Authors

Alex Quigley
Alex Quigley

Alex Quigley is head of content and engagement at the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), where he leads content development and school engagement.

A former English teacher of 15 years, Alex joined the EEF in 2018. He is the author of several books, including the Closing the Gap trilogy, Why Learning Fails (And What To Do About It) and Literacy Essentials for Every Teacher.

All articles by Alex Quigley
Do banded books make for poorer readers?
Schemes that match books to primary pupils’ skill level could be holding children back and making them less engaged in their reading, writes Alex Quigley
Primary
25 February 2026
Kids reading books
Why we need to rethink secondary reading assessment
Opportunities for teacher-led diagnostic assessments are being missed amid overreliance on reading ages and standardised reading tests, suggests Alex Quigley
Secondary
4 December 2025
Why we need to rethink secondary reading assessment
Inclusion ‘by design’: why it matters and how to do it
With the new Ofsted framework taking a broad view of inclusion, it’s even more important to make teaching inclusive ‘by design’ and not by accident, suggests Alex Quigley
General
9 October 2025
Inclusive shapes
What’s next for English assessment?
In the age of AI, the days of relying on coursework as a component of A-level assessment may be numbered, writes Alex Quigley. But what are the alternatives?
General
1 July 2025
ai robot writing English
Why you could be getting whole-class feedback wrong
Whole-class feedback has the potential to be a workload saviour, says Alex Quigley, but does it always help learning?
General
12 June 2025
Reviews whole-class feedback wrong
How to help TAs foster independent learning
Teaching assistants need to promote independence, not dependence, writes Alex Quigley – and consistent use of scaffolding strategies is the key
General
9 May 2025
How to help TAs foster independent learning