Attainment gaps between students eligible and not eligible for free school meals at different stages of the education system in England, 2022/23 academic year

Understand this issue

Spending Review 2025: What it means and why it matters

podcast

We take a closer look at the Spending Review and what the policies mean for public services, investment and the wider economy. 

12 June 2025

Sure Start’s wide-ranging and long-lasting benefits highlight the impact of integrated early years services

press release

Over the long run, Sure Start’s financial benefits could be twice as high as its costs

22 May 2025

The Schools Bill: what's changing and why?

podcast

The bill aims to improve education and social care for children. But will it work?

11 March 2025

Policy analysis

Benefits - and costs - of expanding access to free school meals will grow over time

comment

Expanded access to free school meals will benefit 1.7 million children in the long run, but existing transitional protections limit effects next year.

4 June 2025

What the spending review really means for schools

comment

The next few years are going to be very tight for school budgets and forecasting anything more than a real-terms freeze is highly optimistic.

12 June 2025

Using graduate earnings data in the regulation of higher education providers

report

This report explores options for incorporating administrative records on graduate earnings into the OfS’ regulation of higher education in England. 

29 May 2025

Academic research

The short- and long-run effects of paying disadvantaged teenagers to go to school

working paper

This working paper studies the long-run effect of a cash transfer to disadvantaged students on educational attainment, earnings and crime.

26 February 2025

Measuring cost of living inequality during an inflation surge

working paper

We provide new evidence that inflation inequality surged during the 2021–2023 cost-of living crisis.

9 May 2025

Estimating intra-household sharing from time-use data

working paper

Estimating intra-household sharing is crucial to understanding overall inequality. However, expenditure data is almost always at the household level.

2 May 2025