Publications

The quality of the education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. But this Government has made the profession less and less attractive to new graduates. This important report exposes how hard teachers’ working lives have become. It makes a clear, succinct and powerful case that the intensity of teachers’ work is unsustainable.  The…

This Data Insight explores transitions from school to Post-Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) in Wales.

This Data Insight examined differences between female and male teaching staff at different career stages using the School Workforce Annual Census (SWAC). The analysis found that female teachers earned more than male teachers at classroom teacher level. However, this trend reversed for teachers in senior leadership, where male teachers earned, on average, 6% more after…

Read our annual report, WISERD Insight, featuring our key areas of activity, income profile, funding and engagement activities in 2022.

Research undertaken before the pandemic showed that the job quality of teachers in Britain had been declining in two key respects for a number of years. First, their work was becoming much more intensive, meaning that the rate of their physical or mental input was increasing, just in order to cover their required workloads. By…

This Data Insight explores how information is used to inform decisions regarding the provision of careers guidance interviews among key stage 4 (KS4) pupils in Wales. It explores the relative importance of background characteristics contained within administrative education records compared to information supplied by pupils via the Careers Wales diagnostic tool.

This Data Insight explores the influence careers guidance can have on transitions to Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) in Wales. The analysis examines rates of transition to PCET in Wales, whether the receipt of careers guidance during key stage 4 supports transition to PCET and, if so, whether it benefits some groups of pupils…

This report was produced in November 2022 as part of research undertaken by the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD) as part of its ESRC Centre research programme. Fifteen remote interviews were conducted in English or Welsh (depending on the participant’s choice) by three researchers (Dr Beel, Prof IR Jones, Dr…

Introduction Events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to the importance of local neighbourhoods as people were encouraged wherever possible to work from home, the physical and mental health benefits of active means of travel were promoted, and communities became more reliant on services in their local areas. At the same time governments around the…

This Research Note presents new estimates of trade union membership derived for detailed geographical areas across Great Britain. Analysis reveals the wide variations in union density that exist both across the country and within particular regions.  Over the period 2000-2021, union density is shown to vary between 10% in Kensington and Chelsea to 54% in…