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Reducing Inequalities Through Education (RITE)

A logo consisting of multicoloured shapes and the acronym 'RITE' emblazoned across the middle with two arrows beneath

Contents

Overview

Educational attainment gaps linked to social inequalities are entrenched and widening (Education Policy Institute, 2025). Reversing these trends requires innovative approaches that retain education at their heart.

Our long-term aim is to improve children and young people's educational attainment and therefore their life chances through interdisciplinary research that enables inclusive, equitable, quality education. Our work encompasses learning from the early years through to further education and in formal and informal settings. Through stakeholder partnerships, collaborative priority setting, and evidence-building, we investigate how inequalities can best be reduced across different stages of education.

The network will expand the evidence base influencing regional and national policy to build a fairer future through education. During the initial funded period, our focus is twofold: to achieve growth, reach, and visibility of our work, and to explore a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration using a Theory of Change model.

The core RITE team brings together researchers working across education, psychology, and linguistics. Our work draws from and informs intersecting services, including health, social care, and the justice system through collaborations with the wider academic community, including law, economics, social policy, and health.

Network details

Network leads

  • Cat Davies, Professor of Language Development, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  • Paula Clarke, Associate Professor in Psychological Approaches to Childhood and Inclusive Education, School of Education
  • Hannah Nash, Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology, School of Psychology.

Other University of Leeds team members

  • Cecile De Cat, Professor of Linguistics at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  • Louise Tracey, Professor of Early Years Education at the School of Education
  • Amanda Waterman, Professor of Cognitive Development at the School of Psychology
  • Kier Harris, Research Assistant, School of Psychology, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

External partners

Our existing stakeholder networks span local and national organisations, including Leeds City Council, Child Friendly Leeds, Y-PERN and Y-PIP, Research Schools Network, N8 Child of the North, the Education Endowment Foundation, Education Policy Institute, National Literacy Trust, Nesta, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, and BookTrust.

RITE is closely connected with a range of relevant research groups at the University of Leeds, for example Language@Leeds, Leeds Institute for Societal Futures, Child Health Outcomes Research at Leeds, Leeds Child Development Unit, the Centre for Disability Studies, the Centre for Early Years Education, the Centre for the Evaluation of Educational Interventions and Practices, and the Community of Research Engaged Schools.

Contact

[email protected]

Themes

Working across four key themes, the core team lead a range of projects exploring how inequalities can be reduced through education. Our outputs include peer-reviewed articles, policy- and public-facing reports, and methodological papers, referenced numerically below.

Theme one: Early Identification and Assessment

We develop approaches and tools to identify children who need support, ensuring assessment is fair, inclusive, and accessible across diverse populations.

Why it matters for equity: Early, accurate identification ensures all children receive timely support, regardless of language background or socioeconomic status. This prevents small gaps from widening into entrenched inequalities.

Our research includes:

  • Early identification of language disorder risk in bilingual children [1]
  • Dynamic assessment of reading and the early identification of dyslexic and poor comprehender profiles in diverse and multilingual learners [2] [3] [4] [5]
  • The overlap between dyslexia and DLD in outcomes [6] [7]
  • Identifying working memory difficulties in children [8]
  • Understanding relationships between SES, executive function, and academic attainment [9] [10]
  • Creating inclusive, fair, and accessible reading assessment methodologies from early years through to adolescence.

 

Theme two: Language-Rich Environments and Literacy Development

Our research improves the understanding of effective language and literacy environments across home, early years settings, and schools, particularly for children facing disadvantage.

Why it matters for equity: Language development is foundational to educational success. Understanding what characterises rich language environments is crucial for closing attainment gaps, especially during periods of disruption or for families facing disadvantage.

Our research includes:

  • Examining how adverse childhood experiences impact on academic attainment [11]
  • The role of Early Childhood Education and Care in relation to language disparities [12] [13]
  • What makes a "rich" language environment in English and heritage languages [14]
  • How socioeconomic deprivation relates to language richness in multilingual children [15]
  • How much language exposure is needed before multilingual pupils can be expected to have “caught up” with their monolingual peers in English [16]
  • Access to culturally relevant, curriculum-aligned learning resources [17] [18]
  • Improving speech, language and communication in early years [19] [20] [21]
  • Optimizing screen-use to support development in under-fives [22]
  • Impact of COVID-19 on young children's learning and outcomes [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
  • How children learn to read exception words and the role of oral language skills [30]
  • Vocabulary development to improve curriculum access at Key Stage 1 [31] [20]
  • Developing literacy skills and engagement with text [32]
  • The role of libraries in relation to inequalities between families [33] [34].

 

Theme three: Evidence-Based Classroom Practice and Support

We translate cognitive and developmental science into practical classroom strategies and pedagogies that work for all children.

Why it matters for equity: Evidence-based educational practices that account for developmental differences ensure that all children, including those with specific needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds, can access learning effectively.

Our research includes:

  • Applying cognitive science to the classroom, e.g. working memory, cognitive offloading, and strategy use [35] [36] [37] [38]
  • Pedagogies that enable children to develop language through exploring ideas and diverse perspectives [39]
  • Intervention approaches to help children engage with text and develop literacy skills [40]
  • Classroom pedagogies in literacy (reading and writing) and maths [41] [42] [43] [44]
  • Co-production of support materials with education professionals [45] [46].

 

Theme four: Systems Change: Intervention Evaluation and Workforce Development

We collaborate to strengthen the education system through rigorous evaluation and professional development, ensuring that effective practices are sustained and scaled.

Why it matters for equity: Even the best interventions fail without effective implementation. By understanding how to improve practice, recognising practitioners who deliver it, and evaluating what works, we ensure that research evidence translates into sustained improvements for all children.

Research includes:

  • Rigorous evaluation of interventions designed to improve outcomes for children from lower SES backgrounds [47] [48] [49] [42] [43]
  • Supporting parents in improving socioemotional and academic outcomes [50] [51] [52]
  • Evidencing effective pedagogies through robust evaluation [53] [54]
  • Understanding mechanisms of continuing professional development for early years workforce [20] [19].

Metaresearch Case Study

Interdisciplinary work requires an understanding of unfamiliar disciplinary cultures. Integrating new methods, terminology, and assumptions can be complex and challenging.

RITE is currently evaluating our collaborative model using reflective practice to develop a theory of change. This research on research (or metaresearch) documents collaborative processes across our disciplines. This will ultimately allow us to explore the effectiveness of interdisciplinary, intersectoral approaches for enabling change at a local and national level. The theory that we develop can help to advance understanding of the active ingredients and necessary conditions for effective interdisciplinary working and innovation.

The research underpinning this meta-study is a small-scale pilot focused on developing a reading comprehension test for adolescents. Using expository texts comparable in complexity to those encountered at GCSE level — and to the kinds of documents young people may face within the youth justice system — the pilot seeks to establish a proof-of-concept through testing in local schools. The longer-term goal is to develop a brief, practical screener capable of identifying the language support needs of young people navigating the youth justice system, where unrecognised literacy difficulties can have serious consequences for how individuals understand and engage with legal processes.

Events

We will run a networking event in Spring/Summer 2026, bringing together key colleagues to highlight and discuss critical topics around inequalities in education, the challenges associated with reducing them, and the benefits of interdisciplinarity and co-production.

References

[1] De Cat C, Tuller L, Gusnanto A, Kašćelan D, Prévost P, Serratrice L, Unsworth, S. Using Q-BEx to identify risk for language impairment in bilingual children. OSF [Preprint]. Manuscript submitted for publication. Available from: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/57fyb_v1

[2] Dixon C, Oxley E, Gellert AS, Nash, H. Dynamic assessment as a predictor of reading development: a systematic review. Read Writ. 2023;36:673-698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-022-10312-3

[3] Dixon C, Oxley E, Nash H, Gellert AS. Does dynamic assessment offer an alternative approach to identifying reading disorder? A systematic review. J Learn Disabil. 2022;56(6):423-439. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194221117510

[4] Nash H, Dixon C, Clarke P, Oxley E, Gellert AS, Weighall A. Dynamic assessment of word learning as a predictor of vocabulary, reading comprehension and risk status for the poor comprehender reading profile. Read Writ. 2025;38:2633-2659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-024-10603-x

[5] Nash H, Dixon C, Clarke P, et al. Predicting Reading outcomes in School Starters Using a Computer Assisted Dynamic Assessment of Decoding. Read Writ. In press 2026.

[6] Snowling MJ, Hayiou-Thomas ME, Nash HM, Hulme C. Dyslexia and developmental language disorder: comorbid disorders with distinct effects on reading comprehension. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2020;61(6):672-680. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13140

[7] Snowling MJ, Nash HM, Gooch DC, Hayiou-Thomas ME, Hulme C, Wellcome Language and Reading Project Team. Developmental outcomes for children at high risk of dyslexia and children with developmental language disorder. Child Dev. 2019;90(5):e548-e564. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13216

[8] Waterman AH, Bennett H, Gathercole SE, Allen RJ. The working memory classroom screener: identifying children with working memory difficulties. Teach Teach Educ. Manuscript submitted for publication.

[9] Mooney K, Cheung R, Blower S, Allen RJ, Waterman AH. Are social inequalities in children’s educational attainment mediated by executive functions and processing speed? BMC Psychol. 2024;12:746. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02243-1

[10] Mooney KE, Pickett KE, Shire K, Allen RJ, Waterman AH. Socioeconomic disadvantage and ethnicity are associated with large differences in children’s working memory ability: analysis of a prospective birth cohort study following 13,500 children. BMC Psychol. 2022;10:67. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00773-0

[11] Cusworth L, Tracey L, Baldwin H, Biehal N. Home or care? A comparison of educational outcomes for maltreated children. Br J Soc Work. 2021;51:3055–3076. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa177

[12] Davies C, Kong SP, Hendry A, Archer N, McGillion M, Gonzalez-Gomez N. Sustained benefits of early childhood education and care (ECEC) for young children’s development during COVID-19. J Early Child Res. 2023;22(2):238–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X231213488

[13] Davies C, Hendry A, Gibson SP, Gliga T, McGillion M, Gonzalez-Gomez N. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) during COVID-19 boosts growth in language and executive function. Infant Child Dev. 2021;30(4):e2241. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2241

[14] Unsworth S, Gusnanto A, Kašćelan D, Prévost P, Serratrice L, Tuller L, De Cat C. Unpacking language richness as a predictor of bilingual children’s language proficiency [first review]. J Child Lang. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000925100305

[15] De Cat C. Socio-economic status as a proxy for input quality in bilingual children? Appl Psycholinguist. 2021;42(2):301–324. https://doi.org/10.1017/S014271642000079X

[16] De Cat C, Serratrice L, Gusnanto A, Prévost P, Tuller L, Unsworth S. A data-driven approach to the issue of “catching up with monolinguals”. OSF [preprint]. Manuscript submitted for publication. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ndxzt_v1

[17] Taylor L, Clarke P. “We're very book rich”: The impact of school library services on reading, resourcing and reducing inequality. Literacy. 2025;59:283–292. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.70007

[18] Taylor L, Clarke P. Books, Bags and Boxes: A study of the role and impact of the Leeds School Library Service [report]. Leeds: University of Leeds; 2023. Available from: https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/212363/

[19] Tracey L, Code A, Dysart, E, Coleman I, Torgerson C, Bowyer-Crane C. Communication Friendly Home-Based Settings (CFHBS) [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2025. Available from: Communication Friendly Home-Based Settings (CFHBS) - Pilot evaluation report | Education Endowment Foundation

[20] Subosa M, Oades F, Dysart E, Tracey L, Speciani ER. Concept Cat: A two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2025. Available from: Concept Cat: A two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial. Evaluation Report

[21] Dysart E, Tracey, L. Pilot study of Plan, Do, Review [project]. Funded by: Education Endowment Foundation. Pilot study of Plan, Do, Review

[22] GOV.UK. Early years screen time advisory group [Internet]. London. [cited 2026 Feb 23]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/early-years-screen-time-advisory-group

[23] Davies C, La Valle I. Little Lives, big changes: How COVID-19 shaped early years services and children’s development from birth to five years [report]. Expert report INQ000587957. London: UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry; 2025. Available from: Little lives, big changes: How COVID-19 shaped early years services and children’s development from birth to five years

[24] Fox L, Bowyer-Crane C, Lambrechts AA, Manzoni C, Nielsen D, Tracey L. Mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 in the Early Years- A rapid Review. York: University of York; 2021. Available from: Mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 in the Early Years – A Rapid Review

[25] Hendry A, Gibson SP, Davies C, Gliga T, McGillion M, Gonzalez-Gomez N. Not all babies are in the same boat: Exploring how socioeconomic status, parental attitudes, and activities during UK COVID-19 lockdown affect early executive functions. Infancy. 2022;27:555–581. https://doi.org/10.1111/infa.12460

[26] Nash H, Clarke P, Davies C, Hart P, Homer M, Mathieson R. Progress of children through reception and year 1 during COVID-19 school disruption [report]. Leeds: University of Leeds; 2022. https://doi.org/10.48785/100/89

[27] Nash H, Clarke P, Davies C, Hart P, Homer M, Mathieson R. Educating children through reception and year 1 during COVID-19 school disruption [report]. Leeds: University of Leeds; 2022. https://doi.org/10.48785/100/88

[28] Tracey L, Bowyer-Crane C, Bonetti S, Nielsen D, D’Apice K, Compton S. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s socio-economic wellbeing and attainment during the Reception Year [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2022. Available from: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s socio-emotional wellbeing and attainment during the Reception Year. Research Report.

[29] Waterman, A.H., & Shire, K. The impact of Covid-19 on learning and wellbeing [report]. Bradford: Centre for Applied Education Research; 2020. Available from: Impact-of-Covid-19-on-learning-and-wellbeing_CAER-Report.pdf

[30] Nash HM, Davies R, Ricketts J. The contributions of decoding skill and lexical knowledge to the development of irregular word reading. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2023;49(1):78–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001070

[31] Davies C, Syrett K, Taylor L, Wilkes S, Zuniga-Montanez C. Supporting adjective learning in 5–7 year olds across curriculum areas: Insights from psychological research. Lang Linguist Compass. 2022;e12476. https://doi.org/10.1111/lnc3.12476

[32] Taylor L, Clarke P. We read, we write: Reconsidering reading–writing relationships in primary school children. Literacy. 2021;55:14–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12235.

[33] Grainger K, Nash H, Clarke P, Ingle-Teare R. Reception Book Buddies: developing and evaluating a community based intervention to promote shared book reading and library use at the transition into primary school [PhD project]. Leeds: University of Leeds; ongoing. Available from: Evaluating a community-based literacy intervention connecting home, school and library learning contexts

[34] Twine E, Davies C. Evaluating the impact of the Leeds Story Buses on children’s reading experiences: Data and recommendations [report]. Leeds: University of Leeds; 2022. https://doi.org/10.48785/100/102

[35] Atkinson AL, Waterman AH, Allen RJ. Can children prioritize more valuable information in working memory? An exploration into the effects of motivation and memory load. Dev Psychol. 2019;55(5):967–980. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000692

[36] Atkinson AL, Allen RJ, Waterman AH. Exploring the understanding and experience of working memory in teaching professionals: A large-sample questionnaire study. Teach Teach Educ. 2021;103:103343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103343

[37] Berry EDJ, Allen RA, Mon-Williams M, Waterman AH. Cognitive offloading: Structuring the environment to improve children’s working memory task performance. Cogn Sci. 2019;43(8):e12770. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12770.

[38] Chen O, Waterman AH, Allen RJ, Sweller J. The relationship between cognitive offloading and the transient information effect. Educ Psychol Rev. Manuscript submitted for publication.

[39] Hart P, Clarke P. Connecting and comprehending through play project [project]. Funded by: GamesInLab. Available from: https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/education-research-expertise/dir-record/research-projects/1248/connecting-and-comprehending-through-play

[40] Mesa C, Newbury DF, Nash M, Clarke P, Esposito R, Elliott L, De Barbieri Z. The effects of reading and language intervention on literacy skills in children in a remote community: An exploratory randomized controlled trial. Int J Educ Res. 2020;100:101535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101535

[41] Tracey L, Chambers B, Slavin R, Hanley P, Cheung A. Success for All in England: Results from the third year of a national evaluation. SAGE Open. 2014;4(3):1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244014547031

[42] Tracey L, Madden NA, Slavin RE. Effects of co-operative learning on the mathematics achievement of Years 4 and 5 pupils in Britain: A randomised control trial. Eff Educ. 2010;2(1):85–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415531003616904

[43] Tracey L, Elliott L, Fairhurst C, Mandefield L, Fountain I, Ellison S. (2022). Lexia Reading Core5 [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2022. Available from: Lexia Reading Core5®. Evaluation Report

[44] Tracey L, Boehnke JR, Elliott L, Thorley K, Ellison S, Bowyer-Crane C A. Grammar for Writing: Evaluation report and executive summary [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2019. Available from: Grammar for Writing: Evaluation report and executive summary.

[45] Waterman AH, Miller M. Working Memory: Research into Practice [report]. Bradford: Centre for Applied Education Research; 2022. Available from: Working Memory: Research into Practice.

[46] Waterman AH, Miller M. Support materials for teachers on working memory in the classroom [ongoing]. Bradford: Bradford Research School. Available from: Support materials

[47] Dysart E, Tracey L. Efficacy Trial of Peer-to-Peer Coaching [project]. Funded by: Education Endowment Foundation. Efficacy Trial of Peer-to-Peer Coaching | Directories | University of Leeds

[48] Nielsen D, D’Apice K, Cheung R, Bryant M, Heald R, Storr C, et al. A randomised controlled feasibility trial of an early years language development intervention: Results of the outcomes of Talking Together evaluation and results (oTTer) project. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2023;9:107. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01333-y

[49] Tracey L, Dysart, E, Clarke P. Writing Roots evaluation [project]. Funded by: Education Endowment Foundation. https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-projects/1323/efficacy-trial-of-writing-roots

[50] Paul SAS, Hart P, Augustin L, Clarke PJ, Pike MA. Parents’ perspectives on home-based character education activities. J Fam Stud. 2022;28(3):1158–1180. https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2020.1806097

[51] Tracey L, Torgerson C, Dysart E, Fairhurst C, Gridley N, Welch C. Efficacy trial of the ParentChild+ programme [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2022. Available from: Efficacy Trial of the ParentChild+ programme. Evaluation Report.

[52] Tracey L, Chambers B, Bywater TJ, Elliott L. SPOKES (Supporting Parents on Kids Education in School): Evaluation report and executive summary [report]. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2016. Available from: SPOKES (Supporting Parents on Kids Education in School). Evaluation Report and Executive Summary.

[53] Leston-Bandeira C, Clarke p, Sheperd A. Enhancing Parliamentary Evaluation of Democratic Engagement Programmes project [project]. Funded by: Research England Policy Support Fund. https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-projects/1338/enhancing-parliamentary-evaluation-of-democratic-engagement-programmes

[54] Pike MA, Hart P, Paul SAS, Lickona T, Clarke P. Character development through the curriculum: Teaching and assessing the understanding and practice of virtue. J Curric Stud. 2021;53(4):449–466. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2020.1755996