Education Endowment Foundation:Promising Programmes

Promising Programmes

Programmes we’ve tested that show promise for raising attainment.

School and setting leaders are faced with an increasing number of programmes claiming to improve outcomes for pupils. But it can be difficult to know which are backed by robust evidence and which are not. 

Our Promising Programmes resource cuts through the noise by highlighting programmes that have demonstrated meaningful, cost-effective improvements in pupil attainment through independent evaluation, particularly for socio-economically disadvantaged pupils. 

What makes a programme ​“promising”?

Only around 10% of programmes with completed EEF trials have achieved Promising Programme status. Inclusion is genuinely meaningful and every programme on the list must meet four strict criteria:

  • Impact. Must have secured at least one month’s additional progress for pupils compared to a control group. The wider evaluation findings must also paint a consistent story of positive impact.
  • Cost. Must show a low cost per pupils for each additional month’s progress. 
  • Implementation. Must have been well received and delivered with fidelity in real settings.
  • Evidence security. Must have achieved an EEF security rating of at least three padlocks out of five, meaning it has moderate or high security, evaluated through at least one randomised controlled trial.

Finally, we consider whether a programme is currently available for schools and settings. To make sure that the programmes on this list can be readily implemented, we prioritise those that are actively available to schools and settings.

How to use

You can use this resource alongside your school or setting data and wider research evidence to help identify priorities. Use your professional judgement, along with your understanding of your context, to consider if a programme is likely to be transferable to your setting.

Once you have chosen a programme, give careful attention to how it will be implemented. Our guidance on effective implementation is a useful starting point for turning evidence into impact.