Evidence-informed Practice

At St Mary’s, we believe that the best teaching is shaped by evidence and professional reflection. Our staff are committed to developing their practice by engaging with high-quality research and applying it thoughtfully in ways that benefit our pupils.

We draw on guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and other trusted research sources to inform the programmes and interventions we use. This ensures that our decisions are based on evidence of what works, not just tradition, and that we provide pupils with the best possible opportunities to thrive.

National Professional Enquiry Project (NPEP)

Alongside applying external evidence, we also contribute to educational research through the National Professional Enquiry Project (NPEP). Each year, our staff carry out small-scale enquiry projects that allow us to test ideas in our own classrooms and share findings across the school.

Our Research Projects

Our NPEP enquiries have explored a wide range of themes that matter to our pupils:

• 2024–25: Does the use of visual aids and manipulatives in the outdoor area promote progress in number recognition for our Reception age pupils who are not yet independently recognising numbers to 10?

• 2023–24: How do we develop a culture of independent learning in our pupils?

• 2022–23: Does the use of online maths applications have a positive impact on attainment in procedural numeracy personalised assessment scores?

• 2021–22: To what extent has blended learning had an impact on pupils’ health and wellbeing?

Findings from these projects are shared with all staff and used to shape whole-school practice, ensuring that our teaching is both evidence-based and context-specific.

Schools' Partnership Programme (SPP)

Over the last three years, we have collaborated with staff from Venerable Edward Morgan Catholic Primary School in Shotton and St Winefride's Catholic Primary School in Holywell on developing our teaching and learning via the Schools' Partnership Programme (SPP). After completing observations and interviews at each others' schools, teams of improvement facilitators have analysed the evidence base to create bespoke training for one another. We have focussed on:

2024-2025: To what extent is learning and the development of skills planned for outdoors across the school?

Impact for Pupils

By combining external evidence with our own professional enquiry, we:

• Ensure that our teaching methods are grounded in reliable research.

• Adapt approaches to meet the specific needs of our pupils.

• Encourage innovation and collaboration among staff.

• Build a learning community where both children and teachers are continually developing.