Becky Francis

Professor Becky Francis CBE is Chief Executive Officer of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and maintains a fractional professorship at University College London's Institute of Education (IOE). She previously served as Director of the UCL Institute of Education and held positions including Professor of Education and Social Justice at King's College London and Director of Education at the RSA. Her distinguished career includes advisory roles to the UK Parliamentary Education Select Committee and recognition as the inaugural Charles Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard University.

Francis leads high-impact research programs examining educational inequalities within the English school system. Her expertise centers on:

• Social identities (gender, race, class) in educational contexts
• Attainment grouping and tracking systems
• Education policy and accountability frameworks
• Social justice in state education systems
• Relationships between social identity and educational achievement

Her scholarship critically examines how educational structures perpetuate or mitigate social inequality.

Her recent publications (2018-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on educational equity through studies of:

• Attainment grouping impacts on student outcomes
• STEM participation disparities
• Social mobility barriers
• Curriculum stratification effects
• Policy interventions for educational justice

Methodologically, she employs longitudinal designs and mixed methods to trace educational trajectories.

Major honors include:

• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
• Fellow of the British Academy (FBA)
• Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS)
• Charles Yidan Visiting Global Fellowship (Harvard)
• Distinguished International Scholar Fellowship (University of Queensland)

Francis actively translates research into policy through advisory roles with UK government bodies, including serving as Standing Advisor to the Education Select Committee and contributing to national education reforms. She has led high-profile initiatives such as the Student Grouping Study and ASPIRES research program.