For secondary trainee teachers and ECTs

Teachers’ Standards Evidence Finder

Over 200 practical ideas for every standard. Tick the evidence you have, add notes and links, and print it when you need it.

0 of 100 collected

    What the teaching and learning focus terms mean
    Do now
    A short task on the board as learners arrive, usually retrieval, so learning starts straight away.
    Retrieval practice
    Recalling learning from memory, such as low-stakes quizzes, which strengthens long-term memory.
    Spacing and interleaving
    Revisiting topics over time and mixing them, rather than teaching each once in a block.
    Metacognition
    Learners planning, monitoring and evaluating their own learning. The EEF's 2025 guidance recommends teaching it within subject lessons, not as separate ‘learning to learn’ sessions.
    Cognitive load
    Working memory is limited, so explanations, slides and tasks should avoid overloading it.
    Dual coding
    Pairing words with visuals so learners process information through two channels.
    Rosenshine's principles
    Ten research-based steps for explicit teaching, including daily review, small steps, modelling, guided practice and checking understanding.
    Responsive and adaptive teaching
    Checking understanding during the lesson and changing what you do in response, rather than planning separate tasks for fixed groups.
    Instructional coaching
    Regular, focused coaching on one small, practical step at a time.
    AI in teaching
    DfE guidance allows staff to use generative AI in line with school policy. You must check what it produces for accuracy and bias, keep learners' personal data out of it, and keep professional judgement for yourself. The OECD's 2026 Outlook warns that finishing tasks with AI does not mean learners have learned.