Six more schools to become research hubs

Schools in Southport, Suffolk, London, County Durham, Hertfordshire and West Sussex will share a pot of £1.2 million to become new research hubs. 

This will take the total number of research schools to 11.

The scheme is run by the Education Endowment Foundation and aims to break down barriers between teachers and academics in a bid to boost the quality of teaching in their region.

The new research schools - which will each receive £200,000 in funding over three years – will become focal points of evidence-based practice in their region and build networks between large numbers of schools. 

They’ll develop a programme of support and events to get more teachers using research evidence in ways that make a difference in the classroom. 

Sir Kevan Collins, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation, said: “For years, the worlds of education research and classroom teaching have been too far apart. The EEF has been making research more accessible to teachers through our Teaching and Learning Toolkit. 

“Research Schools are breaking down these barriers even more so that research doesn’t stay in the pages of academic journals but has a real impact on classroom practice. Putting teachers in the driving seat can make all the difference.”