Academies’ impact on pupils: Looking beyond examsISER Internal Seminars

Academies are independent state-funded schools that are managed outside of Local Authority control and enjoy greater autonomy. While most of the empirical literature on academies focuses on exam performance, this work examines the effect of academy attendance on decision-making skills, mental health, and social behaviour. Using the Millennium Cohort Study in a difference in difference framework, my analysis focuses on pupils who are already attending the school prior to academy conversion. The overall impact of academy attendance is non-significant, but there are marked differences in outcomes between converter and sponsor-led academies. My analysis suggests that transfer to converter academy status is associated with significantly raised decision-making skills for their pupils, whereas conversion to sponsor-led academy status is associated with an increase in pupils’ self-esteem. These results could suggest that sponsor-led academies are using ranking maximising strategies and converter academies are not targeting non-cognitive outcomes.

Presented by:

Dr Nuno Braz - Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex

Date & time:

March 19, 2025 12:30 pm - March 19, 2025 1:30 pm

Venue:

ISER Large Seminar Room 2N2.4.16


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