What Works Centre for Education

What Works Centre for Education
Name	What Works Centre for Education
Formation	2013
Location	United Kingdom
Type	Research organisation

What Works Centre for Education The What Works Centre for Education was established to synthesise evidence on teaching, learning, assessment, and school improvement. It aimed to bridge research by organisations such as Education Endowment Foundation, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Nuffield Foundation, and Royal Society with practice in settings including Department for Education (United Kingdom), Ofsted, Local Government Association, and National Audit Office. The Centre sought to inform policy debates involving stakeholders like Parliament of the United Kingdom, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, British Educational Research Association, and Academies Enterprise Trust.

History

The organisational origins trace to reviews influenced by reports from Cameron ministry, Coalition government (UK, 2010–2015), and commissions such as the Mason Review and recommendations echoing the Sutton Trust and Roberts Review. Early governance referenced advisory inputs from figures associated with Department for Education (UK), House of Commons Education Select Committee, Chief Inspector of Schools, and think tanks like Institute of Education (now UCL Institute of Education), Centre for Policy Studies, and Resolution Foundation. Founding activities overlapped with initiatives by Nesta, Big Lottery Fund, Wellcome Trust, and Economic and Social Research Council to encourage evidence use. Subsequent phases involved collaboration with research hubs such as University College London, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, and University of Glasgow.

Purpose and Activities

The Centre’s remit encompassed synthesising trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews promoted by organisations such as What Works Network, Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration, and Education Endowment Foundation. Core activities included commissioning randomised controlled trials from teams at Institute for Fiscal Studies, RAND Corporation, National Foundation for Educational Research, and Centre for Economic Performance (LSE), alongside rapid evidence reviews involving British Educational Research Association, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society of Arts, and specialist units like Cambridge Assessment. Outputs sought to inform practitioners in settings influenced by Teach First, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Association of School and College Leaders, and provider organisations such as United Learning and Academies Enterprise Trust.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures referenced trustees and boards drawing from institutions such as Department for Education (United Kingdom), Education Endowment Foundation, Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Big Lottery Fund, and Julius Baer Foundation. Funding streams combined public allocations from HM Treasury, philanthropic grants from Sutton Trust, Carnegie UK Trust, Nesta, and research grants from Economic and Social Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council. Accountability mechanisms engaged bodies like National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee, Parliamentary Liaison Committee, and oversight interactions with Crown Commercial Service and Charity Commission for England and Wales where applicable.

Evaluations and Methodology

Methodological approaches drew from standards used by Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration, PRISMA, and statistical methods common to teams at Institute for Fiscal Studies, London School of Economics, University of Cambridge labs, and RAND Corporation. The Centre prioritised randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs championed by National Bureau of Economic Research, and synthesis methods similar to those used by What Works Network. Evaluation partners included National Foundation for Educational Research, Education Endowment Foundation, Behavioural Insights Team, and academic groups from Stanford University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology interested in comparative education metrics. Metrics and instruments referenced assessment work from Cambridge Assessment, Oxford University Press, Pearson PLC, and psychometric approaches aligned with British Psychological Society guidance.

Impact and Reception

Reactions came from parliamentary actors including the Education Select Committee (House of Commons), think tanks such as Institute for Government, Institute of Economic Affairs, Policy Exchange, and charities like Barnardo's and Save the Children. Schools and leaders in unions and associations including National Education Union, NASUWT, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and Association of School and College Leaders debated recommendations. Media coverage appeared in outlets such as BBC News, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Times, and The Telegraph, while academic citation networks included Google Scholar, Scopus, and bibliometric analyses by Clarivate Analytics. International observers from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and European Commission noted relevance for cross-national policy transfer.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The Centre worked with a network of partners including Education Endowment Foundation, Nuffield Foundation, Nesta, Wellcome Trust, Economic and Social Research Council, Institute for Fiscal Studies, National Foundation for Educational Research, Cambridge Assessment, RAND Corporation, Centre for Economic Performance (LSE), UCL Institute of Education, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, Teach First, Behavioural Insights Team, Department for Education (United Kingdom), Ofsted, Local Government Association, British Educational Research Association, Sutton Trust, Big Lottery Fund, Carnegie UK Trust, National Audit Office, House of Commons Education Select Committee, BBC News, The Guardian, Financial Times, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, European Commission, Stanford University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration, Pearson PLC, Oxford University Press, Clarivate Analytics, Google Scholar, Scopus, Charity Commission for England and Wales, Public Accounts Committee, Crown Commercial Service, Academies Enterprise Trust, United Learning, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Association of School and College Leaders, National Education Union, NASUWT, Barnardo's, Save the Children, Policy Exchange, Institute for Government.

Category:Education research organizations in the United Kingdom