Authors

Alex Quigley
Alex Quigley

Alex Quigley, who is head of content and engagement at the (EEF), was an English teacher for 15 years.

Alex joined education research charity the EEF in 2018 and is the author of books including the Closing the Gap ³Ù°ù¾±±ô´Ç²µ²â,ÌýWhy Learning Fails (And What To Do About It) and .

All articles by Alex Quigley
Why haven’t we closed the reading gap yet?
Despite national gains in reading, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds still make less progress than their peers, says Alex Quigley. So, what can be done to help?
General
14 May 2026
Figure looking through gap in book
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