This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government looks at the challenges facing the government in meeting its education priorities within budget. Research conducted since, including by the Institute for Government, shows that educational inequalities across English schools opened up at an alarming rate over this period, with some gaps growing to their...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis on young people in the UK. The cost-of-living crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have had profound consequences on young people, with potential implications for their future life chances. To look at these consequences in-depth, this...

This report from UK think tank the Resolution Foundation examines what the UK’s growing NEETs problem really looks like and how to fix it. Nearly one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) – the highest level in over a decade. While the Government’s new...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research examines how the Opportunity Areas programme affected young people’s hopes for their future lives. Over the last 15 years the UK has seen a downward trend in young people’s optimism about their futures, particularly among those living in England’s regions. The UK is already...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores the educational backgrounds of leading figures across many sectors. The six years since Elitist Britain 2019 have been a time of political and social turbulence at home and abroad, including wars, a pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and five prime ministers. Racial diversity and...

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation discusses how generative artificial intelligence could pose a risk to educational standards. The government has recently issued guidance to schools on the use of AI, but it pays too little attention to the effect of GenAI tools on learning (as opposed to performance). This paper...

This report from UK think tank PBE examines the economic benefits of mentoring LGBTQ+ young people. There is still limited understanding of what works, and what does not, when supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health. While the problem is increasingly acknowledged, the evidence base around effective interventions remains limited. Our report builds the evidence on...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government examines the performance gaps in schools. The 2010s saw educational attainment increase, and disparities narrow, across England’s schools – but this progress was brought to a shuddering halt when Covid hit. Since 2019, educational inequalities have again grown wider and more pronounced, both across the...

This report from UK think tank PBE provides new evidence of the long-term economic benefits of investing early in children’s mental health. Wellbeing boosts life chances. When children feel mentally well, they do better at school, build stronger relationships and reach their life-long potential. This report provides new evidence and analysis of the long-term economic...

This report from UK think tank HEPI assesses the benefits of learning a language and the current state of play in schools and universities. In this report, Megan Bowler from the University of Oxford considers the benefits that learning a language provides and assesses the current state of play in schools and universities. She ends...

This report from UK think tank PolicyWISE proactively engages the public in actions to boost health and wellbeing for the short and longer term. Take Five to Age Well (Take Five) policy brief is aimed at policy makers from all four nations. This is a public health campaign and research project that proactively engages the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Policy Research presents evidence from the raising of the participation age (RPA) in England. Implemented ten years ago in England, the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA) placed a duty on young people to remain in learning (although not confined to staying on at school) until...

This report from UK think tank HEPI explores the hidden impact of menstruation in higher education. The impact of menstrual cycles and periods on education is under researched. This new HEPI report aims to understand students’ experiences of menstruation education and the day-to day impact of menstrual cycles and periods on students’ higher education studies....

This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation sets out the challenges faced when delivering higher skills provision. The Government is ambitious to improve economic growth, but in an area that will be key for that to succeed – skills training – their approach has been muddled. This report sets out the challenges...

This report from UK think tank the Sutton Trust explores how AI is being used in schools today. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to bring about transformative change in practically every sector, including in the education system. In schools, we are just starting to see its impact, with AI tools already saving teachers time...

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...