To ensure we turn evidence into impact, we need to be able to test what works and then adapt our practice in real time.
In our organisation, we are using action research to help ensure that our strategic priorities translate into meaningful change for young people.
One of these priorities is supporting successful transitions for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
When transitions are not handled well, the impact on attendance, engagement and wellbeing can be long-lasting.
Supported with funding from the Laurel Trust, we are undertaking an action research project exploring how we can improve transition experiences for this group of young people.
As a transition lead, I support individual students in our trust schools as they prepare for, and move into, our further education college.
Here the young people will have to adapt to new expectations and new routines, as well as a far bigger and very different learning environment – which is not always easy.
Working closely with the learners and their families, I get to know them all very well – including the challenges they have faced (and continue to face) and the context around their educational experience to date.
Real contexts, real students
Action research is particularly well suited to SEND transition work because it is not theoretical. It is rooted in real contexts, with real students, and focused on outcomes.
My role places me at the centre of this work, giving me a unique perspective and the ability to systematically test, reflect on and refine our approach to transition.
For this project, we began with a clear research question: How can targeted transition support improve retention, achievement and positive outcomes for disadvantaged SEND and alternative provision learners entering mainstream FE college?
We then identified a set of targeted transition activities, which we are implementing with our learners, while continually reflecting on the impact of each one.
Crucially, this is not a one-off evaluation. The process is cyclical and iterative, informed by an ongoing reflections log that captures observations and learning as the project develops.
The young people we are working with are likely to have already experienced disrupted education or difficult transitions in the past – so this responsiveness is vital.
Rather than waiting until the end of the year to assess whether something has worked, we are able to make changes in real time. That means the students benefit immediately, and the learning from the project is ready to inform practice for current and future cohorts.
Practitioner-led research
This project is also reinforcing an important message about who educational research is for. Too often, research is seen as something done to schools, rather than by them.
In reality, practitioner-led research – particularly when undertaken by teachers and support staff – can be the most meaningful.
We are exploring practical approaches such as familiarising students with the college environment, ensuring consistent adult support during transition, and building opportunities for students to develop independence gradually.
Through reflection and discussion, we are beginning to see which strategies support emotional regulation, confidence and readiness to learn – and which need adapting for different learners.
More widely, the project reflects our organisation’s belief that research should underpin improvement at every level.
By embedding inquiry into everyday practice, we can move beyond assumptions and base decisions on what we know to be effective.
Action research helps bridge the gap between policy and lived experience, which will ensure that strategic priorities translate into meaningful change for students.
For me personally, the process has created valuable space to reflect and develop our approach.
Much of this work happens as part of our business as usual and without structured reflection, it can be easy to lose sight of what is being learned.
Action research allows us to capture that learning and build a stronger evidence base for SEND transition work across the trust and more widely, across the sector.
By investing in practitioner-led research and embedding evidence in decision-making, schools and trusts can drive improvements that directly enhance young people’s experiences and outcomes, while also sharing these valuable insights
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