Outwood research published in Teaching English (NATE)

We’re pleased to share that colleagues from Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate, working as part of an Outwood Institute of Education (OIE) Education Research Group, have had their work published in Teaching English, the journal of the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE). 

Their article is the culmination of a three-year research project developed through this programme, which begins with attendance at national researchED National in London and supports colleagues to translate research into sustained classroom inquiry. 

In “Structuring talk, strengthening thinking: How to make partner discussions count”, Jess Hand and Anna Walker explore how structured classroom talk can significantly improve pupil participation and thinking.

The project focused on:

• establishing clear partner roles,

• embedding purposeful questioning,

• and modelling sentence stems to support high-quality pupil responses.

What began as a simple question—how to ensure all pupils actively engage in “turn and talk”—has led to a carefully developed approach that strengthens accountability, improves oracy, and supports pupils to articulate their thinking with increasing confidence.

The work reflects the power of sustained, classroom-based research and the impact of Professional Development grounded in real practice.

You can find this article in the Spring 2026 edition of Teaching English, the journal of the National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE), pp. 50–52.