Research themes
Our cutting-edge research seeks to inform evidence-led policy and practice to equalise opportunities.
Inequalities in educational attainment open early and widen throughout school, and this inequality has consequences for adult outcomes. But childhood circumstances still remain an important predictor of adult success, over and above educational attainment.
Our research explores how the education system, and the wider practices of universities and employers, can be improved to equalise opportunities.
Our current research programme has four main themes
Early years
Our work in early years seeks to understand and evaluate how children and families can be best supported to develop their skills.
Schools
Our schools research explores how and why educational inequalities widen through the school years.
Tertiary education
Our tertiary work team focuses on the role of universities and further education providers in providing opportunities for all young people.
Adulthood
Our adulthood work stream aims to understand the nature and extent of inequalities in adult outcomes.
COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO)
This major new youth cohort study will provide vital new evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic affects socio-economic inequalities in life chances.