This major Fabian research project will examine policies for narrowing inequalities in educational outcomes.

The research, which will build and develop the analysis of the Fabian Commission on Life Chances and Child Poverty, will examine and explore which interventions can most effectively promote the life chances of young people from more deprived backgrounds. The project will propose reforms to narrow the gap in educational outcomes, examining and assess policy options for helping more disadvantaged social groups. It will also explore public attitudes towards schooling, in order to develop our understanding of public and parental expectations of the education system. The focus will be on children's educational progression during the years of primary and secondary education (i.e. up to age 19), including the transition from compulsory schooling into further and higher education, training and employment. The research will extend beyond schools and the traditional classroom environment to encompass non-formal settings for educational and learning activities.

Louise Bamfield, Senior Research Fellow, is leading the project research. The project is kindly supported by the Dartmouth Street Trust and the National Youth Agency.

• Raising the education participation age
• Alan Johnson lecture: taking class out of the classroom