The Toolkit is designed to support teachers and school leaders who are looking to improve learning outcomes in their setting, particularly for disadvantaged children and young people. In the past decade, it has become one of the most popular educational resources, with 70% of school leaders now using it to inform their decision-making.

The EEF Toolkit does not make definitive claims as to what will work to improve outcomes in a given school. Rather it provides high quality information about the approaches that are likely to be beneficial based on existing evidence of what has proven effective in other classrooms. The Toolkit also signposts specific guidance reports, tools and programmes which can provide further support in making meaningful changes in schools.

An up-to-date grasp of the research base has never been more important as school leaders look to devise and enact long-term recovery plans in the wake of the pandemic. This latest version is the result of a fresh look at the evidence base, and as such, the findings have been updated in line with the most recent, highest quality research.

This iteration also makes it easier for schools to look at evidence that’s directly applicable to their context, featuring a section on implementation within each strand. This aims to support school leaders when making changes to practice in schools, by offering guidance about the practical realities of introducing a new approach – focusing not just on what to implement, but on how to put those new approaches into practice.

To ensure the focus remains on the most disadvantaged, who have been disproportionately affected by Covid-related disruption, there is also a section which specifies the most significant points to consider in relation to closing the attainment gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.

Advice on how teachers and school leaders can make effective use of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit is available here.