Evidence-Informed Teaching

At London Maths & Science College (LMSC), we don't rely on trends or guesswork. Our teaching is shaped by research on how students learn best -- especially in demanding STEM subjects. We use approaches grounded in evidence, then check impact in our own classrooms.

Teacher at whiteboard

What do we mean by evidence-informed teaching?

"Evidence-informed" doesn't mean chasing every new idea from education blogs. It means:

  • Taking reliable findings from research on learning, especially in Maths, Science and related disciplines.
  • Combining that with professional judgement and experience.
  • Checking what actually works for our students, in our context.

At LMSC, evidence-informed teaching is about using approaches that are more likely to help students remember, understand and apply what they learn -- and dropping strategies that don't make a real difference.

Research

Evidence from educational research and cognitive science

Professional Judgement

Expertise and experience of our teaching team

Local Impact

What works for our students in our context

Our core evidence-informed principles

Across subjects, you'll see the same set of principles in action:

Clear, explicit instruction

Teachers explain new ideas in small steps, model worked examples and check understanding frequently, instead of leaving students to guess.

Spacing and retrieval practice

We revisit key ideas over time and use short quizzes to bring knowledge back to mind, strengthening long-term memory.

Guided practice before independence

Students practise new skills with scaffolding first, then move gradually towards independent problem-solving.

High-quality feedback

Feedback focuses on specific strengths, misconceptions and next steps, not just marks and grades.

Formative assessment that actually informs teaching

Low-stakes assessments help teachers decide when to move on, when to slow down and where to re-teach.

Metacognition and self-regulation

We teach students how to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning, not just what to remember.

What evidence-informed teaching looks like in the classroom

In practice, evidence-informed teaching at LMSC means lessons with a clear, purposeful structure.

1

Activate prior knowledge

  • •A short retrieval quiz or 'Do Now' question.
  • •Connecting today's topic to what students have already studied.
2

Explicit teaching and modelling

  • •Teacher explains the new concept in clear language.
  • •Worked examples are written out step by step, with thinking made visible.
3

Guided practice

  • •Students attempt questions with support -- prompts, part-completed examples, or teacher checking in live.
4

Independent practice

  • •Students tackle exam-style or applied questions on their own.
  • •Teacher circulates (in person) or monitors responses (online) and gives quick feedback.
5

Check for understanding and close

  • •Key questions to ensure core ideas have landed.
  • •A quick summary of what was learned and what comes next.

Evidence-informed strategies in STEM subjects

STEM subjects benefit especially from approaches that reduce cognitive load and build durable understanding.

STEM Teaching

Dual coding and clear representations

Using diagrams, graphs and visual models alongside verbal explanation -- not decorative pictures, but representations that genuinely support understanding.

Worked example → completion → independent questions

Teachers model a full example, then ask students to complete part-worked examples before moving to independent problems.

Deliberate practice, not mindless repetition

Question sets are chosen to highlight patterns, contrasts and common misconceptions, not just to fill time.

Interleaving topics

Where appropriate, we mix questions from different areas (e.g. algebra and graphs) so students learn to choose methods, not just repeat the last example.

Exam technique embedded early

We don't leave exam practice to the final term; students see exam-style questions early and often, within a supportive environment.

Using assessment and data to refine teaching

Evidence-informed teaching is not just about what we do, but how we check whether it works.

Teach

Deliver evidence-informed lessons

Assess

Regular low-stakes assessments

Analyse

Identify patterns and gaps

Adjust

Refine teaching strategies

At LMSC, we:

  • Run regular low-stakes assessments (quizzes, exit tickets, mini tests).
  • Use mock exams and larger assessments to spot trends over time.
  • Analyse results to identify common misconceptions across a class or year group.
  • Adjust teaching sequences, revision plans and interventions based on what we find.
Next steps

See our approach in action

If you'd like to understand more about how we teach and whether our approach is right for you, we'd be happy to talk.
Student consultation