Research school

Dixons Centre for Growth is the home to Bradford Research School. The Research Schools Network, comprising of 27 Research Schools, leads the way in mobilising evidence and supporting evidence-informed practice.

Our role is to synthesise, communicate and mobilise evidence to support our teachers and leaders in choosing the most effective approaches for challenging disadvantage in the North. We bring the evidence to life, demonstrating how it can be used effectively in schools.

An evidence-informed academy trust

By placing evidence at the heart of Dixons Centre for Growth, we ensure that our teachers and schools are informed by the best available evidence. The evidence, along with our own professional expertise, guides our decision making and ensures that we pay attention to the approaches that will have the most impact for those who need it the most.

We see the marriage of evidence and expertise throughout the Trust:

• our training is always informed by evidence, in content and design.
• our curriculum design is driven by the evidence from cognitive psychology, combined with subject scholarship.
• our instructional and whole-school routines prioritise attention, and allow teachers to focus on their subject content and relationships.

An outward facing organisation

Bradford Research School works with teachers, schools and organisations across Bradford and beyond. We foster strong partnerships which help to build sustainability in the system, and we learn from everyone we work with.

As part of the Research Schools Network, we have access to a wealth of additional expertise and resources. As well as learning from our peers, we share our own expertise and case studies from across Dixons. We take a lead role in the innovative Bradford Research Champion programme, part of the Evidence Active project for the City and working with the Centre for Applied Educational Research (Caer).

Contact Mark Miller, Head of Bradford Research School for further information: MMiller@dixonsat.com