At the forefront of education research
FFT's aim is to help schools make the best possible use of education data to improve education outcomes for all pupils.
Latest from our research blogs
- The relationship between early literacy and GCSE English attainmenton November 11, 2020 at 12:01 am
- Could Progress 8 still be calculated in 2025?on May 20, 2020 at 11:01 pm
- We know teachers in England work long hours. But are they distributed equally?on March 12, 2020 at 12:01 am
- Data, data everywhere…on December 3, 2019 at 12:01 am
- Do primary schools close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils?on March 22, 2021 at 7:00 am
- The impact of being long-term disadvantaged at KS2 and KS4on January 25, 2021 at 7:00 am
- Find Schools Like Yours using the latest dataon December 8, 2020 at 2:16 pm
- How pupil characteristics interact to influence education outcomeson August 31, 2020 at 11:01 pm
- The impact of being long-term disadvantaged at KS2 and KS4on January 25, 2021 at 7:00 am
- Find Schools Like Yours using the latest dataon December 8, 2020 at 2:16 pm
- The relationship between early literacy and GCSE English attainmenton November 11, 2020 at 12:01 am
- GCSE results 2020: How did within-school attainment gaps change?on September 23, 2020 at 11:01 pm
Featured posts
How frequently do senior leaders request assessment data? What type of data do they receive? How are targets and flightpaths created? When do schools talk to students about future attainment?
You might be surprised how little we actually know about data use in schools today. So, with the help of Teacher Tapp, we’ve surveyed over 3,000 staff in schools. The results, as you might expect, are fascinating. We’ve included a few key insights here but you’ll find far more detail in our new report – ‘How is data used in schools today? A 2019 survey of current practice’.

FFT Education Datalab
We are proud to have set up FFT Education Datalab, who produce independent, cutting-edge research on education policy and practice.
An expert team of researchers
FFT Education Datalab brings together an expert team of academics, researchers and statisticians specialising in the analysis of large-scale administrative and survey datasets.
Led by FFT’s chief statistician, Dave Thomson, the team produce research and analysis that can be used by policymakers to inform education policy, and by schools to improve practice.
They complete commissioned research for organisations who wish to evaluate their impact, or who need quantitative analysis to supplement their own policy work.
The team also blog regularly, using data to explore the latest developments in education.

Delivering TALIS
FFT were part of the DfE team delivering the OECD's Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018.
TALIS is the first and only international survey that focuses on the teaching practices and the working conditions of teachers and their headteachers in England and over 40 other countries.
The international survey of teachers & school leaders
FFT partnered with UCL Institute of Education and RAND Europe to form the National Centre delivering the TALIS survey in 2018.
TALIS has taken place every five years since it was first carried out in 2008. England participated for the first time in 2013, focussing on lower secondary (KS3) teachers and their headteachers.
For TALIS 2018, England surveyed primary (KS1 & KS2) and lower secondary (KS3) school teachers and their headteachers.