'Head of research' for Berkshire school

Hendrick, also an English teacher, says that the aim of the role is to analyse what works in education, and that "the vision is to become a kind of laboratory."

Wellington College is a teaching school that trains new teachers. The research initiative is to involve 10 state schools in the area as well as academics from the University of London and the University of reading. There are also plans to share projects with Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Hendrick says: "Often in schools, we've been going on a hunch or village wisdom. If you were working in medicine, you wouldn't dream of not being across up-to-date research." He argues that much research into education is driven by ideology and questionable methodology, and that "if we're making claims, there should be evidence."

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