Since its establishment in 2011, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has undertaken an ambitious programme of research with a focus on generating evidence of ‘what works’ in education. In its first ten years, the EEF commissioned over 160 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), developed an extensive suite of guidance and resources founded upon the best available evidence for teachers and school leaders, and built trusting relationships with stakeholders from across the education sector.

The EEF was set up as an independent charity by the Sutton Trust and Impetus with a £125 million endowment from the Department for Education, which came with a condition to spend £200 million over a 15-year period, and the purpose to improve the educational attainment of socially disadvantaged pupils. In 2013 the EEF was also designated as the What Works Centre for Education, acting as a founding member of the What Works Network. Throughout its lifespan the EEF's mission has been to support high-quality teaching and learning for all, and to challenge the socioeconomic gap for educational attainment. The EEF's story is therefore one of two gaps: closing the evidence gap to help close the disadvantage gap.

The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers begins early. On average, reception age children are 4.6 months behind their better-off classmates. Over the next 11 years of full-time schooling, this learning gap widens and by the time children take their GCSEs, the gap has increased to 18.4 months (Hutchinson et al, 2018). More than two-thirds of 16-year-olds who have been eligible for free school meals leave school without attaining the grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE that can constitute a ‘good standard’ of attainment (DfE, 2021a). These academic qualifications are prerequisites for progressing into secure, good-quality employment, including apprenticeships, further study and higher education.

As the most impactful within-school influence on pupil attainment (Hattie, 2003), teaching has the potential to reduce attainment gaps and secure improved outcomes for disadvantaged young people. Across England, schools have demonstrated an ability to close learning gaps through high-quality teaching, targeted interventions and wider strategies that remove barriers to learning (Hutchinson et al, 2018).