Dave Thomson, Author at FFT Education Datalab

About Dave Thomson

Dave Thomson is chief statistician at FFT with over fifteen years’ experience working with educational attainment data to raise attainment in local government, higher education and the commercial sector. His current research interests include linking education and workplace datasets to improve estimates of adult attainment and study the impact of education on employment and benefits outcomes.

Are IGCSEs easier than GCSEs?

Looking into claims that GCSE reforms have favoured pupils in independent schools.

By Dave Thomson|2019-01-09T17:13:47+00:004th January 2019|Exams and assessment|

Long-term outcomes: Does school quality matter?

Looking at how the higher education, employment and earnings outcomes of pupils relate to measures of secondary school quality.

By Dave Thomson|2019-03-11T10:11:06+00:0017th December 2018|Exams and assessment, School accountability|

KS2 performance tables 2018: Why aren’t floor standards based on three-year averages?

Analysis of the latest primary league tables.

By Dave Thomson|2018-12-13T12:17:47+00:0013th December 2018|School accountability|

How much Pupil Premium funding are primary schools missing out on?

Primary schools could have been £67m worse off in 2017/18 as a result of the universal infant free school meals policy.

By Dave Thomson|2019-01-10T09:56:45+00:0012th December 2018|School funding|

Long-term outcomes: Does it make a difference if your school has a sixth form?

Comparing the higher education, employment and earnings outcomes of those who attend schools with sixth forms with those who don’t.

By Dave Thomson|2019-03-11T11:32:19+00:004th December 2018|Post-16 provision, Structures|

More pupils have special educational needs than you might think

Over 40% of pupils in recent cohorts were classified as having special educational needs at some point.

By Dave Thomson|2019-05-08T17:18:55+01:0022nd November 2018|Pupil demographics|

Long-term outcomes: How did life turn out for those who took Level 3 BTEC qualifications?

Comparing the education, employment and earnings outcomes of those who took BTECs and those who took A-Levels.

By Dave Thomson|2018-11-19T15:10:53+00:0020th November 2018|Exams and assessment, Post-16 provision|

The link between exclusions, alternative provision and off-rolling

Explaining how these three things fit together.

By Dave Thomson|2019-10-16T09:04:12+01:009th November 2018|Pupil demographics|

Long-term outcomes: How did life turn out for pupils who took applied science qualifications at Key Stage 4?

A look at the long-term outcomes for those who took BTEC and OCR applied science instead of science GCSEs.

By Dave Thomson|2018-11-16T15:05:52+00:0031st October 2018|Exams and assessment|