Policy Hub
On 16 May 2008, the Primary Review published three interim research reports on the processes and contexts of teaching in primary schools.
Report 9/2 (Classes, groups and transitions: structures for teaching and learning) examines evidence detailing how pupils are grouped for learning, including setting and within-class grouping. It considers pupil transitions not just between primary and secondary school but also from pre-school to reception and between key stages. The report also revisits the debate about the impact of class size on children’s learning.
Report 6/1 (Primary schools: the built environment) surveys research and technical evidence revealing how the physical properties of schools and classrooms can affect children’s learning and the work of their teachers. The report concentrates on noise and acoustics; temperature and air quality; and natural and artificial lighting.
Report 2/4 (Learning and teaching in primary schools: insights from the teaching and learning research programme) turns from the contexts of teaching to classroom processes. It extracts relevant findings from 19 major projects within the Economic and Social Research Council’s Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) and extrapolates from the wider TLRP programme ten principles for effective teaching.