the role of TAs in supporting children with SEND, followed by practitioners who reflect on effective TA deployment in their settings:

• EEF, Deployment of Teaching Assistants Guidance Report (Updated March 2025)
• EEF Teaching & Learning Toolkit strand on Teaching Assistant Interventions
• DfE, Use of teaching assistants in schools Research report (September 2024)
• RSN Blog by Claire Akroyd, Intentional deployment of Teaching Assistants; an integral component of inclusion
• RSN Blog by Sam Smithies, Supporting Independence: A Learning Support Assistant’s Reflection and Growth

• EEF, Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 Guidance Report (November 2021)
• EEF, Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools Guidance Report (July 2019)
• EEF blog, What does the evidence base tell us about effective oral language practice?
• EEF blog, From talk to text: integrating oral language within writing instruction
• EEF blog, Building strong readers: why oral language is the foundation of the reading house

They speak to Dr Sue Gifford to discuss the research evidence around the use of manipulatives and are then joined by practitioners from both primary and secondary schools to find out the benefits of using manipulatives in their settings.

• Dr Sue Gifford (Early Childhood Maths Group)
• Emma Barker (Assistant headteacher and maths lead, Amberley Primary School; Primary Mastery Specialist and Lead Specialist for Great North Maths Hub) @MissEBarker
• Guy Carpenter (Director of Research and Innovation, Dudley Academies Trust) @gcarp567 www.linkedin.com/in/guy-carpenter-192560305

Further resources

• EEF, Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 Guidance Report (October 2021)
• EEF, Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3 Guidance Report (November 2022)
• EEF blog, Myth-busting mathematical manipulatives
• EEF blog, Five ways manipulatives can be used to develop mathematical understanding
• EEF guest blog by Emma Barker, Manipulatives: a window into pupils' mathematical thinking 

• Dr Cat Scutt (Deputy Chief Executive, Education and Research, Chartered College of Teaching)
• Sarah Cottinghatt (Professional development consultant and instructional coach)
• Dr Sally Riordan (Associate Professor of Social Policy Research, Northeastern University London) 

Further resources

• Metacognition Guidance Report
• Engaging with Evidence report

Further resources

• EEF, Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning Guidance Report (October 2021)
• EEF Blog, The ShREC approach
• EEF, Vocabulary in Action tool (based on Beck model)
• EEF, Using Research Evidence: A Concise Guide (January 2024)
• Research Schools Network Clips from the Classroom

• Damilola Ajagbonna (Deputy Headteacher, Hitchin Boys’ School)
• Dr Cat Scutt (Deputy Chief Executive, Education and Research, Chartered College of Teaching)
• Sarah Cottinghatt (Professional development consultant and instructional coach)
• Dr Sally Riordan (Senior Research Fellow, UCL)

In this episode, Harry meets with his mentor from when he was an ECT to discuss what ECTs must master first upon entering the profession, what good mentoring can involve, and how to stay present and motivated as a teacher, accompanied by insights from a panel of experts.

Further Resources: 

• EEF Breakfast Interventions: Rapid Evidence Assessment (August 2024)
• TES, How to Build an Effective Breakfast Club: What the Research Says (August 2024)
• To find out more about the Magic Breakfast Early Adopters Scheme: Early Adopters Scheme - Magic Breakfast
• School Food Matters | School Food Matters

• Dr Tom Perry, Associate Professor, University of Warwick (Start - 24:10)
• Rachel Wilson, Year 6 teacher & Deputy Research Director of Norwich Research School (24:10 - 37:50)
• Mark Miller, Director of Bradford Research School, Dixons Academies Trust (37:50 - End)

Further Resources: 

• Cognitive Science Approaches in the Classroom: a Review of  the Evidence (summary)
• EEF Podcast: Cognitive Science in the Classroom
• The Processes of Memory: A brief explainer
• Cognitive Load Theory: A brief explainer

• Jonathan Sharples, Associate Professor, EEF (Start - 28:23)
• Phil Stock, Director of Greenshaw Research School (28:23 - 49:27)
• Laura Spence, Director of Gloucestershire Research School (49:27 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF, A School’s Guide to Implementation guidance report (Updated April 2024)
• Engage and Unite: moving beyond buy-in – blog from Greenshaw Research School

• Prof Rob Coe, Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education, EEF Senior Associate (3:10 - 30:03)
• Sean Harris, Lead for Research Improvement and Innovation at Tees Valley Education Trust (30:03 - 48:33) 
• Claire Williams, Deputy Headteacher of Alexandra Park Primary School and Director of Alexandra Park Research School (48:33 - End)

Further Resources: 

• EEF Using Research Evidence – a concise guide (Published January 2024)
• Research School Network
• The COM-B Model for behaviour change – an explainer from The Decision Lab

• Owen Carter, Director at ImpactEd (Start - 19:48)
• Jane Elsworth, Director of Huntington Research School (19:48 - 41:28)
• Oliver Kerr, Headteacher of Old Moat Primary School, Manchester (41:28 - End)

Further Resources:

• Impact Ed: Understanding Attendance report
• EEF Supporting School Attendance webpage
• EEF’s Attendance intervention rapid evidence review 2022

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

• Sarah Earle, Reader in Education, Bath Spa University (Start - 28:14)
• Ben Rogers, Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Paradigm Trust (28:14 - 47:21)
• Mikaela Moore, Director of Primary Science, Delta Academy Trust (47:21 - End)

Further Resources:

• Improving primary science guidance report, Education Endowment Foundation (Published November 2023)
• Guidance and resources to support teaching and assessment, Teacher Assessment in Primary Science (TAPS)
• Explorify resources

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

• Dr Rebecca Montacute, Head of Research and Policy, Sutton Trust (Start - 30:32)
• Marc Rowland, Pupil Premium Adviser, Unity School’s Partnership (30:32 - 53:26)
• Gill Fearns, Director, Lancashire Research School (53:26 - End)

Further Resources:

• Contextual Admissions, Sutton Trust
• The COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study
• Elitist Britain, Sutton Trust
• The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium, Education Endowment Foundation (Updated September 2024)

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

• Claudia Coussins, Deputy Head of Early Years - Policy and Practice, Anna Freud Centre (Start - 20:45)
• Ruth Coleman, Headteacher, Highfield Nursery School (20:45 - 38:44)
• Louise Jackson, Independent Consultant, Author, Trainer and Teacher, Wye Early Years (38:44 - End)

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and make sure you subscribe there.

Further Resources:

• EEF Early Years Hub
• Since this episode was recorded there have been updates to the Early Years Evidence Store, including the Personal, Social & Emotional Development theme, the Self-Regulation & Executive Function theme and the ‘Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing in the early years’ guide.

    

   

• Gary Aubin, EEF Associate content specialist for SEND and Head of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at Future Academies (3:10 - 23:47)
• Rebecca Gonyora, Director of Inclusion (MAT) Every Child, Every Day Academy Trust and Deputy Regional SEN Lead for East of England and East London (WSS) (23:47 - 43:07)
• Jon Eaton, Director of Kingsbridge Research School and Research Lead at Kingsbridge Community College (43:07 - End

For quick and easy access to future episodes, search for 'Evidence into Action' in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts and subscribe.

Further reading

• EEF’s Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools guidance report
• EEF resource: reflecting on your practice
• EEF blog: Assess, adjust, adapt – what does adaptive teaching mean to you?
• EEF blog: Moving from ‘differentiation’ to ‘adaptive teaching’
• Whole School SEND

• Professor John Dunlosky, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Science of Learning Center at Kent State University (Start - 34:16)
• Jo Ashcroft, CEO of the CLIC Trust (34:16 - 49:34)
• Freya Morrissey, Head of English at Teign School (49:34 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning Guidance Report (Published April 2018)

• Professor Jessie Ricketts, Director of Language and the reading acquisition research group for the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London (Start - 27:25)
• Marcus Jones, Literacy Lead at Huntington Research School and English Teacher (27:25 - 50:32)
• Host and co-host reflections (50:32 - End)

Further Resources:

• EEF Vocabulary in Action Classroom Strategies Resource
• EEF Vocabulary in Action: Misconceptions Resource
• EEF Blog, Through the Keyhole of the Reading House, Part 1: Vocabulary, Comprehension and Word Reading

Guests include:

• Prof Victoria Murphy, Director of the Department of Education & Professor of Applied Linguistics, University of Oxford (Start - 27:45)
• Diana Sutton, The Bell Foundation (27:45 - 42:27)
• Karl Rogerson, Principal of Billesley Primary School and Director of Billesley Research School (42:27 - End)

• Nick Brook, Deputy General Secretary at NAHT and Chair of the School Improvement Commission (Start - 24:00)
• Asima Iqbal, Vice Principal of Billesley Research School (24:00 - 40:50)
• Alex Samways, Director of Research School and Teaching School Hub, Unity Schools Partnership (41:02 - End)

• Prof. David Putwain of Liverpool John Moores University (Start – 26.55);
• Sadie Thompson, Deputy Director of HISP Research School and Modern Foreign Language teacher (26.55 – 40.23); and
• Simon Cox, Director of Blackpool Research School and Maths teacher (40.23– End).

• Kate Cain, Professor of Language and Literacy Development at Lancaster University (Start – 30:25);
• Caroline Bilton, Deputy Headteacher at Cragside C of E Primary School (30:25 – 36:50); and
• James Siddle, Primary School Headteacher and Director of Kyra Research School (36:50– End).

Further Resources:

• This episode is the counterpart to a previous episode on teaching reading fluency, which featured Professor Tim Rasinski, Julie Phazey and Louise Quinn.
• EEF Improving Literacy in KS2 Guidance Report (Published November 2021)
• EEF Blog, The 'Reading Comprehension House' and foundations that support word reading

• Tim Rasinski, Professor of Literacy Education and author of “The Megabook of Fluency” (Start – 29:50);
• Julie Phazey, Primary School Headteacher (29:50 – 39:52); and
• Louise Quinn, Secondary School Deputy Headteacher and Senior Leader in Education (39:52 – End).

Further Resources:

• The EEF Reading Fluency Glossary
• EEF Blog, Why Focus on Reading Fluency?

• Harry Fletcher-Wood, author and researcher at Teacher Tapp (Start – 22:09);
• Helen Bellinger, Director of Doncaster Research School (22:09 – 38:00); and
• Tom Martell, Director of Shotton Hall Research School (38:00 – End).

Further Resources:

• EEF Effective Professional Development Guidance Report (Published October 2021) and additional tools 

• Professor Steve Higgins, lead author of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit and Professor of Education at Durham University (Start – 28:09);
• Sarah Green, Assistant Headteacher, National Oracy Leader, Evidence Lead in Education and EEF Literacy Content Specialist and Julie Kettlewell, Assistant Director of Huntington Research School, Memory and Metacognition specialist, Psychology teacher and EEF Content Specialist for Learning Behaviours (28:09 – End).

Further Resources:

• EEF's Teaching and Learning Toolkit
• Additional support resources for the Toolkit 

Regular host Alex Quigley is joined by assistant headteacher and literacy specialist Caroline Bilton, in discussion with:

• Dr Thomas Perry, lead author on the EEF’s recent ‘Cognitive Science in the Classroom’ evidence review, educational researcher and lecturer at the University of Birmingham (Start – 28:09); and
• Mark Miller, Headteacher at Bradford Research School and Dixons Trinity Academy. (28:09 – End)

Regular host Alex Quigley is joined by Joe Collin, EEF programmes manager, in discussion with:

• Our team of Content Specialists: Assistant Headteacher and EEF Literacy Specialist Caroline Bilton, secondary school chemistry teacher and EEF Science Specialist Dr Niki Kaiser, and secondary school maths teacher and EEF Maths Specialist Simon Cox; (Start – 21:44);
• Clare Christie, primary school maths teacher and Specialist Leader of Education; (21:44 – 39:41); and
• Corinne Settle, Senior Education Lead at SSAT. (39:41 – End)

Further resources:

• EEF Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning Guidance Report (Published June 2021)
• EEF Blog, Using Evidence to Deliver Feedback Effectively 

• Gillian West, Lecturer at the University of Oxford Department of Education; & Claudine Bowyer-Crane, Associate Research Director at the National Institute of Economic & Social Research (NIESR) explore the development of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), along with the research on the impact of the Covid pandemic on young children. (Start – 38:12);
• Caroline Coyne, Joanne Burr & Rhian Owen - all part of Communicate SLT CIC - discuss the Leading Language and Loving It programme and approach. (38:13 – 55:34); and
• Charlotte Hardwick, a teaching assistant at Settrington Primary School and Rebecca Austwick, headteacher at Bentley High St Primary in Doncaster, explore the process of developing pupils' oral language and implementing NELI successfully in schools. (55:35 – End)

• Professor Kate Nation, experimental psychologist and expert on language and literacy development in school children, explains the process of learning to comprehend text; (Start – 19:43);
• Hydeh Fayez, Year 5 teacher and evidence lead in education, highlights the importance of exposing children to high-quality texts; (19:48 – 31:41); and
• Stella Jones, Director of Teaching and Learning at Tower End Associate Research School, describes her school’s approach to improving pupils’ reading fluency. (31:48 – End)

Further resources:

• EEF Improving Literacy in KS2 Guidance Report (Published November 2021) and additional tools

• Simon Cox, EEF maths specialist and current secondary school teacher, discusses how maths teaching has changed in recent years and the importance of assessment (Start – 15:07);
• Craig Barton, author and educational podcaster, highlights the importance of misconceptions and how they can be effectively tackled; (15:08 – 41:47); and
• Fliss James, Early Years teacher at East London Research School, Specialist Lead and Evidence Lead in Education, explains how to cultivate a deep, holistic understanding of early mathematical concepts. (41:48 – End)

Further resources:

• EEF, Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and KS1 Guidance Report (Published January 2020)

Host, EEF National Content Manager, Alex Quigley, is joined by expert guests including:

• Natalie Perrera, Executive Director and Head of Research at the Education Policy Institute
• Professor Becky Francis, the CEO of the EEF
• Sonia Thompson, the headteacher of St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, in Birmingham.

Resources and links: 

• The EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium (Updated September 2024) and associated resources