EdTech Testbed Programme: Supporting evidence-led EdTech testing in schools
Helping the Department for Education identify where EdTech can reduce workload, improve outcomes and increase inclusion through robust evidence and practical testing priorities.
What is the issue?
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Educational technology (EdTech) is increasingly used across schools and colleges, yet evidence on what works, for whom, and under what conditions remains uneven. While some tools show promise for reducing teacher workload, improving teaching and learning outcomes, or supporting inclusion, many widely used products lack robust independent evidence. Schools and policymakers also face challenges in identifying trusted evidence and understanding which approaches are ready for wider testing or scale-up.
The Department for Education (DfE) established the EdTech Testbed Programme to generate stronger evidence and support more effective decisions about future EdTech investment, adoption and evaluation.
The DfE recently partnered with the Education Endowment Foundation to deliver the national EdTech Testbed programme and build a stronger evidence pipeline – from rapid evaluations to robust randomised trials. RAND Europe’s research supports the DfE in prioritising where testing could add the greatest value.
How are we helping?
RAND Europe is delivering a mixed-methods research programme to help the DfE identify the most promising EdTech use cases for future Testbed activity. The study focuses on three policy priorities: reducing teacher workload, improving teaching and learning outcomes, and increasing inclusion.
Our approach combines three complementary phases:
- Rapid evidence review and mapping: reviewing national and international research to assess where evidence is strong, emerging or limited, and identifying priority EdTech use cases.
- Stakeholder interviews: speaking with teachers, school leaders, SEND specialists, IT leads, EdTech experts and policymakers to understand real-world implementation, barriers and opportunities.
- Delphi-style expert review: using structured expert judgement to prioritise options based on feasibility, scalability, likely impact and readiness for testing.
The project will provide the DfE with practical recommendations on which EdTech approaches are most suitable for pilots, quasi-experimental studies or randomised controlled trials, alongside a usable evidence base to inform future policy.
