Policy Exchange’s Education Unit has a successful of driving ground-breaking work across all parts of the education system. From our pioneering work on free schools and the role of Ofsted, to more recent work on behaviour and Skills, Policy Exchange’s work shapes the agenda. Core to our strategic agenda is advancing high-quality, knowledge-rich teaching in schools, a consideration or the role of autonomy and accountability in the schools system, rebalancing further and higher education system and championing fundamental values, including free speech, political impartiality and the place of history and heritage within our education system.

Over the last three years, work by Policy Exchange has influenced Government thinking on skills and social mobility, including a greater focus on technical and vocational education reflected in the Skills for Jobs White Paper and Skills and Post-16 Education Act, influence the Government’s new behaviour guidance and drive increasing awareness of the challenges to academic freedom, resulting in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill. The Unit has hosted a range of public events with high profile speakers, including the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza; Higher and Further Education Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, Skills Minister Alex Burghart MP and Prime Minister Theresa May.