Education Policy Institute

'Little progress' made in closing university progression gap Progress to get more disadvantaged pupils to attend university has stalled, warns think tank

↘️ 'Little progress' has been made in closing the university progression gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils, analysis from EPI shows
schoolsweek.co.uk/little-progr...

Closing the Forgotten Gap: Implementing a 16-19 Student Premium - Education Policy Institute Our new report, supported by Unbound Philanthropy, calls for a 16-19 student premium to tackle the sizeable attainment gap facing disadvantaged 16–19-year-olds. Building on recent research by EPI whic...

Taken in its entirety, this is not surprising given funding for disadvantaged students falls by a third during the 16–18 phase of education. We have previously proposed the introduction of a student premium to continue the support provided by the pupil premium.

epi.org.uk/publications...

Non-FSM students remain significantly more likely to progress to higher education than their FSM peers. While the gap narrowed from 2009 to 2017, progress has since plateaued. In 2023/24, non-FSM students were 1.69 times more likely to progress, as rates declined for both groups.

Our research on gender gaps in earlier phases of education has shown some narrowing since 2019 in the attainment gap. Female students are 1.33 times more likely to enter HE than male students in 2023/24, a modest increase from 1.26 in 2008/09. Progress on both fronts has slowed in recent years.

There has been steady progress in closing the gap in progression between students with no identified Special Educational Needs (SEN) and those with any identified SEN. For all HE, students with no SEN are now 2.37 times as likely to progress compared to SEN students, down from 3.96 in 2009/10.

This ‘return to normal’, however, has meant little progress in further narrowing the progression gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students.

Read our full analysis: epi.org.uk/publications...

A group of graduates in black gowns and purple tassels celebrate by throwing their mortarboards into the air outdoors, with trees and a historic building in the background. On the right, a light blue panel displays the logo of the Education Policy Institute and the following text: "Analysis Access and participation in Higher Education – 2023/24 Robbie Cruikshanks Read the full analysis on epi.org.uk"** along with a QR code.

Today's DfE data on access and participation shows a fall in higher education progression rates for almost all groups of students – likely a hangover from the increased acceptance rates of students who sat their A levels during the pandemic, when attainment was higher than in previous years.

There's so much I could say about why EPI is a great place to work, but suffice to say that I love it here! And EPI researcher posts don't come around very often, so do get in contact if you are interested.

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EPI is looking for a talented quantitative researcher to join our Vulnerable Learners & Post-16 team. Help shape evidence-based education policy and drive real change.

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Annual Report 2025 - Education Policy Institute The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report looks at the state of education in England, with a focus on the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.  EPI’s 2025 Annual Repor...

Read the full report: epi.org.uk/annual-repor...

Our Annual Report reveals a troubling trend: fewer disadvantaged young people are participating post-16 than at any point since 2019.

More than 1 in 5 disadvantaged 16-year-olds are now out of education or training.

It’s time to identify — and act on — the root causes of this sharp decline.

Annual Report 2025 - Education Policy Institute The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report looks at the state of education in England, with a focus on the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.  EPI’s 2025 Annual Repor...

Today the @edupolicyinst.bsky.social has published our latest assessment of educational inequalities in England. It’s a rich report but some of our most concerning findings relate to the early years where we find a deepening crisis: epi.org.uk/annual-repor...

Compulsory to 18? Too many drop out at 16 A decade after raising the participation age of education, many disadvantaged still leave education at 16

Writing in @feweek.bsky.social, EPI’s Sam Tuckett highlights new Annual Report findings showing that, a decade after the participation age was raised, thousands of disadvantaged students still leave education at 16—urging a rethink of post-GCSE support.

feweek.co.uk/compulsory-t...

A quote graphic from the Education Policy Institute featuring Chief Executive Natalie Perera. The quote reads: "Our latest Annual Report shows that, several years on, the education system has yet to recover from the profound impact of the pandemic. Our youngest and most vulnerable learners are still paying the price. This should be a significant concern for policymakers. Without swift action, we are baking lifelong disadvantage into the system. Tackling child poverty must be at the heart of the response.” Below the quote is a black-and-white photo of Natalie Perera, with her name and title beneath it. The Education Policy Institute logo is in the bottom-left corner.

Dive into our analysis and policy proposals here: epi.org.uk/annual-repor...

Identify and address the root causes of the sharp drop in post-16 participation among disadvantaged students.

Improve outcomes for the youngest pupils with SEND. As part of wider SEND reforms, the Government should prioritise training in child development and different types of SEND — making it a mandatory part of initial teacher training and early career development.

Publish the delayed child poverty strategy, backed by funded commitments:

➡️ Scrap the two-child benefit cap
➡️ Introduce automatic enrolment for free school meals

Increase funding for disadvantaged pupils:

➡️ Boost disadvantage funding across all education phases
➡️ Early Years Pupil Premium and new post-16 Student Premium to match the Pupil Premium in primary and secondary

We are calling on the Government to take urgent action. Our key policy recommendations ⬇️

Five-year-olds in England with special educational needs 20 months behind peers – report Children from lower-income families also remain significantly behind their peers as impact of pandemic continues to be felt

Young learners in England are facing a deepening crisis. Our Annual Report shows that disadvantaged five-year-olds are falling further behind their peers — and for children with SEND, the learning gap has widened to over 20 months, the widest gap on record 🧵

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Early adult outcomes for suspended pupils - Education Policy Institute This new report published by the Education Policy Institute, funded by youth education charity Impetus, has identified a ‘suspension employment gap’ with young people who are suspended at secondary sc...

There is a real risk that these young people experience poor outcomes. Our previous research found that pupils who were excluded more likely to be NEET and receiving out-of-work benefits in early adulthood.

epi.org.uk/publications...

As in previous years, the most commonly recorded reason for exclusion was persistent disruptive behaviour.

While the rise in permanent exclusion and suspension rates is driven primarily by increases in secondary schools, rates are also rising in primary. In 2023/24, over 100,000 children in primary school were suspended — a 24% increase from the year before.

📈 Permanent exclusions and suspensions continue their post-pandemic rise — both are at their highest level since records began.

Labour must resist interfering and let innovation happen The government's policies add up to an unspoken and risky tendency to control from the centre

Writing in @schoolsweek.bsky.social, EPI’s Director for School Workforce @jzuccollo.bsky.social urges policymakers to back fresh ideas and evidence-led reform to tackle the teacher supply crisis.

Comparing inequality and outcomes across post-16 education in the UK - Education Policy Institute Post-16 education and training systems across the UK have been undermined by constant policy churn, fragmented pathways, and a lack of sustained focus from policymakers, according to a report from the...

📖 Read the full report: epi.org.uk/publications...

🔧 Our recommendations include:

1️⃣ Improve apprenticeship participation
2️⃣ Establish stable post-16 pathways
3️⃣ Improve coordination at national and local levels
4️⃣ Embed employability skills in post-16 curricula
5️⃣ Use better data to tackle inequalities

⚠️ Without addressing these skills gaps, the system risks holding back progress on economic growth.

📍 In Wales, outcomes are particularly concerning: lower participation and attainment, and higher rates of young people not in education, employment or training – especially among those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

📉 All four UK nations must urgently review apprenticeship participation to ensure greater uptake. Apprenticeships are popular with young people – but too often, they simply aren't available to them.