The labour market benefits of private schooling

2.00 to 3.30 pm, 11 October 2016, Room 780, UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL. 

Presenter: Professor Anna Vignoles, University of Cambridge

Despite being a relative small part of the school sector (around 7% of the school population is enrolled in private schools at any one time), private schools have an important symbolic role in UK society, with the perception that there is much social and economic advantage to be had from a private education. It is certainly the case that, on average, individuals who have attended a private school go on to have higher levels of educational achievement, are more likely to secure a high status occupation and also have higher wages.  This evidence has led to public policy concerns about the negative impact of this on social mobility. In joint work with Francis and Green and Golo Henseke, this paper explores the broader labour market advantages associated with private schooling, including job quality. We ask how different measures of job quality and labour market success vary by school type, even after allowing for differences in individuals’ personal characteristics and their highest level of academic achievement. We find substantial differences in the labour market outcomes of private and state school students.

Anna Vignoles is Professor of Education and Director of Research at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and a trustee of the Nuffield Foundation. Anna has extensive experience of using large scale administrative data to study factors relating to pupil achievement and students’ outcomes from education. She has published widely on widening participation into higher education and on the socio-economic gap in pupil achievement. Her research interests include issues pertaining to equity in education, school choice, school efficiency and finance, higher education and the economic value of schooling. Anna has advised numerous government departments, including the Department for Education, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and HM Treasury.

The seminar is free to attend, but prior registration would be helpful: please contact  to book a place.