NEWS, EVENTS AND MEDIA COVERAGE

News

  • Stephen Gorard, Beng Huat See, and Wenqing Chen recently presented The Career Pathways of Ethnic Minority Teachers in England at the ESRC Education Research Programme conference, Transforming Education through Research, in London.

  • Nadia Siddiqui gave an invited talk on Girls' Educationat the British Academy, London. The British Academy showcased their selected GCRF funded research for the FCDO delegates.  
  • Stephen Gorard has been appointed as Chair to the Education sub-panel for the Periodic Evaluation of Research, Development, Artistic and Other Creative Activities VER 2026 (REF) by the Ministry of Education in Slovakia
  • Stephen Gorard and Nadia Siddiqui were invited by the DfE Awards Team to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace 14/5/25
  • Stephen Gorard joined the ESRC Grant Assessment Panel (GAP) for 2025
    Nadia Siddiqui joined UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College 
  • We are published a book as a Centre, with Bloomsbury, called Beyond the research. It describes extreme and entertaining situations encountered in fieldwork, and how these were dealt with
  • Beng Huat See and Stephen Gorard led a day of providing evidence for policy-makers, teachers, ITE, and teacher groups on teacher supply, University of Birmingham 14/11/25. Recording of the event at Strengthening the Teaching Profession_14th Nov 2.mp4
  • Research discussed in Parliament. Clause 41 - Academy schools: duty to follow National Curriculum: 4 Feb 2025: Public Bill Committees - TheyWorkForYou
  • In Scholar GPS, Stephen Gorard has been ranked 5th worldwide for research in education policy
  • Stephen Gorard, Beng Huat See and colleagues have had a monograph proposal accepted for a book about preparing and retaining teachers, based on three ESRC projects. This will be a key REF text.
  • Sean Hayes has organised a conference which has been accepted by BERA to take place on 30 March 2026 at the Institute of Education, University College London. The conference topic will be: Teacher Recruitment and Retention and its links to attainment gaps in England.
  • Sean Hayes organised a conference hosted by the Education Department at Warwick University on 28 March 2025. The conference topic was: Exploring pupil achievement and underachievement by place and socioeconomic disadvantage in England and Wales: Lessons for closing the disadvantaged attainment gap. He presented on the London Effect post-pandemic.

Event

The University of Birmingham and the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education will organise a one-day event "Strengthening the Teaching Profession" on 14th November 2025. The record for the event: Strengthening the Teaching Profession_14th Nov 2.mp4

Promotions

Dr Johny Daniel has been promoted to Associate Professor

Tomas Zelinsky has been undergoing professor appointment procedure in the field of Economics and gave a public lecture on topic "Opportunities and Challenges in Measuring Subjective Poverty" in December 2025.

Vivas

Dr Xiaofan Zhou

Dr Carolina Gazmuri

Dr Wenqing Chen

and Dr Jiayi Zhao have all successfully passed their viva this year

MEDIA

Broadcast

ITV Tyne Tees - Durham University report calls for raising exam grades for pupils at schools hit by concrete crisis | ITV News Tyne Tees

VAT on private schools: justice or spite?, Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4, 6/11/24, 20241106_205917000_iOS.MP4

What causes teacher shortages?, Newseria (Poland), Salary increases will not solve the problem of the shortage of teachers. The prestige of the profession and the burden of duties are also important - All news - Newseria Biznes

The progressive test, Class Divide Podcast, 12/12/24, Podcast — Class Divide

Absence from school since Covid, BBC Guernsey Radio and TV, 12/3/25, Tim Hunter - 14/03/2025 - BBC Sounds

Heart NE Radio, 24/10/24 – Need to value teachers more

VAT on private schools: justice or spite?, Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4, 6/11/24, 20241106_205917000_iOS.MP4

Impending VAT on private schools fees, Kait Borsay show, Times Radio, 30/12/24

VAT on private school fees, CGTN TV News, 17/1/25

Newspapers

BBC News, 5/8/24, Durham Raac-hit school's pupils 'need exam boost' - BBC News

The Telegraph, A level pupils hit by RAAC, 12/8/24, A-level pupils hit by Raac concrete crisis unlikely to get special treatment in exams (msn.com)

Northern Echo, Support for Durham RAAC school is unfair,12/8/24. Ofqual suggests support for Durham RAAC school is 'unfair' | The Northern Echo

RAAC exam uplift difficult, BBC News, 12/8/24, Durham Raac exam uplift 'difficult', Ofqual chief regulator says - BBC News

One-off exam help, Express and Star, 12/8/24, One-off exam help for pupils in Raac schools would not be fair – Ofqual chief | Express & Star (expressandstar.com)

Shropshire Star, 12/8/24, https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/uk-news/2024/08/12/one-off-exam-help-for-pupils-in-raac-schools-would-not-be-fair--ofqual-chief/

Schools most severely hit by crumbling concrete, The i newspaper, 13/8/24, https://inews.co.uk/news/schools-concrete-crumbling-raac-a-levels-3081867

Parent breathes ‘sigh of relief’ at son’s A-level results after concrete issues | The Independent

What’s really behind teacher shortages here and abroad, Schools Week, 24/10/24, The Knowledge. What really causes teacher shortages?

Ethnicity not key factor in England school exclusions, The Guardian, 31/1/25, Ethnicity not key factor in England school exclusions, study finds | Race in education | The Guardian

How do we tackle issues impacting minority ethnic children in education?, The Yorkshire Post, 7/3/2025, How do we tackle issues impacting minority ethnic children in education? - Matt Bromley

Increasing special arrangements for exams, the Guardian, 2/4/25

What to do about overcrowded schools, Daily Mail, 26/9/25

Article in Chilean press  (in Spanish) that highlights the high proportion of students who do not participate in Chile’s national assessment —mainly those from the most vulnerable backgrounds. Their absence distorts official statistics and conceals real educational challenges. Https://www.ciperchile.cl/2025/09/12/los-alumnos-olvidados-del-simce/

Blogs

Yang, F., & See, B. H. (2024). Digital reading programme: Enhancing English language reading skills in public schools in China. BERA Blog. https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/digital-reading-programme-enhancing-english-language-reading-skills-in-public-schools-in-china