Today, we’ve opened our first funding round of 2023 that focuses on three priority areas, identified as having gaps in the evidence base and with potential to benefit socio-economically disadvantaged pupils.
Our flagship research theme for 2023 is on supporting the recruitment and retention of teachers in schools with high levels of disadvantaged pupils. We’ll also fund research into EdTech approaches, and supporting GCSE maths and English resits in post-16 settings.
Across the three areas and over the course of the year, we’ll fund different types of research – including evidence synthesis, practice reviews, quasi-experimental studies, and randomised controlled trials – to add to the evidence base of what we know about improving outcomes.
We know that high-quality teaching is the most important lever schools have for improving attainment, particularly for socio-economically disadvantaged pupils who benefit the most. Yet attracting and retaining teachers, particularly in schools serving a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils, is one of the biggest challenges our education system faces.
