I have been teaching at Bawtry Mayflower for 8 years. Our head teacher is passionate about teachers completing action research so members of staff are encouraged to choose an area of interest in which to complete their practitioner research. Initially, when asked to do this, I did so because that was the expectation. However, after completing my first research project, I realised the impact that it had on the children in my class and the personal impact for me in terms of professional development. This led me to continue this approach to my classroom practise and I now realise how vital research is to this profession. Action research throughout school has shaped a team of teachers who are motivated to develop classroom practise and seek continual improvement. I was lucky enough to be asked to share this research project at a Closing the Gap conference, Bishop Grosseteste University, June 2016.