Dr Perry is a social scientist, education researcher and educator. His research and teaching focuses on addressing systemic inequalities through evidence-informed policy and practice, and fostering interdisciplinary and scientific methodologies in educational and social research. This includes research into current policy and practical questions, as well as methodological work, especially in relation to research policy, capacity and impact.
Tom has specialist methodological expertise relating to systematic review and evidence synthesis; quantitative methods and secondary data analysis; evaluation, improvement and enquiry; mixed methods social science; and knowledge mobilisation, exchange and use.
Substantive topics on which Tom has worked include applied cognitive science; educational equity and effectiveness; school accountability, improvement and evaluation; and sustainable school workforce development. Research he has led has been cited widely and internationally and featured in national news media including in the Times Educational Supplement; SchoolsWeek and BBC Radio 4.
PhD Enquiries
I am pleased to hear from prospective PhD students interested in undertaking research in any of these areas or related topics. I welcome applications from individuals with diverse personal and academic backgrounds. Please feel free to get in touch with me by email, whether you have a full proposal and CV prepared or just an idea or research question. Whatever stage you're at, I'm happy to help you explore whether a PhD project at Warwick could be a good fit.
Tom is an active and engaged academic, supporting advisory and expert groups; speaking at academic, professional and policy conferences and events; and advising and working on numerous research and development projects. His current roles, affiliations and memberships include:
- Co-Director of Postgraduate Research, Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick (from Oct 23)
- Member of the ESRC Peer Review College (from April 2024)
- Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (from Nov 2024)
- Editorial board member - Research Papers in Education (from July 2024)
- External Examiner, MSc Educational Research, University of Exeter (from Feb 2020)
- External Examiner, MSc Social Science Research, University of Leicester (from Nov 2022)
- Accredited researcher, Office for National Statistics (ONS) (from May 2019)
- Professional Affiliate, Chartered College of Teaching (from July 2018)
- TASO, EEF and Foundations Panel of Evaluators member (from 2018)
- British Educational Research Association (BERA) (from 2018)
- World Education Research Association (WERA) International Network ? Research-informed Education (from 2022)
- British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) (from 2023)
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'Morris, Rebecca, 'Lea, R., 2022. 'A decade of replication study in education? A mapping review (2011-2020). Educational Research and Evaluation, 27 (1-2), pp. 12-34
- 'Davies, Peter, 'Diamond, Colin, 'Perry, Thomas, 2021. 'Implications of autonomy and networks for costs and inclusion : comparing patterns of school spending under different governance systems. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49 (1), pp. 128-144
- 'J?rgensen, Clara R?bner, 'Dobson, Graeme, 'Perry, Thomas, 2021. 'Migrant children with special educational needs in European schools : a review of current issues and approaches. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36 (3), pp. 438-453
- Morris, Rebecca, Perry, Thomas, Wardle, Lindsey, 2021. Formative assessment and feedback for learning in higher education : a systematic review. Review of Education, 9 (3)
- Perry, Thomas, Findon, Madeleine, Cordingley, Philippa, 2021. Remote and blended teacher education : a rapid review. Education Sciences, 11 (8)
- Jørgensen, Clara Rübner, Perry, Thomas, 2021. Understanding school mobility and mobile pupils in England. British Educational Research Journal, 47 (5), pp. 1139-1157
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'Davies, Peter, 'Brady, Josephine, 2020. 'Using video clubs to develop teachers? thinking and practice in oral feedback and dialogic teaching. Cambridge Journal of Education, 50 (5), pp. 615-637
- Morris, Rebecca, Perry, Thomas, 2019. Private schools for free? parents' reasons for choosing a new free school for their child. Cambridge Journal of Education, 49 (5), pp. 535-552
- Morris, Rebecca, Perry, Thomas, 2017. Reframing the English grammar schools debate. Educational Review, 69 (1), pp. 1-24
- Perry, T., Morris, R., 2023. A critical guide to evidence-informed education. Maidenhead, UK, Open University Press
- 'Perry, Thomas, 2022. 'School value-added measures : undertaking policy- and practice-relevant methodological research. Siddiqui, Nadia; Gorard, Stephen (eds.), Making Your Doctoral Research Project Ambitious: Developing Large-Scale Studies with Real-World Impact, Routledge
- Morris, Rebecca, Perry, Thomas, Asquith, Simon, 2020. The opportunities and challenges of leaders using evidence in education. In Gorard, Stephen; Gorard, Stephen; Gorard, Stephen; Gorard, Stephen (eds.), Getting Evidence into Education : Evaluating the Routes to Policy and Practice, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY, Routledge, pp. 199-216
- 'Irwin-Rogers, Keir, 'Perry, Thomas, 2015. 'Exploring the impact of sentencing factors on sentencing domestic burglary. In Roberts, Julian V. (ed.), Exploring Sentencing Practice in England and Wales, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 194-220
- Morris, R., Perry, T., Smith, E., Pilgrim-Brown, J., 2023. Education : the state of the discipline. A survey of education researchers' work, experiences and identities. British Educational Research Association
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'See, Beng Huat, 2022. 'Replication study in education. Educational Research and Evaluation, Routledge, pp. 1-7
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'Lea, Rosanna, 'J?rgensen, Clara R?bner, 'Cordingley, Philippa, 'Shapiro, Kimron, 'Youdell, Deborah, 2021. 'Cognitive science in the classroom. Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
- 'J?rgensen, Clara R?bner, 'Dobson, Graeme, 'Perry, Thomas, 2021. 'Supporting migrant children with special educational needs. University of Birmingham
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'Morris, Rebecca, 'Abdi, S., 2020. 'Aimhigher Plus West Midlands maths outreach project : evaluation report, short report and executive summary. Available on request
- 'Perry, Thomas, 'Findon, Maddy, 'Cordingley, Philippa, 'Braim, Benjamin, 'Davison, Ian, 'Whitmore, Tracy, 'Cottle, Daniel, 'Anbreen, Noshaba, 'Crisp, Bart, 2020. 'Teacher education modality rapid review : modes, affordances and evidence on remote and blended initial and continuing teacher education. STEM Learning
- 'Day Ashley, Laura, 'Skinner, Robert, 'Meyer, Alejandra, 'Perry, Thomas, 2020. 'Private education and disadvantaged children in India : a literature review of three models of private school provision. Save the Children
- 'Cordingley, Philippa, 'Crisp, Bart, 'Johns, Paige, 'Perry, Thomas, 'Campbell, Carol, 'Bell, Miranda, 'Bradbury, Megan, 2019. 'Constructing teachers? professional identities. Education International
- 'Cordingley, Philippa, 'Greany, Toby, 'Crisp, Bart, 'Seleznyov, Sarah, 'Bradbury, Megan, 'Perry, Thomas, 2018. 'Developing great subject teaching : rapid evidence review of subject-specific continuing professional development in the UK. Wellcome Trust
- 'King, M., 'Agboola, K., 'Perry, Thomas, 'Bradbury, Megan, 2018. 'Workload challenge : KS5 data research report. DfE
- 'Davies, Peter, 'Perry, Thomas, 'Kirkman, John, 2017. 'IRIS Connect : developing classroom dialogue and formative feedback through collective video reflection. Education Endowment Foundation
| Title | Funder | Award start | Award end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy Trial of Get Further Tutoring Programme | Education Endowment Foundation | 31 Mar 2025 | 31 Aug 2027 |
| Pupil School Mobility ? types, pathways and implications for education (Outline proposal - 76480) UOB LEAD | Nuffield Foundation | 01 Mar 2024 | 31 Jul 2026 |
| ESRC 'Teaching, learning and uses of technology in UK schools: education research programme 2022' via Nottingham - Tom Perry | ESRC | 01 Dec 2022 | 30 Nov 2025 |
| Professional Development in post-16 settings practice review (Led by Sheffield Hallam) | Education Endowment Foundation | 31 Oct 2024 | 01 May 2025 |
| Frames for Learning (2nd stage) | Education Endowment Foundation | 01 Oct 2022 | 31 Mar 2025 |
| Proposal to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport by SQW-led consortium | Department for Culture Media and Sport | 01 Oct 2022 | 30 Sept 2023 |
| Post-16 practice review (led by the Centre for Education & Youth) | Education Endowment Foundation | 16 Oct 2022 | 30 May 2023 |
| : A survey of education researchers' perceptions of their work and identities in relation to education research in universities in the United Kingdom (BERA - state of the discipline) | British Educational Research Association (BERA) | 06 Dec 2021 | 01 Sept 2022 |
| EHRC 2122-39 Desk-based research into engagement with the Public Sector Equality Duty by listed bodies in Wales | Equality and Human Rights Commission | 28 Feb 2022 | 27 Mar 2022 |