The projects are part of the EEF’s work to build the evidence base and give the education sector trustworthy information about how to boost outcomes.
The projects, which are mainly focused on the themes of writing and secondary maths, use different approaches to improving outcomes. These include peer-to-peer coaching to build maths skills in secondary school pupils, and professional development for reception class teachers to support early maths skills through play and structured activities. Each project has been selected because of its potential impact on the attainment of socio-economically disadvantaged pupils and will be independently evaluated to give a reliable estimate of its impact.
The EEF is recruiting 1,500 schools and settings across England to take part in these new projects and help build the evidence base. Signing up gives schools the opportunity to access promising education approaches at a heavily reduced cost, many of which include high-quality professional development and resources. Since 2011, three-quarters of all state-funded schools in England have taken part in at least one EEF-funded project.
In one of the new projects, Rehearsal Room Writing, teachers will receive five training sessions with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-Upon-Avon, where they will learn how to use the same techniques that RSC actors use in rehearsals to unlock texts and bring them to life. The programme builds on the RSC’s recent Time to Act research which investigated the link between teachers using the RSC’s rehearsal techniques and improvements in children’s language and writing skills.
Teachers will learn how to use these techniques with their Year 5 pupils to support their writing. To help them interpret the plot, characters, themes, and language of Shakespeare, teachers might use games, freeze frames, soundscapes, character profiles, and pictures to explore the key themes in the text, and help their pupils to develop their own written responses.
For example, pupils might be encouraged to imagine themselves as the shipwrecked Ferdinand from the beginning of The Tempest, writing a message in a bottle that asks to be rescued.
The EEF is calling on schools and early years settings to ‘search your school’ to learn more about the programmes on offer and register interest to take part.
Emily Yeomans, co-CEO at The Education Endowment Foundation, said:
Take part in an EEF project
We’re recruiting education settings in England to take part in trials of high-potential programmes.
We’re also subsidising programmes that have previously shown to have a positive impact on outcomes, so more can benefit.
Full list of new projects
Secondary
Action Tutoring: Action Tutoring’s secondary maths programme provides small group tutoring for Years 7, 10 and 11, aimed to support students in achieving a grade 4 or higher in GCSE maths.
Peer-to-Peer coaching: Developed by CoachBright, Peer-to-Peer Coaching aims to empower Year 7 pupils to improve their maths attainment by pairing them with Year 10 students. Over 10 weeks, trained peer coaches deliver one-to-one sessions, focusing on metacognitive strategies and tackling challenging maths topics.
Making Fluent and Flexible Calculators: Delivered by HFL Education, Making Fluent and Flexible Calculators is a whole class intervention that runs alongside the KS3 curriculum. The programme focuses on addressing foundational gaps in maths knowledge for Year 7 pupils with low prior attainment, supporting them to develop mental maths skills through targeted teaching strategies, over-learning practice, and comprehensive teacher training.
Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics: Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics, developed by The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), is a professional development course to enhance subject knowledge and pedagogical skills among non-specialist KS3 teachers of maths.
Primary
The Power of Reading: Delivered by the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, The Power of Reading is a reading and writing programme that trains teachers and supports schools to develop a high quality English curriculum
Writing Roots: Delivered by Literacy Tree, Writing Roots is a whole-school programme aimed at improving writing outcomes for pupils aged 4 – 11. Through daily one-hour lessons, pupils engage with diverse texts, developing their writing skills via interactive activities, grammar teaching, and opportunities for authentic writing experiences.
Rehearsal Room Writing: Developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Rehearsal Room Writing aims to equip Year 5 teachers with techniques to enhance writing motivation and skills. Teachers attend five immersive training days in Stratford-upon-Avon, integrating techniques such as role-play, choral readings, and embodied learning into their lessons.
Pathways Literacy: Developed by The Literacy Company, Pathways Literacy is a whole-class writing programme for Year 3 pupils, aiming to improve writing outcomes by combining metacognitive strategies, targeted intervention and teacher training. It includes whole-class teaching delivered during literacy lessons, as well as a targeted intervention led by trained teaching assistants (TAs).
The OTTO Club: The OTTO Club is a whole class handwriting programme for Year 1 pupils, developed by Occupational Therapists. The programme aims to improve the quality of their writing by training teachers to develop their underlying necessary skills.
Early Years
Reception Jigsaw: Delivered by White Rose Maths, Reception Jigsaw is a professional development programme for Reception teachers, using training and coaching to improve early years maths teaching through play and structured activities.
Plan, Do, Review: Designed by Wingate Community Nursery School, Plan, Do, Review is a 25-week small-group intervention aimed at improving the communication and language skills of 3 – 4‑year-olds. Delivered daily in early years settings, the programme combines structured “plan, do, review” sessions where children share ideas, engage in play, and reflect on their learning, supported by educators using conversation-enhancing techniques.