PhD Studentship: Predicting Educational and Labour Market Outcomes for Vulnerable Children Who Have Been to Boarding Schools

University of Nottingham and ADR UK

The Midlands Graduate School is an accredited Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). One of 14 such partnerships in the UK, the Midlands Graduate School is a collaboration between the University of Warwick, Aston University, University of Birmingham, University of Leicester, Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham.

We are now inviting applications for an ESRC Doctoral Studentship in association with ADR UK to commence in October 2023.

The Centre for Research in Human Flourishing at the University of Nottingham, in partnership with the ESRC, Midlands Graduate School Doctoral Training Partnership, and ADR UK has a funded studentship available for part- or full-time study. Applicants must have an undergraduate degree at upper second class or better in a relevant social science and have demonstrated interests in the fields of, sociology of education, psychology in education, and/or economics and the economics of education.

This PhD project aims to research the educational achievements and labour market outcomes for looked after and other vulnerable and disadvantaged children in England who have attended boarding schools. The number of looked after and vulnerable children in England was 80,850 in 2021 (DfE, 2021). Educational and labour market outcomes for looked after and vulnerable children are poor and the chances of becoming not employed in education or training outweigh those who have never lived in care (DfE, 2021). In addition, children who were looked after and vulnerable are disproportionately represented within the adult homelessness population.

The study will be conducted under the supervision of Professor David Murphy and Dr Mike Adkins, in the School of Education and Professor Gianni de Fraja from the School of Economics, at the University of Nottingham. Building on existing research carried out within the Centre for Research in Human Flourishing on the effects of boarding for vulnerable children, this study will involve using administrative linked data from the National Pupil Database, Individual Learner Records, Higher Education Statistics Agency, DWP and HMRC; accessible by application through the linked Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset. Therefore, this opportunity is likely to be most suitable for someone interested in developing advanced skills in quantitative social research and who has a genuine interest in how the use of data can inform understanding the impact of educational experiences on vulnerable people within society.

Application Process

To be considered for this PhD, please complete the ADR UK Studentship application form available online here. Please upload an anonymised CV and cover letter as part of the online application process. Shortlisted applicants will also be required to provide transcripts and two references.

Application deadline: 24^th February 2023

Midlands Graduate School ESRC DTP

Our ESRC studentships cover fees at the home rate, a maintenance stipend, and extensive support for research training, as well as research activity support grants. Support is available to both home and international applicants. For further details, visit: www.mgsdtp.ac.uk/studentships/eligibility/.

Informal enquiries about the research or ADR UK prior to application can be directed to:

Professor David Murphy, School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, NG81BB

Email: david.murphy@nottingham.ac.uk

Tel: 0115 8466455

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