Sam Sims

Dr Sam Sims is an Associate Professor at University College London's Institute of Education (IOE), where he is affiliated with the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO). He completed his PhD at UCL and has since focused on advancing education policy through rigorous research. His work combines insights from education, psychology, and quantitative social sciences to address critical issues in teacher effectiveness, retention, and school management.

Education:

• PhD in Education, University College London

Research Interests:

Sims’ research emphasizes teacher well-being, professional development, and the organizational conditions that foster effective teaching. He explores how school policies and accountability systems impact both educators and students, with a focus on reducing educational inequality. His work often involves large-scale datasets and methodological innovations, such as analyzing Ofsted inspection reports via text mining.

Advising & Grants:

• Led research teams at UCL and Ambition Institute
• Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Nuffield Foundation, and the Department for Education

Labs & Teams:

Sims collaborates with the CEPEO and leads the Research Team at Ambition Institute, focusing on scalable solutions for teacher training and retention.