EPI is hiring an Executive and Events Officer to join our Communications, Partnerships & Events Team. £28k–£30k - 30 days leave - 8–10% pension Closes 17 August Full job description and application details here: epi.org.uk/jobs/executi...

New PM, new education secretary. EPI's @juliemcculloch.bsky.social, writing for @schoolsweek.bsky.social, on the one thing that should anchor their education agenda.

The disadvantage gap must be top of the new PM's in-tray

Burnham and Powell have inherited an ambitious commitment. They must not walk away from it

schoolsweek.co.uk

"If the incoming Burnham government is serious about helping the next generation succeed, it should start by embracing the ambitions set out in the schools white paper – and commit to the changes needed to deliver them." @juliemcculloch.bsky.social on this year's Annual Report & the incoming PM.

If the new Prime Minister is serious about the next generation, it starts with the disadvantage gap - Education Policy Institute

When the new Prime Minister walks through the famous black door next week, he won’t be short of things to do. One of the more ambitious commitments he’ll inherit from his predecessor is the target, se...

epi.org.uk

Burnham's 'challenge' as pledge to halve schools disadvantage gap gets tougher

Burnham's 'challenge' as pledge to halve schools disadvantage gap gets tougher

The persistent disadvantage gap in schools will be an "early challenge" for the next prime minister, researchers are warning.

news.sky.com

The government's white paper set a welcome target: halve the disadvantage gap in a generation. EPI's Annual Report 2026 finds that on current trends, that ambition is moving further out of reach, not closer. Read the full report, published today: epi.org.uk/annual-repor...

Burnham's 'challenge' as pledge to halve schools disadvantage gap gets tougher

The achievement gap suffered by pupils from poorer backgrounds is wider than before the pandemic, a new report warns. Ministers have promised to halve it by the time children born under this governme...

news.sky.com

The fact that the latest school workforce figures show ‘favourable conditions’ is largely down to external factors rather than the government’s efforts on recruitment and retention, says @edupolicyinst.bsky.social

Experts play down DfE role in teacher workforce recovery

The Department for Education has engineered ‘very little’ of a recovery in the teacher workforce, with factors beyond the government’s control playing a big part, says EPI

tes.com

What do the Department for Education’s new statistics on early years entitlements suggest about inequalities in access by local area? www.linkedin.com/posts/tammy-...

Teacher recruitment and retention have improved. But EPI's James Zuccollo finds the recovery isn't down to policy - it's borrowed from a shrinking pupil population and a weak graduate job market, both of which could reverse. epi.org.uk/publications...

A borrowed recovery: the 2025 school workforce data - Education Policy Institute

Last month, the Department for Education released its annual snapshot of the teaching workforce in England, and the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recently followed with its 36th report on teache...

epi.org.uk

EPI is hiring an Events Manager to lead our sector-leading convening programme, bringing together policymakers and experts to shape education policy. £36k–£40k - 30 days leave - 8–10% pension Closes 21 July Full job description and application details here: epi.org.uk/jobs/events-...

A pressing topic on the agenda today, as EPI and @teachfirst.bsky.social brought together policymakers, school leaders and sector experts to discuss persistent disadvantage in schools, marking a new report drawing on research commissioned from EPI. Full report: www.teachfirst.org.uk/reports/clas...

Last night we celebrated ten years of EPI - great to have the Secretary of State @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social join us and speak about evidence-based policy and the focus on disadvantage that sits at the heart of our work. Thanks to @aqaeducation.bsky.social for partnering with us and hosting.

EPI is proud to launch the Early Years Observatory (EYO) - a dedicated hub for data, policy analysis, and commentary on the lives of children under five in England. To mark the launch, we’ve published new analysis, commentary, and explainers, with more rolling out regularly. A thread 🧵

🚨 Almost half of the GCSE attainment gap between poorer pupils and their better-off peers is “locked in” by the end of primary school. Concerning findings from @theeef.bsky.social and @edupolicyinst.bsky.social new research 🧵⬇️ educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/disadva...

44% of the GCSE disadvantage gap is locked in by age 11,…

New research on the disadvantage gap

educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

Almost half of the GCSE attainment gap between poorer pupils and their better-off peers is 'locked in' by the end of primary school, new research has warned https://schoolsweek.co.uk/almost-half-of-the-disadvantage-gap-locks-in-by-age-11-research/

Almost half of the disadvantage gap 'locks in' by age 11

Report warns lower prior attainment is the 'largest contributor' to the attainment gap

schoolsweek.co.uk

Nearly half (44 per cent) of the gap between the GCSE results of disadvantaged pupils and their peers already exists at age 11. EPI's latest report, co-published by @theeef.bsky.social, provides the most comprehensive examination to date of the socioeconomic attainment gap in England.

Growing apart: the evolution of the disadvantage gap - Education Policy Institute

Many of the biggest challenges facing the education system – including absence, disengagement and SEND – are complex, interrelated and are shaped by socioeconomic circumstance. The government’s school...

epi.org.uk

Following the huge success of last year's inaugural awards the Smart Thinking Think Tank Awards are BACK for 2026 and officially open for applications! Key info: ✅Free to apply ✅Open to all UK-based think tanks ✅11 categories up for grabs All information can be found here: bit.ly/4al6UK5

Schools closing due to falling pupil numbers aren't affecting all children equally. BBC analysis shows nearly 30% of pupils in closed schools had special educational needs, vs 20% in the wider population. EPI's @mrjpandrews.bsky.social spoke to BBC InDepth about what might be driving the disparity.

How pupils with special educational needs are more likely to see their schools close

In schools that closed between 2020 and 2025, nearly 30% of children had special educational needs

bbc.co.uk

Exploratory EPI analysis of 16 English secondary schools examines uniform policies. As the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill prepares to cap branded uniform items at four from Sept 2026, the data raises questions about links between uniform enforcement, school image, and pupil belonging.

What do we know about school uniform policies and inclusion? - Education Policy Institute

School uniforms have been a feature of English education since the 1550s and are deeply embedded in English culture. In contrast to some other Western countries, such as the US and Canada, uniforms ar...

epi.org.uk

In some parts of England, there is 1 Educational Psychologist for every 9000 pupils with SEND. In others, it’s 1 for every 500. James Zuccollo @edupolicyinst.bsky.social explains what this means for children, schools & overstretched services. #PsychologyMatters: www.bps.org.uk/news/chronic...

EPI is currently recruiting for two roles - and application deadlines are approaching. Senior Researcher – Vulnerable Learners & Post 16 - Deadline: Mon 25 May, 5pm - epi.org.uk/jobs/senior-... Undergraduate Research Internship 2026 - Deadline: Tues 2 June, midnight - epi.org.uk/jobs/epi-und...

EPI has submitted its response to the government's consultation on 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first'. We welcome many of the proposals. There are, however, areas in which they do not appear to correlate with the available evidence. Read our full response ⬇️

Response to the government's consultation on SEND reform: putting children and young people first - Education Policy Institute

The Education Policy Institute has submitted its response to the government’s consultation on ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’. EPI’s response draws on our own research in this a...

epi.org.uk

Really interesting findings here as sampled schools don't tend to be using internal exclusions *instead* of suspensions. This comes in the context of government pushing schools to keep more suspended pupils on site to reduce lost learning

Schools Week@schoolsweek.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Internal exclusions may not lead to fewer suspensions from school, early research has suggested schoolsweek.co.uk/internal-exc...

New EPI analysis of FOI data from secondary schools in London reveals that higher rates of internal exclusion are associated with higher rates of suspension - suggesting that encouraging internal exclusion is unlikely, in practice, to lead to fewer external suspensions. epi.org.uk/publications...

An analysis of London Secondary schools' use of internal exclusion - Education Policy Institute

Background The Department for Education (DfE) recently announced in the schools’ white paper that they will provide increased guidance on how internal exclusion, also referred to as internal suspensio...

epi.org.uk

EPI's summer research internship programme is open for applications! This is a unique opportunity to work alongside leading experts in education policy and gain hands-on experience producing high-quality research and evidence-based analysis that shapes the national conversation. More info ⬇️

A 'postcode lottery' in issuing absence fines remains despite government guidance aimed at standardising the practice, new research has found schoolsweek.co.uk/postcode-lot...

Absence fines 'postcode lottery' remains, warns EPI

Statistics on fines still 'geographically unequal' despite new national rules

schoolsweek.co.uk

EPI is hiring! We are looking for a Senior Researcher to join our Vulnerable Learners & Post 16 team and help shape our agenda-setting research. Closes 17:00 Monday 25th May. For more info and to apply: epi.org.uk/jobs/senior-... #EducationPolicy #EducationResearch #PolicyJobs #ResearchJobs

New EPI analysis finds that despite a national framework for absence fines, enforcement remains a postcode lottery with London issuing fines to just 3.6% of enrolments and Yorkshire and the Humber issuing them to 10.3%. epi.org.uk/publications...

The postcode lottery of absence fines - Education Policy Institute

A new National Framework, an old local lottery Since the pandemic, rising pupil absence has been one of the biggest challenges facing schools in England, with mounting evidence linking absence to wors...

epi.org.uk

EPI is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Rose Luckin to its Board of Trustees. Rose is a leading expert on technology in education, Professor Emerita at UCL, and Founder and CEO of Educate Ventures Research (EVR). Read the announcement: epi.org.uk/comments/ros...

Great to be joined by so many colleagues for today's launch of our latest report with @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social: Beyond Teacher Assessed Grades: Post 16 Education Choices and COVID-19 🧵