Report — November 2023
Preliminary research into how trusts and schools narrow attainment gaps between pupils from different ethnic groups
In January 2023, the Department for Education, working with the Cabinet Office’s Equality Hub, commissioned Isos Partnership to undertake exploratory research into how academy trusts and schools have improved the achievement of, and closed achievement gaps between, pupils from different ethnic groups. The research took place during the spring term and the first half of the summer term 2023, and involved discussions with trust and school leaders within nine academy trusts, one maintained school and national education sector organisations. The report can be read here.
Report — November 2023
FROM HOME TO THE CLASSROOM: MAKING TRAVEL TO SCHOOL SERVICES SUSTAINABLE
In 2019, Isos Partnership published research that showed the pressures placed on local government finances by duties to transport children and young people to school. Four years later, county councils and county unitary authorities are facing a perfect storm in relation to expenditure on home to school transport. This research, commissioned by the County Councils Network, explores the factors driving increasing expenditure on home to school transport, projects what may happen to budgets in future if no policy changes are made, and makes recommendations for national legislative change. The report can be read here.
Report — October 2023
a maturing approach to children’s services improvement: updating the key enablers of progress
What are the key enablers of improvement in children’s services? This research, commissioned by the Local Government Association, draws on the experiences of nine local areas and refreshes our findings on children’s services improvement from 2016. The research shows that the seven key enablers that drive improvement in children’s services have stood the test of time, but these are now underpinned by a stronger focus on the voice of children and young people, a more mature approach to working in partnership and achieving a positive change of culture across a local area. The report can be read here.
Report — July 2023
Research on the nature, impact and drivers of nursery closures in England
What is really going on with nursery closures? How different is it to the past? How concerned should we be for the future? The Local Government Association commissioned Isos Partnership to undertake a short research project to understand current trends better. The report draws on new data analysis, a national survey of local authorities and interviews in high closure areas. We also make a series of recommendations for local and national government. The report can be read here.
Report — July 2022
Beyond Boundaries: research on the integration of early years systems and services in London and how to work better together
What does effective integration across early years systems and services look like? And what further steps are needed to create joined-up support and ensure no child or family falls through the net? This research, produced for London Councils, builds on the existing evidence base on early years integration with new insights from early years leaders, professionals and parents across the capital. We consider the current state of connectedness across key pre-birth to five services, identifying six common barriers to effectively working together to meet children's needs, and 12 enablers or "conditions of success". These have relevance for local authorities and partners in health and the voluntary and private sector in London and more widely. The report makes recommendations for moving further beyond boundaries through changes at the local, regional and national levels. It is available to read here.
Report — March 2022
Research into how local authorities are ensuring
sufficient places and supporting vulnerable children
We were commissioned to undertake research to explore the role of local authorities in a diverse education system. Building on our previous research into the evolving roles of local authorities, this research focused on the role in relation to planning school places and supporting vulnerable children. The report is available to read here.
Report — March 2022
agreeing to disagree? research into arrangements for avoiding disagreements and resolving disputes in the Send system in england
One of the aims of the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) reforms was to ensure disagreements and disputes could be resolved earlier, through dialogue and without recourse to judicial means. Over seven years on from the reforms, the number of disputes in the SEND have more than doubled, while the rate of appeals has also increased. We undertook research, commissioning by the Local Government Association, into what is causing the rise in disagreements and disputes in the SEND system and what is needed at national level to address those challenges. The report is available to read here.
Report — September 2021
working for babies: listening to local voices for a better recovery
Our first Working for babies report, Working for babies: Lockdown lessons from local systems, shone a light on how local leaders and professionals took extraordinary steps to adapt, innovate and support families during the first national lockdown. But what does a good recovery look like for families with babies and the services that support them? We worked with the First 1001 Days Movement and the Local Government Association to facilitate a series of online “action learning set” conversations for professionals and service leaders across England to reflect on the evolving challenge, identify new system strengths, and consider what needs to happen next. The key messages from these sessions are summarised in our recent paper, which can be read here.
Report — May 2021
Responsibility-based models of decision-making, funding and commissioning for alternative provision
In 2018, we were commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to undertake research into how local alternative provision (AP) “systems” operated and what made for an effective local system of AP. One of the key findings concerned the importance of mainstream schools remaining responsible for pupils who require support from AP. In the autumn term of 2019, working with Peter Gray, we undertook follow-up research with 12 local areas to explore how local areas have developed systems of decision-making, funding and commissioning of AP based on responsibility for pupils placed in AP. The result is a practically-focused report that sets out the main types of “responsibility-based” models of local AP systems, and the key factors in establishing and sustaining such models. The report can be read here.
Report — March 2021
better connected: how local education and children’s services in england have responded to the coronavirus pandemic
On 23 March 2020, the UK Prime Minister gave citizens a very simple instruction: ‘you must stay at home’. So began the first national coronavirus lockdown. A year on, we are publishing this research report, commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), which explores how education and children’s services in eight local areas in England have responded and adapted to the pandemic between March 2020 and March 2021. The report details the different stages and foci of activity during this twelve-month period, the factors that have shaped local areas’ responses, the challenges, as well as the implications for children’s services and education and lessons that can be learned both now and in the future. The report is available here.
Report — January 2021
Working for babies: Lockdown lessons from local systems
In July 2020, the First 1001 Days Movement commissioned Jodie Reed and Isos Partnership to explore the impact of the coronavirus crisis across the UK on babies and their families in the first 1001 days. Through the project, we have explored the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the spring lockdown on babies aged 0-2, the implications for local services, the factors that have shaped local responses, and lessons and challenges for the future. The report was launched on 19 January and contains useful messages for policy-makers, commissioners and providers across the UK. It can be read here.
Report — November 2020
Children missing education
This research was commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) in December 2019 in response to a growing concern that increasing numbers of children were missing out on their entitlement to a formal, full-time education. Through this research, we have explored how many children are missing out on formal, full-time education, what we know about who those children are, what we know about the long-term impact of missing education, as well as how local and national government might work together to address this issue. The report can be read here.
Seminar series — February 2020
developing and sustaining effective local send systems: regional workshops focused on fostering effective partnership working across education, health and care
Following our research, Developing and sustaining an effective local SEND system, we were asked by the Local Government Association (LGA) to facilitate a series of regional workshops specifically focused on how local areas could develop strong and effective partnership working across education, health and care to support young people with SEND and their families. We facilitated eight regional workshops across England, in which over 300 people representing 99 local areas took part. A summary of the key themes and practical messages partnership working across education, health and care services can be read here, along with two partnership self-evaluation tools that we co-developed through the workshops, which can be found here.
Report — January 2020
Building Resilience: How local partnerships are supporting children and young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing
Commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), this research explores some of the factors which are contributing to the nationally challenging context of rising demand for children and young people requiring mental health support. It also provides an evidence base for how local government and its partners can work most effectively together to deliver a coherent and joined-up offer of support for children and young people’s mental health. The report can be read here.
Report — January 2020
Developing an effective local youth offer
Commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), this research outlines the factors that facilitate or hamper the development of an effective local youth offer, seeking to build on the LGA’s Vision for Youth Services (2017). The report looks at the full range of provision in a local area that supports youth related activity, including local authority youth services and provision delivered by the Voluntary and Community Sector and other partners. The report can be read here.
Report — October 2019
Understanding the drivers for rising demand and associated costs for home-to-school transport
Commissioned by the Local Government Association and supported by the County Councils Network, this research explores the drivers of increased pressures on home-to-school transport budgets; how councils seek to bring budgets under control; and what they need to support them to do this. The report can be read here.
Report — July 2019
Under Pressure: An exploration of demand and spending in children’s social care and for children with special educational needs in London
Commissioned by London Councils, this research explores the causes of the growing pressures on budgets for young people with high needs and for children’s social care budget. Based on extensive analysis of data provided by London boroughs and in-depth fieldwork engagements with 14 boroughs. The research makes clear that high needs and children’s social care budgets are facing an unsustainable financial risk, and sets out what is needed at individual borough, pan-London and national policy level to address these pressures. The report can be read here.
Report — March 2019
The key enablers of developing an effective partnership-based early help offer
Commissioned by the Local Government Association, this research explores the enablers of and barriers to developing and sustaining and effective early help offer. It is based on in-depth fieldwork in eight local areas selected on the basis of their interesting or innovative practice in the field of early help. The report can be read here.
Report — December 2018
Have we reached a ‘tipping point’? Trends in spending for children and young people with SEND in England
Commissioned by the Local Government Association, this research quantifies the current pressure on budgets for children and young people with SEND and explores the reasons behind the increasing expenditure on high needs funding. It is based on a national high needs funding survey, completed by 93 local authorities, and in-depth fieldwork in nine representative local areas. The report can be read here.
Report — November 2018
Developing and sustaining an effective local SEND system
Commissioned by the Local Government Association, Isos Partnership have engaged 63 councils across England, as well as local partners, to identify and distil some of the key practical messages and examples about how councils can develop and sustain effective, system-level approaches to supporting young people with special educational needs and disability. The report can be read here.
Report — October 2018
Alternative provision market analysis
Commissioned by the Department for Education, Isos Partnership led a significant research project looking at alternative provision in England – what provision is available, how it is used, and how effectviely the alternative provision system is working. The research involved gathering evidence from 118 local authorities, and in-depth fieldwork visits to 15 local areas. The report can be read here.
Report — January 2018
Enabling School Improvement: Research into the role of local authorities in supporting local school improvement systems
Commissioned by the Local Government Association, this Isos Partnership report explains our learning about nine key conditions that we believe are needed to help develop effective local school improvement systems, and the role that authorities can play to help establish them. The report contains case studies on eight local systems and can be read here.
Report — Summer 2017
Enabling Improvement: Research into the role and models of improvement support for local children’s services
Following our action research into the enablers of improvement in local children’s services, Isos Partnership undertook a follow-up study, commissioned by the Local Government Association, to explore the role of external improvement support for local children’s services and analyse which models are most likely to be effective in different circumstances. The report can be read here.
Report — Spring 2017
Understanding costs of A Level provision via the decision-making process behind class sizes
During the academic year 2015/16, Isos Partnership undertook research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) exploring how different post-16 providers – school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, further education colleges and university technical colleges – were making decisions about A Level class sizes and cost-efficiency. The DfE recently published our report, which can be read here.
Report — Summer 2016
Action research into improvement in local children’s services – research report commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA)
Isos Partnership carried out an in-depth action research project with nine local areas to identify the enablers of improvement in local children’s services and how the system can support these effectively. Read our final research report and case studies here and a practical summary for lead members and senior leaders here.
Think-piece — Spring 2016
Strategies for transforming local education systems
Isos Partnership and the Education Development Trust (EDT) recently co-hosted two seminars to explore how leaders in local education systems are supporting the development of a self-improving education system. Read the think-piece we produced, based on these discussions, here.
Report — Autumn 2015
Research to understand spend by 16-19 institutions on additional needs – research report commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE)
Isos Partnership carried out in-depth fieldwork with a sample of 20 institutions providing 16-19 education, including school sixth forms, colleges and other providers, to understand how they use their funding to support students with additional needs. Read our report here.
Report — Autumn 2015
Evaluation of the impact of National Science Learning Network CPD on schools
Isos Partnership has carried out in-depth research with school leaders, subject leaders, teachers, technicians and pupils to understand the impact and benefits of schools engaging in subject-specific science continuing professional development (CPD) from the Network and National STEM Centre. Read our report here.
Report — Summer 2015
Research on funding for young people with special educational needs – research report commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE)
Isos Partnership worked in-depth with parents and carers, schools, colleges, early years settings, local authorities and health services in 13 local areas to understand how current arrangements for funding support for young people with special educational needs were working and to make proposals for improvements to the DfE. Read our report here.
Report — Spring 2015
National Science Learning Network Regional Programme: Final evaluation report
Isos Partnership worked with the National Science Learning Network between 2013 and 2015 to evaluate the development, operation and impact of a new regional programme for delivering science continuing professional development (CPD). Read our report here.
Report and case studies — Spring 2015
Leadership of teaching school alliances
Isos Partnership has been working with 32 teaching school alliances over the last two years as part of a national research project for the National College. Read our report and a selection of the case studies from the teaching schools here.
Report — Autumn 2014
Freedom to lead: A study of outstanding primary school leadership in England
The Department for Education have published the report by Isos Partnership, Peter Matthews, Robert Hill and Qing Gu on the leadership of outstanding primary schools in England. The report and case studies analyse what skills are needed and what makes the difference when leading outstanding primary schools. Read the report here and the case studies here.
Report — Summer 2014
The evolving education system in England: A “temperature check” – research report commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE)
Isos Partnership was commissioned by the DfE to research how local education systems in England are evolving. We worked with school and local authority leaders in ten local systems, looking at school improvement, place-planning and support for vulnerable children. more
Report — April 2013
Closing the gap: how system leaders and schools can work together
Examine how national leaders of education and teaching school alliances, organised in regional clusters, worked on action research with other schools to close gaps in attainment and support the progress of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. more
Review — April 2013
School improvement consortia: an early assessment of their readiness to deliver
See how consortia, the new ‘middle tier’ in Wales, are developing their new role on school improvement. more
Report — June 2012
The evolving role of the local authority in education
Explore how local authorities are evolving and adapting their role to meet the needs of a more autonomous education system. more
Report — March 2012
The growth of academy chains: implications for leaders and leadership
Isos Partnership were part of a research team, led by Robert Hill, that investigated the implications and challenges for school leaders posed by the rapid development of academy chains. more
Report — December 2011
System leadership: does school-to-school support close the gap?
Examine how system leaders improve outcomes for all children and close gaps between pupil groups. more
Report — July 2010
Raising the Participation Age (RPA) Trials
Isos Partnership evaluated successive phases of the RPA trials and local delivery projects for DfE. The final evaluation reports as well as tools that were developed to help local authorities plan for the introduction of RPA are available as five separate downloads:
RPA Phase 3 Evaluation Report - Part One