Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Eric Lybeck Filed Under: All posts, Education, Urban Posted:
In 2019, the world watched as flames consumed the Notre Dame Cathedral, an irreplaceable cultural treasure. Yet, against all odds, the cathedral is poised to reopen this year, a testament to extraordinary skill and determination. In stark contrast UK restoration projects can take decades – or fail to materialise in favour of demolition. In this […]
By Caroline Bond Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:
Poverty and disadvantage have considerable effects on children and young people. For many young people multiple aspects of disadvantage affect their lives and increase the risk of negative outcomes. In the UK, austerity, funding cuts and Covid-19 have contributed to increasing levels of poverty and disproportionately affected disadvantaged children. In this article, Professor Caroline Bond […]
By Ola Demkowicz, Suzanne Hamilton, Lauren Burke and Annie O'Brien Filed Under: Education, Health and Care Posted:
As concerns surrounding children’s mental health continue to grow, the role schools can play in supporting children’s mental health is receiving more attention. Universal, school-based interventions known as “Social and emotional learning” (SEL) interventions, delivered to all children, are a cost-effective and non-stigmatising approach to supporting wellbeing and healthy child development. These interventions aim to […]
By Carl Emery, Louisa Dawes and Sandra Clare Filed Under: All posts Posted:
Child poverty in the UK is a pervasive problem, with the latest figures showing that 29% of children in the UK are growing up in poverty. This rises to nearly 50% in families with more than three children. Child poverty is not spread evenly across the UK. 23.8% of pupils are eligible for free school […]
By Louisa Dawes and Andrew Howes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Education Posted:
Teacher recruitment and retention is currently in a critical state – as outlined by The National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) 2024 report on the teacher labour market in England. This puts at risk the quality of education that children and young people receive. In this article, Andrew Howes and Louisa Dawes acknowledge the Labour […]
By Caroline Bond Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:
Improving school attendance is a key priority for schools, education policymakers and local authorities, as regular school attendance is widely recognised as a key component of learning and educational achievement. Despite this, rates of persistent school absence have increased considerably since the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of returning to pre-pandemic levels. In this article, […]
The role of education settings in promoting good wellbeing and mental health among children and young people has been increasingly formalised in national policy. But often the voices of the key stakeholders – children and young people – are not adequately sought, heard, or given due weight. In this article, Dr Ola Demkowicz, Dr Alexandra […]
By Claire Forbes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Education, Levelling up Posted:
How to raise educational outcomes and solve the entrenched attainment gaps between more and less affluent young people has long been a policy concern of successive governments. As the current government moves away from place-based approaches and towards curricular reform to address these gaps, Dr Claire Forbes will suggest that more needs to be done […]
By Charlotte Bagnall Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:
The number of young children experiencing poor emotional wellbeing is increasing rapidly, most acutely for vulnerable children, such as those with special educational needs (SEND), experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding (PPF) and have been or are at risk of being excluded and/or suspended. In this article, Dr Charlotte Bagnall […]
By Carl Emery and Louisa Dawes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Education Posted:
In 2020/21, 3.9 million children in the UK are living in relative poverty (in households with an income less than 60% of the median household income). While policy aims to address the attainment gap linked to poverty, the current approach will take 500 years to close that gap. In this article, from our Power in […]