UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities

What explains whether the effects of education interventions persist or fade over time?

Larger initial effects ✅

Treatment fidelity/dosage ❌

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/...

Picture of Felix on flyer advertising his seminar entitled "Random placement but real bias"

We're delighted to have Prof Felix Weinhardt giving the @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social seminar this Thursday!

He'll discuss biases introduced when randomising across schools/regions and what we can do about them!

🕕3-4pm Thur 5th Mar
📍Online or in-person (219, 26 Bedford Way)

Sign up: tinyurl.com/yanfx8j7

How Early Morning Classes Change Academic Trajectories: Evidence From a Natural Experiment Using a natural experiment which randomized class times to students, this study reveals that enrolling in early morning classes lowers students’ course grades and the likelihood of future STEM course....

Did you struggle with early morning courses at university? 🥱

That may have affected your choices more than you imagined...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

CEPEO ADRUK Introduction to Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data Join us for this online intro to the datasets comprising LEO, including university applications and the businesses in which individuals work

Details and registration:

💻 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

🧑‍💻 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

Want to use the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset in your research?

Two CEPEO–ADR UK trainings this spring:

💻 Online Intro to LEO — 23–24 Mar 2026
🧑‍💻 Practical LEO workshop using R (London) — 20 Apr 2026

Learn how to access, build, and analyse linked education–earnings data.

A-Levels: econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...
Mismatch: econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...

5️⃣ Post-16 transitions

The target: 2/3 of young people in higher-level learning by age 25 🎓

Our research shows that disadvantaged students are less likely to take university-aligned courses and are more likely to be mismatched to their choice of university.

4️⃣ Teacher recruitment & retention

Plans to recruit 6,500 teachers are reaffirmed, plus improved maternity pay 👩‍🏫

We break down the challenges and feasibility of hitting this recruitment target, and what it means for addressing teacher shortages across England: blogs.ucl.ac.uk/cepeo/2024/0...

The short- and medium-term effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes | Institute for Fiscal Studies An evaluation of Sure Start’s impacts on education, health, absences, special educational needs, crime and social care, plus a cost–benefit analysis.

3️⃣ Early years & holistic support

Reforms emphasise earlier identification and coordination across education and health.

Our research with IFS is cited, showing how early support can improve outcomes.

ifs.org.uk/publications...

2️⃣ SEND reforms

The White Paper proposes major SEND reforms, with more funding for inclusive practice and specialists.

Our work estimates future SEND demand using early child development, health, and background indicators to help identify needs sooner.

blogs.ucl.ac.uk/cepeo/2025/1...

1️⃣ Tackling the disadvantage gap

The government aims to halve the disadvantage gap and use income data, not FSM eligibility, to target Pupil Premium funding.

We highlight why moving beyond blunt thresholds matters for targeting support and improving outcomes: econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...

The long-awaited Schools White Paper, “Every child achieving and thriving,” arrived yesterday with lots to digest.

At the UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities, we study how policy can reduce inequality and improve life chances.

Here are 5 takeaways from CEPEO 👇

CEPEO ADRUK Introduction to Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data Join us for this online intro to the datasets comprising LEO, including university applications and the businesses in which individuals work

📊 Interested in using Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data?

Join our CEPEO–ADR UK training this spring:

💻 Online (23–24 March)
🧑‍💻 In-person R workshop (20 April)

Find out more and sign up ⬇️
Online: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

In person: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at UCL Discover an exciting academic career path as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

🚨 We are hiring! 🚨

CEPEO is a really great place to work and you'll be contributing to 2 important projects.

This post-doc role involves engaging with practitioners and employers to ensure high-impact research!

For more info and to apply: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK316/p...

CEPEO-ADRUK Practical Intro to Longitudinal Education Outcomes data using R Join us for this in-person practical workshop to learn how to use the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset using R

And if that's not enough, we have an IN PERSON workshop (using R) to provide new users with practical insight into the content of LEO and how it can be used to address interesting and policy-relevant research questions

20th April from 10:30am to 4:30pm GMT+1

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

CEPEO ADRUK Introduction to Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data Join us for this online intro to the datasets comprising LEO, including university applications and the businesses in which individuals work

🤓 CEPEO course alert

The @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social team of data experts is running two more admin training courses in March and April!

First, we have an online course to learn more about the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset

23 March at 9:30am GMT

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at UCL Discover an exciting academic career path as a Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

🚨 We are hiring! 🚨

CEPEO is a really great place to work and you'll be contributing to 2 important projects.

This post-doc role involves engaging with practitioners and employers to ensure high-impact research!

For more info and to apply: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK316/p...

🎓🎓 Don't miss our second seminar of 2026 tomorrow 🎓🎓

Christine from IFS will be telling us about the impacts of early-childhood programme Sure Start

There's still time to sign up to join online: tinyurl.com/yanfx8j7

CEPEO-ADRUK Practical Intro to Longitudinal Education Outcomes data using R Join us for this in-person practical workshop to learn how to use the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset using R

And if that's not enough, we have an IN PERSON workshop (using R) to provide new users with practical insight into the content of LEO and how it can be used to address interesting and policy-relevant research questions

20th April from 10:30am to 4:30pm GMT+1

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

CEPEO ADRUK Introduction to Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data Join us for this online intro to the datasets comprising LEO, including university applications and the businesses in which individuals work

🤓 CEPEO course alert

The @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social team of data experts is running two more admin training courses in March and April!

First, we have an online course to learn more about the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset

23 March at 9:30am GMT

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

We're delighted to have @ckfarquharson.bsky.social giving the @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social seminar next week!

She'll be talking about her work estimating the impact of Sure Start on education, health and more.

🕕3-4pm Thurs 5th Feb
📍Online or in-person (541, 20 Bedford Way)

Sign up: tinyurl.com/yanfx8j7

After the pandemic: a generation-defining challenge The COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study is the largest study of its kind into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of...

I contributed a chapter co-authored with @carlcullinane.bsky.social & @beckymontacute.bsky.social and drawing on the work of the whole cosmostudy.uk team @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social & @suttontrust.bsky.social summarising our findings on the unequal impacts of the pandemic.

Don't forget our @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social seminar series kicks off at 3pm today!

And second, we have an IN PERSON computer workshop to provide new users with practical insight into the content of the National Pupil Database and how it can be used to address interesting and policy-relevant research questions

Feb 25 from 10:30am to 4:30pm GMT

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

CEPEO ADRUK - Introduction to the National Pupil Database Join us for this online course offering a more detailed intro to the NPD for those wanting maximum insight into its constituent datasets

🤓The @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social team of data experts is running two admin training courses in February!

First, we have an online course for those who wish to learn more about the National Pupil Database

Feb 10 and Feb 11 at 9.30am GMT

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

Great event on regional inequalities and the NEET challenge hosted by @smfthinktank.bsky.social with Alan Milburn and lots of other great speakers, including one of our fantastic Sutton Trust alums!

❄️Our winter seminar series kicks off next week, with the excellent @hettieburn.bsky.social ❄️

She will be talking about her work on play based learning in early childhood

3pm on Thursday 22nd January

sign up below:

ucl.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#winterofnewcontent

credit to @opmc1.bsky.social for that one...

Inaugural Lecture: Improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people Prof Lindsey Macmillan will talk us through her research over the past 20 years on breaking down barriers to opportunity at each life stage.

🎟️Book your place!

We are so proud that our director @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social is giving her inaugural lecture

Come and hear about all her amazing work over the last 20 years to improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people

🔜12 March

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-...

#inaugyleccy

Social mobility, regional inequalities and the NEET challenge with Alan Milburn - Social Market Foundation. This event will respond to Alan Milburn’s newly launched review and call for a ‘movement’ to address the rising numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training.

This afternoon:

Social mobility, regional inequalities and the NEET challenge with Alan Milburn

featuring our director @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social and sure to be fascinating

www.smf.co.uk/events/socia...