I wish I’d had the EEF implementation model as a leader. When I was leading change, I often felt like I was improvising – full of energy but missing the structure or pacing needed. Sometimes it worked, often it didn’t last.
Even now, with NPQs and talk of ‘active ingredients’ everywhere, I know how easy it is to lose hold of the theory amid the daily realities. Leadership is often ‘in the moment.’
We don’t have a knowledge gap. We have an embedding gap. The real challenge isn’t knowing what to do – it’s making it happen, sustainably and well.
That’s where the EEF Implementation Guidance becomes invaluable. And where we come in.
Helping leaders turn strategy into habit
At Leading English, we don’t sell schemes or shortcuts. We work alongside subject leaders and senior teams to embed change, step by step. The EEF implementation model guides us, and your school goals drive us.
Here’s a practical example: moving pupils from imitation to independence in writing.
What’s really happening?
You’ve probably seen this:
Pupils copy texts but don’t write purposefully
Teachers use WAGOLLs but don’t model thinking aloud
Pupils write at length but lack control or structure
This isn’t about blaming staff – it’s often a lack of support causing the problem. Teachers may lack confidence, planning time or examples of good modelling. Exploring means listening and identifying barriers so you can lead strategically.
What will make the EEF implementation model work for you?
You don’t need a full rebrand – just clarity. Define your ‘active ingredients’, for example:
Two annotated model texts in every unit
Live writing modelling with narrated decisions
Time and tools for pupils to revise
Decide how to start – one year group, a phase, with peer coaching. Co-plan, share resources, talk openly about risks and expectations. Preparation isn’t over-planning – it’s making success possible.
Start small, stay close
Build trust with one team; stay present
Use paired planning and short CPD sprints
Let teachers try modelling routines and reflect without judgment
Gather impact evidence – pupil voice, books, confidence shifts
One leader we worked with visited pilot classrooms weekly – not to check but to ask, “What felt different? What would help next time?” That’s implementation leadership.
Make the EEF implementation model part of your culture
Change fades without effective systems, so you will need to:
Embed modelling in feedback and curriculum plans
Revisit examples in CPD and moderation
Refresh materials regularly
Keep asking: “Would a new teacher know how we teach writing here?”
Sustainability needs rhythm, reinforcement and remembering what mattered in the first place.
It's all about leadership
We’ve all fumbled implementation. But you’re not starting from scratch: you’ve done the learning; you have frameworks. Now it’s time to lead through people, systems and culture.
Let us support you
At Leading English, we help subject leaders and SLT:
Apply the EEF implementation model in real time
Strengthen modelling, sentence control and writing routines
Build confident, aligned practice
Align strategy with the Writing Framework and your school’s reality
We don’t do one-off CPD. We support leadership that lasts.
