Exploring Research-Led
Approaches to Increasing
Pupil Learning
Steve Higgins
s.e.higgins@durham.ac.uk
School of Education, Durham University
Addressing the Impact of Disadvantage
Making effective use
of the Pupil Deprivation Grant
3rd July 2013 – Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Sutton Trust/EEF Teaching and Learning
Toolkit
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Why we wrote it
Best ‘buys’ on average
Key messages for implementing the
Pupil Premium
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit
The pupil premium
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Aims:
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to close the attainment ‘gap’ between the highest and
lowest achieving
to increase social mobility
to enable more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
to get to the top Universities
to provide additional resource to schools to do this
Was £600 in 2012-13 for fsm1 pupils; increased to
£900 in 2013-14 and perhaps £1200 in 2014-15.
1
any child registered for fsm in the last six years and all looked after children
Resources
and learning
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More money ≠
more learning
Above a minimum threshold – no simple link
Conclusion: spending more won’t guarantee
improvement - no simple solution
The Bananarama Principle
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It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it…
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So how do you spend £900/child to “get results”?
Or, what does the evidence say is a good
investment or a poor investment for learning?
It ain’t what you spend it’s the way that you
spend it…
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What we tried to do
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Summarise the evidence from meta-analysis about
the impact of different strategies on learning (tested
attainment).
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Apply quality criteria to evaluations: rigorous designs
only
Estimate the size of the effect
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As found in research studies
These are averages
Standardised Mean Difference = ‘Months of gain’
Estimate the costs of adopting
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Information not always available
Best ‘buys’...
New entry
Toolkit
Good ‘buys’...
New entry
Toolkit
Low range ...
Toolkit
Worst ‘buys’...
(on average)
Revised entry
New entry
Toolkit
Average Effects
0.8
0.6
0.2
Effect size
0.4
0
-0.2
Toolkit
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Approaches
Effect Size (potential months gain)
Overview of value for money
1.0
Promising
Feedback
Meta-cognition
Peer tutoring
Homework
(Secondary)
Phonics
Could be
worth it
1-1 tutoring
Summer
schools
Parental
involvement
Digital
technology
Individualised
learning
0
£0
Ability grouping
EY intervention
Performance
pay
Cost per pupil
Smaller
classes
After
school
Needs
careful
thought
Teaching
assistants
£1000
Key messages
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Some things that are popular or widely thought
to be effective are hard to make work well for
learning
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Ability grouping (setting); After-school clubs;
Deployment of teaching assistants; Performance pay
Some things look ‘promising’
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Effective feedback; Meta-cognition and self regulation
strategies; Early years intervention; Peer tutoring;
Small group/intensive tuition; Parental involvement
and engagement
The challenges : making it work for you
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This is what has worked (on average)
Where is there leverage for improvement in your
school?
How will it build capacity?
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For learners?
For teachers?
For schools?
Is it inclusive?
For disadvantaged /struggling learners…
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One ‘intervention’ won’t be enough
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Identify areas of greatest need
Clear focus on improving learning, not (just) behaviour
Mid and high attaining learners can be disadvantaged
too!
Effects will need to be cumulative
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What will build learning capacity and capability?
Need to track and evaluate – our best guesses are not
always good enough
Evaluate impact
EEF’s DIY Evaluation Guide:
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/library/diy-evaluation-guide
Establishing a baseline
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Teacher assessment vs standardised tests?
Individual progress vs comparison group?
Test score increase or age-standarised progress?
Evidence suggests TA tends to over-estimate
progress BUT reliance on standardised tests
narrows the curriculum and encourages test
preparation
One-to-one
SEAL
Behaviour
Small group tuition
Phonics
Parent involvement
Early years intervention
TA support
Feedback
Meta-cognition
Self regulation
Peer tutoring
But remember….
 “It
ain’t what you do, it’s the way
that you do it… that’s what gets
results”
Effective identification
 High quality intervention/support
 Evaluate to ensure learning progress
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Some Links
The full report can be found on the EEF’s website:
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/
The toolkit is recommended by the Department for Education:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium/b00200492/ppstrat
egies
Official information about the Pupil Premium and LA allocations is available at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/sc
hoolsrevenuefunding/a00200697/pupil-premium-2012-13
Ofsted’s report is available at: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/pupil-premium
Find out how much your school gets:
http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit/pupil-premium-calculator
DIY Evaluation Guide: http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/library/diyevaluation-guide