The Education Research Schools Partnership (ERSP) is a collaborative initiative between schools in the southeast of England and Canterbury Christ Church University.
The Education Research Schools Partnership (ERSP) is a collaborative initiative between schools in the southeast of England and Canterbury Christ Church University, aimed at creating dynamic, research-rich environments within schools. This partnership is built on a shared commitment to enhancing educational practice through scholarly inquiry and research-informed approaches, fostering a stronger connection between academic research and classroom teaching and learning.
At the core of the ERSP initiative is the belief that genuine, mutually beneficial partnerships between schools and universities can drive greater innovation and professional growth in both sectors. By working closely together, we aim to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, ensuring that research is critically evaluated and meaningfully informs practice.
A key objective of the ERSP initiative is to encourage teachers to become research literate and actively engaged in educational research. The partnership provides educators with the support to explore questions relevant to their own schools and classrooms. Through the ERSP initiative, we aim to empower teachers to drive innovation, evaluate new approaches, and contribute to the broader educational research community.
The partnership offers a wide range of professional learning opportunities, including workshops, conferences, and collaborative research projects. These activities are designed to build both school and university colleagues’ capacity for critical thinking and inquiry.
Schools involved in the partnership engage in a variety of research projects and initiatives. For some schools, interest in the ERSP project is centred around enhancing research literacy among staff and utilising research insights to inform professional development and school initiatives, thereby demonstrating a commitment to research-informed approaches without necessarily conducting their own research investigations. Other schools actively carry out their own research, fostering collaborative efforts among staff and sharing findings with the broader educational community.
By highlighting schools actively engaged in research, we aim to explore both the possibilities and challenges of conducting research within the school environment. We understand that time, resources, and other barriers can make it challenging for schools to fully adopt research-informed approaches, but the project seeks to address these issues through practical, innovative solutions and ongoing support.
Through this partnership, school and university researchers are dedicated to helping develop research environments that place teachers at the forefront of educational research and innovation. By fostering a culture of inquiry, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we aim to enhance teaching practices, improve student outcomes, and contribute to the wider educational landscape.
Together, schools across the southeast and Canterbury Christ Church University are working to shape the future of education, one research-informed classroom at a time.