James Zuccollo
@jzuccollo.bsky.social
Researching and writing about the school workforce @EduPolicyInst.bsky.social. UK education and economics.
Reposted by James Zuccollo
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...
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...
epi.org.uk
July 15, 2025 at 3:01 PM
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...
Me in @schoolsweek.bsky.social arguing that we should trust schools to try new things.
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.
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
schoolsweek.co.uk
July 9, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Me in @schoolsweek.bsky.social arguing that we should trust schools to try new things.
Reposted by James Zuccollo
🚨NEW PODCAST🚨
How and when are we going to get 6,500 new teachers?
@jackworth.bsky.social and @jzuccollo.bsky.social joined me to discuss why Labour's flagship education policy is proving hard to define and deliver in practice, and what should happen next.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
How and when are we going to get 6,500 new teachers?
@jackworth.bsky.social and @jzuccollo.bsky.social joined me to discuss why Labour's flagship education policy is proving hard to define and deliver in practice, and what should happen next.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
July 3, 2025 at 7:30 AM
🚨NEW PODCAST🚨
How and when are we going to get 6,500 new teachers?
@jackworth.bsky.social and @jzuccollo.bsky.social joined me to discuss why Labour's flagship education policy is proving hard to define and deliver in practice, and what should happen next.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
How and when are we going to get 6,500 new teachers?
@jackworth.bsky.social and @jzuccollo.bsky.social joined me to discuss why Labour's flagship education policy is proving hard to define and deliver in practice, and what should happen next.
Listen here: insideyoured.com
The Times reports a 35% rise in teachers leaving the Teacher Pension Scheme due to unaffordable contributions, forfeiting the 29% salary contribution from schools. Greater flexibility is needed. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
I know my public sector pension is great, but I can’t afford it
More than 80,000 NHS workers and teachers have opted out of workplace savings schemes in a year, as the cost of living makes contributions unmanageable
www.thetimes.com
June 23, 2025 at 4:08 PM
The Times reports a 35% rise in teachers leaving the Teacher Pension Scheme due to unaffordable contributions, forfeiting the 29% salary contribution from schools. Greater flexibility is needed. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...
Reposted by James Zuccollo
Ten years ago, there was no gender pay gap for secondary headteachers. Now, it's widening, with the current median salary for women £6k behind that of their male counterparts. What's going on? My @tesmagazine.bsky.social analysis
Why are female secondary heads £6K worse off than men?
The gender pay gap for secondary headteachers is widening. Ten years ago there wasn't a gap at all. What's going on? Ellen Peirson-Hagger analyses the data
www.tes.com
June 12, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Ten years ago, there was no gender pay gap for secondary headteachers. Now, it's widening, with the current median salary for women £6k behind that of their male counterparts. What's going on? My @tesmagazine.bsky.social analysis
An important reminder that implementation details matter enormously and policy announcements are not the thing itself.
Our new report, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, shows significant variation in how free school meals (FSM) and free early years meals (FEYM) are accessed across schools and local authorities (LA) in England.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Free school meal plan requires key change to stop children ‘missing out’, Labour told
Experts say children may not receive the meals they are eligible for
www.independent.co.uk
June 12, 2025 at 10:03 AM
An important reminder that implementation details matter enormously and policy announcements are not the thing itself.
Excellent point made by Jack: the ITT figures are a glimmer of hope, not a clear sign we've turned the corner on teacher recruitment. It means we need to keep going, not relax and ease up. schoolsweek.co.uk/recruitment-...
Recruitment crisis: Are we finally turning the corner?
This week's positive news has some asking whether Labour might be able to ditch its 6,500 new teachers pledge
schoolsweek.co.uk
May 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Excellent point made by Jack: the ITT figures are a glimmer of hope, not a clear sign we've turned the corner on teacher recruitment. It means we need to keep going, not relax and ease up. schoolsweek.co.uk/recruitment-...
Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2024 www.gov.uk/government/s...
March 27, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2024 www.gov.uk/government/s...
Great to see this sort of innovation in state schools: practical steps to try to improve pay and recruitment.
Trust to go ahead with pension change despite DfE 'threats'
Biggest MAT to press on with plan to offer less generous pensions in return for higher salaries
schoolsweek.co.uk
March 27, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Great to see this sort of innovation in state schools: practical steps to try to improve pay and recruitment.
I've only just discovered the treasure trove of code published by DfE Analytical Services on their Github! Very, very cool that DfE are open-sourcing more of their data and code for others to see and use.
DfE Analytical Services
DfE Analytical Services has 107 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
buff.ly
December 20, 2024 at 4:33 PM
I've only just discovered the treasure trove of code published by DfE Analytical Services on their Github! Very, very cool that DfE are open-sourcing more of their data and code for others to see and use.
Great post on the new schools bill! The ambition is right but standardising and centralising is not the route to improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. We've been there before and it won't change the financial challenges or level of pupil need that schools are having to deal with.
My latest blog looking at Labour's approach to school policy -- are some of the policies risking breaking opportunity instead of barriers?
Labour's stated mission is to break down barriers to opportunity. Yet some of its policies risk undermining the very system that has best driven the improvement of so many weak schools. Here, Head of Education Tiffany Beck digs deeper into recent policy announcements ➡️ plmr.co.uk/2024/12/digg...
December 20, 2024 at 1:53 PM
Great post on the new schools bill! The ambition is right but standardising and centralising is not the route to improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. We've been there before and it won't change the financial challenges or level of pupil need that schools are having to deal with.
Good illustration of the effect of Budget changes on schools' ability to offer pay rises by @barnettwaddingham.bsky.social . Whether or not we agree with the tax changes, we shouldn't be blind to the trade-offs, or the potential mitigations.
Barnett Waddingham - How independent schools can empower their people with flexible pension options
Learn how flexible pension options can boost staff satisfaction and retention in independent schools.
buff.ly
December 10, 2024 at 10:58 AM
Good illustration of the effect of Budget changes on schools' ability to offer pay rises by @barnettwaddingham.bsky.social . Whether or not we agree with the tax changes, we shouldn't be blind to the trade-offs, or the potential mitigations.
Reposted by James Zuccollo
🗣️Commenting on the initial teacher training statistics released today, @jzuccollo.bsky.social , Director for School Workforce at the Education Policy Institute said👇
December 5, 2024 at 11:13 AM
🗣️Commenting on the initial teacher training statistics released today, @jzuccollo.bsky.social , Director for School Workforce at the Education Policy Institute said👇
Very useful charts here on the background of people who enter teaching.
We have been looking at the recent trends in graduate numbers by subject and thinking about what it might mean for the supply of potential teachers
The trends are actually quite positive overall, including for STEM 📈! (But not for languages 😬)
www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/what-r...
The trends are actually quite positive overall, including for STEM 📈! (But not for languages 😬)
www.nfer.ac.uk/blogs/what-r...
What recent trends in graduate numbers could mean for the future of teacher supply
NFER School Workforce lead Jack Worth has blogged about what recent trends in graduate numbers could mean for the future of teacher supply.
www.nfer.ac.uk
November 28, 2024 at 12:51 PM
Very useful charts here on the background of people who enter teaching.
Reposted by James Zuccollo
Really important new report here by @kerriscooper.bsky.social , shedding light on the issue of food poverty in the #EarlyYears. Food poverty is not only higher amongst the under 5s, but is also experienced at a time when nutrition is most important for development.
📝Today the Education Policy Institute has published a report ‘What can we do to reduce food poverty for under-fives?’ by @kerriscooper.bsky.social and Dr Eva Jimenez funded by the KPMG Foundation.
You can read the full report 👇
epi.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Continue below for the main findings⬇️
You can read the full report 👇
epi.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Continue below for the main findings⬇️
November 28, 2024 at 10:14 AM
Really important new report here by @kerriscooper.bsky.social , shedding light on the issue of food poverty in the #EarlyYears. Food poverty is not only higher amongst the under 5s, but is also experienced at a time when nutrition is most important for development.
Our latest report on headteachers' movements is out now. See the full thing below and read @joanacardimdias.bsky.social on what it means at www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
November 26, 2024 at 9:31 AM
Our latest report on headteachers' movements is out now. See the full thing below and read @joanacardimdias.bsky.social on what it means at www.tes.com/magazine/ana...
Reposted by James Zuccollo
Analysis published this week from Universities UK finds that graduates in every UK region earn at least a third more than their non-graduate counterparts
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/...
It's crucial that we continue to support fair access to HE for students from poorer backgrounds (1/2)
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/...
It's crucial that we continue to support fair access to HE for students from poorer backgrounds (1/2)
New analysis reveals graduates in every region earn at least a third more
Universities UK’s new analysis of government LEO (Longitudinal Education Outcomes) data demonstrates those who chose to attend university earn significantly more than those who didn’t.
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
November 22, 2024 at 1:50 PM
Analysis published this week from Universities UK finds that graduates in every UK region earn at least a third more than their non-graduate counterparts
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/...
It's crucial that we continue to support fair access to HE for students from poorer backgrounds (1/2)
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/...
It's crucial that we continue to support fair access to HE for students from poorer backgrounds (1/2)
The latest Teacher Wellbeing Index from @edsupportuk.bsky.social illustrates the lack of support schools get from other agencies. Is it any wonder school staff are feeling under increasing pressure? www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/fo...
November 20, 2024 at 1:54 PM
The latest Teacher Wellbeing Index from @edsupportuk.bsky.social illustrates the lack of support schools get from other agencies. Is it any wonder school staff are feeling under increasing pressure? www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/fo...
Reposted by James Zuccollo
Some horrible stats in this @edsupportuk.bsky.social report
84% of leaders and 78% of teachers stressed
77% of workforce reports psychological or behavioural symptoms due to their work
Majority report increase in poor behaviour and vexatious parental complaints
schoolsweek.co.uk/leader-stres...
84% of leaders and 78% of teachers stressed
77% of workforce reports psychological or behavioural symptoms due to their work
Majority report increase in poor behaviour and vexatious parental complaints
schoolsweek.co.uk/leader-stres...
Leader stress 'chronic and acute' as pupil behaviour worsens
Education Support warns of 'disturbingly high rates of stress, anxiety, and burnout' among school staff
schoolsweek.co.uk
November 20, 2024 at 8:50 AM
Some horrible stats in this @edsupportuk.bsky.social report
84% of leaders and 78% of teachers stressed
77% of workforce reports psychological or behavioural symptoms due to their work
Majority report increase in poor behaviour and vexatious parental complaints
schoolsweek.co.uk/leader-stres...
84% of leaders and 78% of teachers stressed
77% of workforce reports psychological or behavioural symptoms due to their work
Majority report increase in poor behaviour and vexatious parental complaints
schoolsweek.co.uk/leader-stres...
Our new report out today by @lukesibieta.bsky.social @jojohutchinson.bsky.social and Joni Kelly.
📝NEW: Today the Education Policy Institute has published a new report commissioned by the Welsh Government, reviewing approaches that might attract and retain teachers in challenging schools across Wales.
Read the full report : epi.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Continue below⬇️
Read the full report : epi.org.uk/wp-content/u...
Continue below⬇️
November 19, 2024 at 11:09 AM
Our new report out today by @lukesibieta.bsky.social @jojohutchinson.bsky.social and Joni Kelly.
Reposted by James Zuccollo
🚨Blog: What do we know about teachers’ use of edtech?
📝Latest analysis by Dr Joana Cardim Dias and Helen McGlade explores current edtech usage in schools, impact on teacher workload, and efforts to support equitable and effective adoption
Read more👇
epi.org.uk/publications...
📝Latest analysis by Dr Joana Cardim Dias and Helen McGlade explores current edtech usage in schools, impact on teacher workload, and efforts to support equitable and effective adoption
Read more👇
epi.org.uk/publications...
What do we know about teachers' use of edtech? - Education Policy Institute
Education technology (edtech) has been available for the past couple of decades, but since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the move to online learning during subsequent lockdowns, the use of ed...
epi.org.uk
November 15, 2024 at 2:52 PM
🚨Blog: What do we know about teachers’ use of edtech?
📝Latest analysis by Dr Joana Cardim Dias and Helen McGlade explores current edtech usage in schools, impact on teacher workload, and efforts to support equitable and effective adoption
Read more👇
epi.org.uk/publications...
📝Latest analysis by Dr Joana Cardim Dias and Helen McGlade explores current edtech usage in schools, impact on teacher workload, and efforts to support equitable and effective adoption
Read more👇
epi.org.uk/publications...