A country that works for all children and young people: An evidence-based plan for improving school attendance

Read the report that CAER researchers collaborated on which calls on the new Government to focus its school absence strategy on earlier identification and intervention with children most at risk of persistent absence.

COTN/CfYL Report Webinar: An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years

Listen to our fabulous speakers address the 'Children of the North' (COTN) and Centre for Young Lives' (CfYL) 9th report

Watch now

Child Health Outcomes Research at Leeds (CHORAL) has now launched!

An inspiring launch towards a whole system connected approach for better child health outcomes.

Visit their site through our Partners page

Education Alliance for Life Chances (EALC)

CAER is working with the Education Alliance for Life Chances (EALC), a multi-service partnership, to bring evidence and research into education settings.

Visit their site through our Partners page

The Centre for Applied Education Research (CAER) is committed to improving educational outcomes for children and young people (CYP) through the power of science.

More about us

Our Vision : CAER seeks to empower educational settings (schools, nurseries, early year providers) to use evidence-based approaches to identify and remove all barriers to learning.

Our Mission : CAER seeks to realise its vision through the creation of a ‘community of practice’ throughout the UK.

Themes of work from evidence-based practices

Research projects across our themes of work

Members across multiple organisations

Publications authored by our researchers

Organisations we are in partnership with

Projects that are currently recruiting

Our Methodology

All CAER research follows an 'education translation pipeline' to ensure that promising scientific research is translated rapidly but safely into policy, identifying important contextual factors for effective implementation, and allowing the best possible evidence to underpin decision making.

Fundamental Research

Core Science

Collect data and evidence

Fundamental Research

Discovery and Design

Implement in schools

Translate

Trials and Assessment

Co-design and test in ~ 10 schools

Implement

Large Randomised Controlled Trial

Refine and test across ~ 100 schools

Scale-up

Regional Rollout

Test in contexts and delivery conditions ~ 500 schools

National

Evidence-based Policy

Develop national policy with Whitehall partners

Evidence-based Practice

Our eight themes of work were developed on the basis of the evidence and insights provided by teachers and schools to the Royal Society and British Academy in a series of focus group sessions published in 2017.

Our themes and place-based working ensures that we have evidence at the heart of our whole system approach to tackling structural inequalities and supporting children and young people from 0-25 years of age in partnership with communities and educational organisations.

6 Projects

Child Health in Schools

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4 Projects

Cognition, Learning and Language

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1 Project

Digital Makers

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7 Projects

Motor Skills, Physical Activity, and Food Insecurity

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2 Projects

Preschool Settings and School Readiness

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2 Projects

SEND

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1 Project

Social, Emotional and Mental Health

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1 Project

Vulnerabilities and Policing Futures

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2 Projects

Cross-Cutting Projects

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Our Impact

School interactions

Pupil interactions

School leader interactions

Educational staff interactions

Parent interactions

Latest Blogs & Events

Blog Feb 2, 2024 News

Just released! : ‘Delivering a country that works for all children and young people: An evidence-based plan for addressing the autism assessment and support crisis’

Child of the North and the N8 Research Partnership have been commissioned, alongside Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives, to release 12 reports throughout 2024. These reports will highlight the...