About the role
As a postdoctoral research fellow, you will be embedded in a supportive team of researchers from the University of Sussex, the University of Exeter, and University College London Institute of Education. We have received funding from the Education Endowment Foundation to evaluate a recent reform to secondary school admissions procedures in Brighton and Hove. Based at the University of Sussex, you will work closely with Dr Matthew Easterbrook (University of Sussex), as well as Dr Sara Bragg (UCL Institute of Education) using qualitative and quantitative research methods.
About the reform and evaluation plan
School admissions criteria in England are used to determine which students are allocated places, in what order of priority. In 2024, Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) introduced a new criterion for its maintained schools that gives priority to all students in the city eligible for free-school-meals (typically those from low-income families), above those in the local catchment area of the school, up to a quota. This is the first large-scale implementation of a policy designed to promote more equitable access to schools by young people from under-resourced backgrounds. Our evaluation will therefore provide important evidence about the role of school admissions for/in educational equity, of interest to the Department for Education and other cities.
A six-year impact evaluation will assess whether this reform results in changes to GCSE outcomes for students. Our shorter / three-year process evaluation will run alongside the impact evaluation to explore the perspectives of schools, parents, and students on the reform. It will use mixed methods – qualitative interviews, observations, document analyses, and quantitative analyses of surveys and secondary data – to evaluate:
-
how the reform was implemented and communicated by BHCC,
-
whether the reform is associated with changes in school funding, climate, and outcomes, and how schools adapt to these changes,
-
how the reform was understood and received by students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.
As a research fellow on this project, you will be fully embedded into Dr Easterbrook’s research team, and the wider social psychology subject group within the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex. You will oversee the day-to-day running of the process evaluation, which will include liaising with members of BHCC; communicating with, recruiting, and interviewing parents, school leaders, and school students; analysing qualitative data; analysing policy documents; conducting observations; implementing and analysing quantitative student surveys; and writing reports.
About you
As the research fellow on this project, you will usually have (or be about to complete) a doctorate in psychology, sociology, education, or a related field, and have experience of conducting qualitative interviews, managing datasets, and conducting quantitative data analyses. You will ideally have gained insights into issues of equity in education and the role of policy in enhancing change.
You will have demonstrated a capacity for conducting high-quality research and have an emerging record of high-quality publications. You will have excellent communication skills, and, ideally, have experience of communicating with a range of stakeholders, including teachers, young people, and members of under-resourced communities.
About our School
Our Psychology school has a rich history extending over half-a-century, marked from the start by our variety of research and courses. From the ground-breaking work of scholars such as Stuart Sutherland and Marie Jahoda, we've grown to cover all areas of psychology.
The School was formally established in 2009, bringing together academics across biological, cognitive, developmental, clinical and social psychology into one School. We've now entered the second decade of our existence as one of the largest and most influential academic communities for psychology in the country!
Anchored by our core values of kindness, integrity, inclusion, collaboration and courage, our research and teaching address societal challenges to create a better world.
The School of Psychology is proud to hold a Gold Athena Swann Award.
Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.
Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.
Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.
Further Key Information
Please contact Matthew Easterbrook ([email protected]) for informal enquiries.
The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Eligibility
Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role has been assigned an eligible SOC code, however, the role does not meet the eligibility for sponsorship due to its part-time nature. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.
The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.
