What I do

My name is Becky Allen. I have spent the past 18 years researching and writing about schools. I am a co-founder and Chief Analyst at Teacher Tapp, the daily survey and CPD tool. From 2014 to 2017, I founded and led the highly successful independent research organisation, Education Datalab. I was a Professor of Education at the University of Brighton until July 2023 and before that at UCL Institute of Education until December 2018.

I spend my days talking to people involved in running our schools, analysing data on pupils and teachers, and looking after my two lovely children in Sussex. My research focuses on teacher careers and the impact of government policy on school behaviours. You can learn more about my research on my publications page or by reading my blog.

In 2018, I published a book with Sam Sims called The Teacher Gap. Some of the ideas in this book were taken up by politicians, particularly in relation to the early years of a teacher’s career. I was asked by DfE to chair a working group that made recommendations about how data should be used in schools. In 2021, I published a book with Matt Evans and Ben White called The Next Big Thing in School Improvement.

Subscribe below to my blog posts on schooling, which are as unpredictable in length as they are in frequency.

Enquiries about talks: I give talks and workshops each year on themes related to my books and research. My blog posts give a good overview of the kinds of topics I am interested in. Currently, these topics include:

  • Technological disruption, teaching and schooling
  • How subject knowledge architecture and curriculum shape the best way to assess students
  • How we should talk to students, parents, leaders and governors about student attainment
  • Improving and leading schools when it is hard to know what best practice looks like
  • Schools where teachers get better at teaching
  • Why attainment gaps persist and what teachers can best do to manage them

If you are interested in learning more, email becky@allenmoss.co.uk for examples of talks and fee information.