Closing the Gap: Research Partnership Launch

We are very excited to be launching a research partnership between CELT, Kingsbridge Research School, Cornwall Associate Research School and The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Our Closing the Gap: Metacognition & Equity for All programme will be formally launched on the 29th January.

What is the Closing the Gap: Metacognition & Equity for All programme? In brief, the programme aims to narrow the attainment gap by focusing on high-quality teaching and, in particular, cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Metacognition and self-regulation approaches aim to help pupils think about their own learning more explicitly, often by teaching them specific strategies for planning, monitoring and evaluating their learning. These approaches have consistently high levels of impact. The EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit states that, when using these approaches, pupils make an average of seven months’ additional progress.

At the same time, EEF programme evaluations suggest that effective partnerships rely not only on the programme content, but on good implementation as well. To give this work the best chance of success, we are supporting the programme in two ways:

Every CELT school will assign a Metacognition Implementation Lead to take responsibility for leading an in-school Implementation Team. In many cases, the school’s Headteacher may wish to take on this role.

As well as match-funding the programme with CELT, the EEF have funded additional wraparound support in the form of three Regional Implementation Leads:

• Marc Cooper: Deputy Headteacher at Brannel School
• Chrysta Garnett: TSC Team South West Strategy Lead
• Andy Brumby: Co-director of Cornwall Associate Research School

The Regional Implementation Leads will provide additional capacity, helping schools implement the programme with fidelity to the seven recommendations from the Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning guidance report. Crucially, these RILs will play a supportive role, working alongside school leaders and their Implementation Teams to help bring about the intended changes in practice. RILs will form a professional relationship with their CELT colleagues built around quality conversations about making and acting on evidence-informed decisions. As such, it’s important to see their role purely as a non-judgmental, professional practice partnership.