Researchers at ISER have won funding from the Nuffield Foundation to look at the effects of a range of school resources such as staff/pupil ratios and how much money is spent per pupil on the educational attainments of pupils.
The research team of Cheti Nicoletti and Birgitta Rabe hope the results from their findings will inform about the likely consequences for pupils from different backgrounds of the current introduction of the ‘pupil premium’.
The researchers hope to identify the groups of pupils that benefit most from these types of resources and are therefore most vulnerable to spending cuts. The results are also expected to show whether school inputs so far have been effective for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Ultimately the project, The effect of school inputs on educational achievements, which runs from October 2011 to June 2012, expects to contribute to the discussion and policy making around the allocation of school resources and how to put them to the best use in order to improve educational outcomes and therefore give children the best chance in life.