Six more schools unveiled as research hubs – taking total to 11

Schools in Southport, Suffolk, London, County Durham, Hertfordshire and West Sussex will receive a share of £1.2 million to become new research hubs.

The announcement today from the Education Endowment Foundation, which funds the scheme, takes the total number of regional research hubs unveiled so far to 11.

Meols Cop High School, Samuel Ward Academy Trust, Rosendale Primary School, The Academy at Shotton Hall, Sandringham School and Durrington High School will each get £200,000 to become “focal points of evidence-based practice” in their regions.

This is a great opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice

The EEF said the schools will build networks with other schools and develop a programme of support and events to “get more teachers using research evidence in ways that make a difference in the classroom”.

Kate Atkins, the headteacher of Rosendale Primary School, said it was a “great opportunity to bridge the gap between research and practice”.

“Schools share a common desire to improve outcomes for all children and to use evidence to inform our decisions about how to do this. The evidence of what works is out there, now we need to get it embedded in our classroom practice.”

The first wave of five research schools was announced in October last year, and the education secretary Justine Greening has since revealed plans to open a further 12 in schools in England’s new “opportunity areas”. They will be announced later this year.

The existing schools in Macclesfield, York, Devon, Lincoln and Sandwell have already delivered programmes to help schools make the most of teaching assistants, training to support literacy in the early years and hosted conferences for schools, the EEF said.

Kevan Collins, the organisation’s chief executive, said the worlds of education research and classroom teaching had been too far apart for years.

“Research schools are breaking down these barriers even more so that research doesn’t stay in the pages of academic journals but has a real impact on classroom practice. Putting teachers in the driving seat can make all the difference.”

In January, Greening announced that schools in Bradford, Doncaster, East Cambridgeshire, Hastings, Ipswich, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, Derby, Norwich, Oldham, Scarborough and West Somerset – England’s 12 “opportunity areas” – would be able to bid for a share of £3.5 million research hub funding.

The successful institutions will be revealed later this year.