The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent UK charity that funds and evaluates education programmes. Its main goal is to reduce the link between family income and educational achievement by helping schools, colleges, and early years settings use reliable research evidence.
Founded in 2011 with a £125 million endowment, the EEF supports applied education research, independent evaluations, evidence-based teaching resources, and professional development.
History and Background
The Education Endowment Foundation was established in England in 2011 by the Sutton Trust in partnership with Impetus.
The UK Department for Education provided the original £125 million endowment to support research into effective and cost-efficient ways of improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
The EEF received a further £137 million re-endowment in 2022 and an additional £40 million in 2024 to continue its work and expand support for learners aged 16–19.
Mission and Purpose
The EEF aims to ensure that educational achievement is not determined by family income.
Its work focuses on three main activities:
- Funding and evaluating promising education programmes
- Summarising national and international research
- Helping teachers and education leaders apply evidence in practice
The organisation mainly supports applied research rather than unrestricted basic research funding.
Governance and Structure
The EEF is a registered UK charity and a company limited by guarantee.
It does not have shareholders and is not an enterprise foundation that owns commercial businesses. It is also not a Danish foundation.
The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees responsible for strategy, financial oversight, grant approvals, risk management, and compliance.
The EEF is chaired by Dame Christine Gilbert CBE, while Professor Becky Francis CBE serves as Chief Executive.
Although the organisation receives government funding, it operates independently when setting research priorities, selecting projects, commissioning evaluations, and publishing findings.
Funding and Research Grants
The EEF’s funding comes from its endowment, investment income, government support, philanthropic activities, and partnerships with other organisations.
Its research grants support:
- Programme development
- Pilot projects
- Efficacy and effectiveness trials
- Independent evaluations
- Programme scale-up
- Evidence reviews
- Professional development
- Evidence mobilisation
EEF-funded projects usually focus on practical educational challenges and measurable outcomes for children and young people.
Applications are assessed through an initial review, project development stage, independent evaluation planning, Grants Committee consideration, and final approval by the Board of Trustees.
Major Programmes and Initiatives
The Teaching and Learning Toolkit is one of the EEF’s best-known resources. It summarises international evidence on teaching approaches, expected impact, cost, and strength of evidence.
The EEF also publishes guidance reports covering literacy, mathematics, metacognition, teaching assistants, professional development, special educational needs, feedback, and programme implementation.
The Early Years Evidence Store provides practical evidence for nursery staff, teachers, and childminders.
The Research Schools Network works with schools, colleges, and early years settings to help education professionals understand and apply research evidence.
The EEF also supports regional partnerships, international evidence collaboration, and research for learners aged 16–19.
Impact and Examples of Funded Work
The EEF has funded hundreds of education projects and independent evaluations.
By its 2025 Impact Report, the organisation had:
- Funded 439 projects
- Supported 218 randomised controlled trials
- Involved around four-fifths of England’s state-funded schools in at least one project
- Summarised approximately 2,950 research studies through its evidence Toolkits
During 2024–25, the EEF reported 119 active projects, 1.1 million resource downloads, and professional development participation from approximately 52,000 teachers.
One example is Maths Champions, an early mathematics professional development programme. Independent evaluation found improvements in mathematics and language outcomes, with stronger benefits for disadvantaged children.
The EEF also publishes mixed or unsuccessful results, helping schools and funders avoid investing in programmes without sufficient evidence.
Conclusion
The Education Endowment Foundation is a major UK education research and grant-making charity.
Through research grants, independent evaluations, evidence resources, professional development, and partnerships, it helps schools and education professionals make informed decisions.
Its work focuses particularly on improving outcomes for disadvantaged children and young people and reducing the relationship between family income and educational achievement.
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