Policy area: Education

Reports

Building bridges: integrating early education with family support in England and Scotland

This report from Nesta explores integrating early education with family support in England and Scotland. Nesta commissioned Isos Partnership to run an exploratory study of current and ideal levels and types of service integration between ECEC/ELC and wider family support. The report seeks to fill the knowledge gap by drawing on evidence from nine local...

Read more

Evaluation of career coaching for young people at risk of being NEET

This report from UK think tank City-REDI evaluates career coaching for young people at risk of being NEET. PfPP2 provided career coaching and mentoring, group career readiness sessions and employer engagement for 102 young people identified at risk of becoming NEET(not in education, employment or training) in Year 10 in five East Birmingham secondary schools....

Read more

Unite Students Applicant Index 2026

This report from UK think tank HEPI states that paid work has become part of the student experience. 9 in 10 students expect to work during term time – a new report shows paid jobs are now the norm. 87% of applicants expect to work during term time, with a third expecting to work over...

Read more

Crosssing paths

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores how gender, ethnicity and place shape opportunity. Our Opportunity Index provided the most detailed ever look at the geography of opportunity and social mobility in England, revealing great disparities between different areas. However, we also know that average outcomes can hide important differences across gender...

Read more

Interconnected innovation: Physical connectivity as the missing ingredient in UK research and innovation policy

This report from UK think tank HEPI states that transport connectivity should play a greater role in how the UK assesses research investment. A new HEPI Report published today says transport connectivity should play a greater role in how the UK assesses research investment. World‑class research capabilities exist across the whole UK, yet poor physical...

Read more

 A breed apart? What do young undergraduates think of controversial and divisive issues?’

This report from UK think tank HEPI reveals young undergraduates' views on a range of topical issues. New polling of young undergraduates from the Higher Education Policy Institute reveals young undergraduates views on a range of topical issues, including: abortion limits; the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs (AI); diversity quotas; nuclear disarmament; reparations for...

Read more

Growing up hungry

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation measures UK child food insecurity in 2026. Since the SMF last looked at child food insecurity, the economic landscape has shifted considerably. There have been seismic global conflicts, major domestic political and policy changes, spanning four prime ministers. This research provides an updated view of...

Read more

Room to grow

This report from UK think tanks the Sutton Trust and the Social Market Foundation discusses school-based nurseries and the disadvantage gap. The School-based Nursery (or SBN) programme is a major government policy aiming to deliver on two early years priorities: to expand access to childcare for working families and to increase the proportion of children...

Read more

Room to grow

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines school-based nurseries and the disadvantage gap. The School-based Nursery (or SBN) programme is a major government policy aiming to deliver on two early years priorities: to expand access to childcare for working families and to increase the proportion of children reaching a good level...

Read more

The good life?

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the relationship between social mobility and happiness. Is social mobility just about jobs and income? Does being upwardly mobile make you happy? Does socio-economic background determine who gets to live good, healthy and happy lives? This report examines the connection between happiness, wellbeing, life satisfaction,...

Read more

European higher education in the 2020s

This report from UK think tank the Policy Institute brings together essays from leading higher education figures across Europe. Despite taking very different approaches to financing, higher education sectors across major European economies are experiencing the same underlying pressure. Universities have grown enormously since the 1950s, but public funding has not kept pace. The tools...

Read more

Fairer for all: Towards a centralised model of admissions and access at Oxford and Cambridge

This report from UK think tank HEPI argues that while the current collegiate model is central to student life, it can create confusion and inequality at the point of entry. A new HEPI Debate Paper argues that admissions to Oxford and Cambridge should be overhauled to make the system fairer, clearer and more consistent for...

Read more

Admissions not impossible

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust urges schools to review their admissions systems to address inequalities in access. This report sets out a clear case for why fairer school admissions must be central to any serious effort to improve inclusion. Drawing on new analysis, national data and our direct work with over...

Read more

School funding and the pupil premium 2026

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust reveals enduring challenges for schools. For a number of years, our annual survey of teachers has provided detailed insights into school funding pressures and how school leaders are spending their budgets. Last year’s release showed a worsening picture for school funding, with more school leaders reporting...

Read more

Educational psychologists in England

This report from UK think tank the Education Policy Institute provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Educational psychologists in England' provides the first comprehensive national assessment of the EP workforce since the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on eight years of administrative data and case studies from six local...

Read more

Related Events

16 July 2026

Location: Online

Think tank: National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR)

Tackling the youth employment challenge: Assessing the Milburn review, data gaps, and regional disparities

This event hosted by UK think tank NIESR will use the review’s key findings to explore wider questions for UK labour market policy. The publication of the Milburn Review into Young People and Work brought to the fore some of the challenges facing those aged 16-24 searching for work. Significant regional inequalities and structural failures...

Related Articles

As education recovers from the pandemic what should be the focus?

Universities must find ways to cultivate a sense of belonging amongst students By Alexis Brown (HEPI) It’s no secret that students have had a rough time of it during the pandemic. Those who weren’t in university yet missed out on the standardised tests and schooling that would normally prepare them for higher education, and those...

Read more