Insights from our work

Future Forward was a pioneering programme we led in collaboration with West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), aimed at tackling the complex and persistent challenge of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) across the West Yorkshire region. By integrating local knowledge, continuous feedback, and tailored support, Future Forward sought not only to improve the life chances of individual people but also to generate system-wide learning.

While diversity, equality, and inclusion laws in the UK aim to strengthen workplace protections for people with disabilities, disparities in employment outcomes persist. In this series of working papers, we investigate how and why people with disabilities continue to face challenges relating to job accessibility, career progression, and workplace accommodations.

We are delighted to be able to share key insights at the forthcoming GESS Riyadh, where Dr Richard Churches, our Director of Research, will be joining a panel of experts debating this important topic. Against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, with its major potential for creating inclusive, future-ready transitions, GESS Riyadh offers an excellent opportunity to dig deeper into this crucial debate.

Ofsted has awarded EDT with an Outstanding rating for our delivery of the Early Career Framework (ECF) through the Department for Education-funded Early Career Professional Development Programme. We are incredibly proud of this achievement, which is testament to the hard work, dedication and expertise of our UK team.

Our final evaluation report of the third phase of the Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP) has now been published. Funded by the Department for Education, the EYPDP supported early years practitioners in developing their skills and improving children’s outcomes.

This report by Dr Richard Churches, EDT’s Director of Research, sets out a powerful case for basing the design of education reform policy on evidence, and a systemic view of the action needed to transform learning outcomes across large networks of schools.

From Sunday 13th to Monday 14th April, our Managing Director International, Fadi Khalek, joined the global conversation on education and skills to move ‘#BeyondReadiness’ at Human Capability Initiative (HCI) in Saudi Arabia. Fadi connected with leaders to share EDT’s vast knowledge, experience and track record in future readiness, and how we are expanding our operations in Saudi Arabia. Reflecting on the various talks and conversations across the two days, Fadi shares some insights and food for thought.

A global dialogue in education matters. The ability to learn from international experiences, adapt evidence-based policies, and co-develop solutions across borders is crucial in navigating the increasingly complex landscape of education reform. EDT convened its third Global Dialogue event in January 2025, bringing together policymakers, educators and partners to explore key educational challenges, discuss learnings and best practices, and identify scalable, contextually relevant strategies for reform.

Having made a dramatic impact on over 650 schools and multi-academy trusts since its launch in 2021, the Behaviour Hubs programme is coming to an end in April 2025. In this article, Senior Programme Manager Richard Warenisca explains that schools are facing increasingly complex challenges in behaviour management, and that school leaders and teachers urgently need more support.

EDT has been appointed principal implementing partner for Think Equal’s new social and emotional learning (SEL) component of the UK-funded TEACH (Teacher Effectiveness and Equitable Access for all Children) programme in Zimbabwe. As SEL component lead, EDT will now build upon its impressive track record of delivering teacher professional development and conducting school inspections within the TEACH programme.

Mark De Backer, Head of Careers at EDT, reflects on the government’s ambition to give all school and college students the opportunity to improve their future job prospects by undertaking two weeks’ work experience.

In this research report, we document the structure and impact of the Behaviour Hubs programme and examine its collaborative approach. We analyse feedback and survey data from participants, in the context of the Ofsted inspection framework, while calculating the cost per pupil and comparing it to other similar behaviour interventions.