Welcome to my website. I set up this site as a way of storing research reports and other publications that I’ve worked on in the past as well as displaying my media appearances. I have also included a short biography and a contact form, should you wish to find out more.
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 explores emerging research evidence on the negative impacts of GenAI tools, urging the government to exercise greater caution in its advice to…
With Skills England expected to formally begin operating next month, this report shows that this government agency is likely to face an uphill struggle as it seeks to become a credible and respected organisation both within and outside government because it is already facing significant headwinds before it has officially commenced operation. The report identifies…
Through the new ‘Growth and Skills Levy’, the Government has signalled its desire to rebalance funding towards young people and entry-level training opportunities. While critics are keen to present the Government’s proposed shift away from funding Level 7 apprenticeships (equivalent to a Master’s degree) as worsening social mobility and employer flexibility, this report presents novel…
While media coverage of the financial challenges facing universities is understandable, the constant stream of dramatic newspaper headlines has reduced the space for discussion about how to put the whole post-18 (‘tertiary’) education system – including universities, colleges, apprenticeships and independent training providers – on a more sustainable path. The 2019 ‘Augar Review’ had sought…
Seeing as the Conservative Party is planning to replace A-levels and T-levels with an ‘Advanced British Standard’ while the Labour Party is planning a wide-ranging ‘curriculum and assessment review’, there is evidently a sense among politicians that our education system is in need of reform. That said, there is much less agreement on precisely what…
With a General Election due in the coming months, the Labour Party’s plans to add VAT to independent school fees has taken on even greater salience. The question of how much money this headline change would raise remains a source of heated debate. Last year, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded that…
Teachers and school leaders are currently facing an array of challenges – funding shortfalls, a teacher recruitment and retention crisis and questions over the safety of some buildings, to name but three. It may therefore seem like a curious time to be discussing the structure of the state school system, most notably the future direction…
The academic pathway from GCSEs to A-levels to an undergraduate degree at university is a well-trodden and well-understood route that attracts tens of thousands of young people in England every year. However, while this pathway receives considerable political and media interest, just 37 per cent of young people take three A-levels in their final years…
The political debate over the role, status and taxation of independent (‘private’) schools in England shows no sign of abating. Two issues have attracted considerable attention in recent months: the prospect of VAT being added to independent school fees; and the charitable status of independent schools. In the first part of this research project –…