The Mohn Westlake Foundation is proud to support the Education Policy Institute (EPI) in their work tackling the root causes of educational inequalities by informing evidence-based policy-making and driving systemic change.

EPI’s mission is to improve the outcomes of all children and young people and, specifically, to close the gap between the most disadvantaged and their peers. EPI do this by producing timely and impactful research and analysis, using public and private data to inform public policy making and improve transparency in pursuit of a high quality, equitable education system.

EPI anticipate using the grant for four main projects:

• Sustaining and expanding EPI’s flagship measure of the disadvantage gap across a child’s life
• Establishing a new Early Years Observatory
• Improving the understanding of “good schools” and informing the current debate around standards and accountability, partly through EPI’s online benchmarking tool
• Exploring the wider drivers of inequalities, starting with the link between housing and education

This grant will make a difference for vulnerable pupils by:

• Improving the evidence base: Through a rigorous research programme , EPI will provide government and policy-makers with a greater insight into current outcomes, challenges and best practice.
• Promoting an evidence-informed public debate: EPI’s strong media profile will secure mainstream as well as education press coverage for the reports and policy papers, to use EPI’s platform to advocate for evidence-based policies that will benefit vulnerable pupils.
• Better policy-making: EPI will continue to work with the Department for Education, the Education Select Committee, the teaching unions and other influential groups to encourage the government to review existing policy and, where necessary, revise it so that it better reflects the evidence.

To learn more about this project, please visit the grantees website: epi.org.uk