Robert Powell shows, in the introduction (free download), why developing great teaching should be the primary focus for all schools and colleges. He proceeds to set out seven evidence-informed principles (free download on Why Principles?) that underpin outstanding classroom practice, suggesting that these principles might form the basis for policies on teaching, learning and assessment. With chapters on each of the principles, he sets out a menu of practical classroom techniques, arguing that provided the principle is met, the choice of technique used should be the decision of the teaching team, recognising that a one-fits-all approach does not work for all subjects or teachers of different phases. In the introduction he analyses the claims made by various groups on teaching methods and concludes that there should not be a single dominant approach; great teachers will adopt a variety of methods that include direct instruction alongside more interactive techniques including inquiry learning.