The research questions a teacher would ask of neuroscience require answers researched within a typical classroom context. Unfortunately this research has rarely been available. The Education Endowment Foundation recently set up six projects applying evidence from neuroscience and educational studies to the classroom context. Most of the evaluation reports will be available in 2017. In the meantime, this four-part series of articles about recent research from neuroscience linked to concepts and models from cognitive psychology will provide evidence-based guidance towards more optimal learning strategies in the classroom. [For Part 2, "Optimal Learning in Schools--Theoretical Evidence: Part 2 Updating Piaget," see EJ1154870; for Part 3, "Optimal Learning in Schools--Theoretical Evidence: Part 3 Individual Differences," see EJ1154872; and for Part 4, "Optimal Learning in Schools--Theoretical Evidence: Part 4 Metacognition," see EJ1154873.]