National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has been at the forefront of research and development in education for over 50 years. It undertakes projects on issues of current interest in all sectors of education and training. 

Working both nationally and internationally, its aims are to gather, analyse and disseminate research-based information in order to inform policy on education and training provision. 

The Foundation is a leading independent body whose membership includes the local education authorities in England and Wales, the main teachers' associations and many other leading organisations with educational and training interests. 

Amongst its many research activities, the NFER is commissioned to conduct a diverse series of research projects under the Local Government Association's Educational Research Programme. 

Recent research in this series includes:

• Alternative Education Provision at Key Stage 4

• Developing Early Education and Childcare Services in the 21st Century

• The Role of the LEA in Reducing Truancy 

• The LEA Contribution to School Improvement - A role worth fighting for

• Evaluating School Self-Evaluation 

• Making a Difference: Early Interventions for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

• Continuing Professional Development: LEA and school support for teachers

While the main research programme is carried out within the public education system in local education authorities, schools and colleges, the NFER also conduct projects for clients in other sectors such as: industry; careers and guidance services; finance; the arts and health education.

As many as 100 research projects can be live at any one time, conducted by full time researchers with a range of experience spanning all sectors of education from pre-school and primary to further and higher education. 

For teachers, we publish TOPIC twice yearly (spring and autumn). The aim of TOPIC is to keep teachers, student teachers and administrators up to date with the latest research into all aspects of education, focusing on its practical applications. 

Papers arising out of formal research projects combine with case studies of small-scale investigations conducted by teachers in their own classrooms to provide a readable source of information and ideas.
TOPIC articles can be used both for private study and as a starting point for group discussions, staff meetings and INSET courses.

In addition to TOPIC, teachers may also find the following NFER reports of interest:

• Who Would Be A Teacher? A Review of Factors Motivating and Demotivating Prospective and Practising Teachers

• Arts Education in Secondary Schools: Effects and Effectiveness

• Teaching Modern Languages: Policy and Practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

• Homework: A Review of Recent Research

A network of supporting services assist the NFER's research activities in computing and statistics, survey administration, information & consultancy services, and in the development and use of tests and other assessments.

In addition to its high profile research and test development work, the NFER also houses a range of information services. The information services section of the NFER website contains hyperlinks to:

• EMIE (Education Management Information Exchange) www.nfer.ac.uk/emie which serves local education authorities

• EURYDICE Unit for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the information network on education in Europe, www.nfer.ac.uk/eurydice 

• CERUK, the Current Educational Research database in the UK www.nfer.ac.uk/ceruk accessible free of charge via the internet
  

EMIE is a free information service for staff in local authority education departments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

It aims to facilitate the exchange of information among education departments, encouraging the sharing of expertise and good practice, and to disseminate research findings of relevance to practitioners.

Although funded to provide an information service to local education authorities, many EMIE publications are also made available to schools, other educational organisations and to individuals at a small charge to cover costs. 

Recent EMIE studies have looked at funding schools to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs; councils' administrative use of ICT, with particular reference to communications between LEAs and their schools and other centres; and local authority strategies for the successful reintegration of excluded pupils. 

For further information about the NFER and its current research activities you may wish to visit our popular and informative website at: http://www.nfer.ac.uk

The website has recently undergone a complete make-over and contains hundreds of pages for you to browse You can:

• view or download research summaries, conference papers and journal articles

• order the latest NFER publications

• subscribe to NFER News, the Foundation's free newsletter (spring and autumn editions)

• request our latest news releases 

• keep up-to-date with all the major developments and news in the educational research fiel

Contact the NFER at:
The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire SL1 2DQ
Telephone: +44 (0) 1753 574123
Fax: +44 (0) 1753 691632
e-mail: enquiries@nfer.ac.uk