Research and Development
How the Alliance tests ideas in classrooms, records what happens and shares findings that other schools can use.
Purpose of the work
Research and development in the Alliance means asking a practical question, planning a small change, examining the evidence and deciding what to do next. The aim is to build knowledge that belongs to schools in the area, grounded in their own pupils and staff rather than imported without testing.
From question to classroom
Each enquiry starts with a question that a teacher or leader genuinely needs answered. The team then agrees what would count as evidence, such as pupil work samples, short observations or staff reflections, before any change is made.
Findings are reviewed with participating colleagues. Where an approach works, the description is written in plain terms so that another school can judge whether it fits their context.
Working with research evidence
Published research is read critically, with attention to the setting in which it was carried out. Colleagues consider whether the age range, subject, school context and size of study match their own situation before adopting an idea.
Discussion sessions give staff the chance to question claims, compare interpretations and agree how far a finding can reasonably be applied locally.
Sharing what we learn
Outputs are shared with member schools through networks, training sessions and written summaries. The images below show typical settings in which practice is observed and discussed.
Continue reading and joining in
The following pages describe the related work of the Alliance and where findings are shared.