Christine Farquharson
Economist @theifs.bsky.social. Research on early years, education and health.
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonWe're delighted to have @ckfarquharson.bsky.social giving the @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social seminar next week! She'll be talking about her work estimating the impact of Sure Start on education, health and more. 🕕3-4pm Thurs 5th Feb 📍Online or in-person (541, 20 Bedford Way) Sign up: tinyurl.com/yanfx8j7
- Absolutely delighted our research has won the ONS' Research Excellence prize for impact! I always say to people that the ideal @theifs.bsky.social work is rigorous enough to publish in top journals, and relevant enough to be on the front page. I think we've ticked that box here!
- We're pleased to share that our report on the effects of Sure Start on children’s outcomes has won the 'Impact of Analysis' Award in this year's ONS Research Excellence Awards. 🏆 Find out more: ifs.org.uk/news/ifs-sur...
- All down to a top team: Pedro Carneiro, Sarah Cattan, @gabriconti.bsky.social, Claire Crawford, and @nickridpath.bsky.social - as well as contributions to the wider programme of work from Elaine Drayton, Rita Ginja, and Maud Pecher. And with big thanks to @nuffieldfoundation.org for funding us!
- The OBR has done us all a service by producing new forecasts of the challenge on SEND. What's still missing is the plan for how to tackle it - reform? changes to education spending? budget top-ups? Risks too to councils' finances - and their incentives. Big questions remain!
- NEW: The hardest questions for SEND are still to be answered. @ckfarquharson.bsky.social, Kate Ogden, David Phillips, @lukesibieta.bsky.social and Darcey Snape’s briefing explains how the #Budget2025 will affect SEND spending and the options for councils' SEND-related deficits ⬇️
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: The hardest questions for SEND are still to be answered. @ckfarquharson.bsky.social, Kate Ogden, David Phillips, @lukesibieta.bsky.social and Darcey Snape’s briefing explains how the #Budget2025 will affect SEND spending and the options for councils' SEND-related deficits ⬇️
- Continue to be astonished by how quickly my colleagues can turn these podcasts around… we only finished recording at 2pm! Listen in for our take on the Budget, and our attempt to string together coherent sentences on little sleep…
- NEW PODCAST: The Autumn Budget 2025 explained @helenmiller.bsky.social, @benzaranko.bsky.social and @ckfarquharson.bsky.social break down the major decisions in a packed Autumn Budget and what they mean for the UK in our new IFS Zooms In episode. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW PODCAST: The Autumn Budget 2025 explained @helenmiller.bsky.social, @benzaranko.bsky.social and @ckfarquharson.bsky.social break down the major decisions in a packed Autumn Budget and what they mean for the UK in our new IFS Zooms In episode. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
- Good news: We now have a forecast for SEND spending, rather than flying blind. From 2028, central gov't will fund all SEND provision from within departmental spending. Without reform or spending top-ups, that's a £6bn pressure on budgets that year. @theifs.bsky.social #Budget2025
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson“This was a big Budget, but not in the way people were necessarily expecting.” – @helenmiller.bsky.social 📗 Our immediate IFS response to #Budget2025 is out now: ifs.org.uk/articles/aut...
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson...if we add up the cost of all the council worker hours wasted on failed applications for the "Treasury Happy Press Release Fund" type gimmicks, I suspect more often than not the net benefit to the country overall will be minimal or negative
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonIf there were an election tomorrow, more net tax increases would have been announced in this parliament than in any other since at least 1970. #Budget2025
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonYour regular reminder that, while it doesn't have every policy option under the sun, @theifs.bsky.social Be the Chancellor tool will tell you how much could be raised from a whole raft of policy changes (e.g. cutting higher-rate threshold by £10k raises ~£17bn). ifs.org.uk/be-chancellor
- Absolutely delighted that our @theifs.bsky.social work evaluating the effects of Sure Start centres won the "Publication of the Year" prize at last night's @smartthinking.bsky.social awards! It's wonderful to be recognised for the quality and impact of our work. ifs.org.uk/publications...
- This was my first project at IFS a decade ago (!). So this is also an award that recognises the importance of supporting long-term research. We have been so lucky to have the Nuffield Foundation's support throughout.
- And, of course, it has been fantastic to work with Sarah Cattan, Pedro Carneiro, @gabriconti.bsky.social, Claire Crawford, and @nickridpath.bsky.social. This award recognises an enormous amount of research, communication and impact - so it's vital to have an incredible team.
- P.S. Speaking of great teams - there was also an award for all of "Team IFS", as @theifs.bsky.social won the top prize for "Think tank* of the year". *(We're amending it to "research institute" in our hearts) What an achievement for all my colleagues after a very busy year!
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson🎉 Proud to see our #Sure #Start @theifs.bsky.social research shortlisted for the ONS Research #Excellence Awards! 🏆 Learn more: www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/what... 🗳️ We need your help! Please cast your #vote in the People’s Choice Award by Friday 31 October 2025👉🏻 forms.office.com/pages/respon...
- Delighted that our @theifs.bsky.social research on Sure Start has been shortlisted for the ONS Research Excellence Awards! Do check out our work (and the other amazing projects) and cast your vote in the People's Choice awards! tinyurl.com/3kra3trj
- Delighted that our @theifs.bsky.social research on Sure Start has been shortlisted for the ONS Research Excellence Awards! Do check out our work (and the other amazing projects) and cast your vote in the People's Choice awards! tinyurl.com/3kra3trj
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonToday’s Times gives “urged” the entirely new meaning of “a lukewarm mention in the middle of a 66 page report”.
- Phenomenal news - the birth cohorts are one of the UK's richest and most unique data resources. I can't wait to see all the amazing evidence that we'll gain from this newest study!
- Announcing Generation New Era: the first UK-wide birth cohort study in 25 years. It will study 30,000 children born in 2026 across the four nations of the UK. Watch out for upcoming opportunities for researchers and other stakeholders to engage with the study team via @clscohorts.bsky.social
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW PODCAST: Are the kids ok? Family life @helenmiller.bsky.social, @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and Anne Longfield explore family life in the UK, rising child poverty and pressures on social care in our 'Are the kids ok?' podcast mini-series. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/are...
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson"There's been a really big increase in the share of children who are being identified as having special educational needs" @ckfarquharson.bsky.social details the rise in special educational needs and its effect on schools. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/are...
- We recorded this episode this morning (!) and I came out full of excitement! @helenmiller.bsky.social and I had a great conversation with Sir Philip Augar - we covered the design of the post-16 system, the gulf between higher and further education, and even some tentative signs of hope. Do listen!
- NEW PODCAST: Are The Kids OK? The College Years @helenmiller.bsky.social, @ckfarquharson.bsky.social & Sir Philip Augar discuss how well England’s education system supports young people as they move into adulthood in our 'Are the kids OK?' series. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/are...
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson"Only way that you are going to make a significant difference in the life of a child under the age of two, is by working with parents" @ckfarquharson.bsky.social argues effective early years policy must focus on working with parents and families. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/are...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW PODCAST: Are the kids ok? The school years Are England’s school children thriving, or are too many being left behind? @helenmiller.bsky.social, @ckfarquharson.bsky.social & @samfr.bsky.social assess the state of England's schools in our podcast. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/are...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonPanoramic conversation on early years policy - what do we know & where should policy go. With the excellent @careyoppenheim.bsky.social @ckfarquharson.bsky.social & @helenmiller.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/00sX...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonBit weird that none of these articles mention that family hubs already exist and were set up by the last government. This an expansion and bolstering of them not a completely new thing.
- NEW: Labour will aim to embed a Sure Start-type system of help for deprived children and families so deeply and completely into the state that a future Reform government would not be able to dismantle it, Bridget Phillipson has pledged. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
- In light of today's announcements on Family Hubs, this @theifs.bsky.social podcast is looking even more timely! A great discussion with @officialedballs.bsky.social and @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social on the benefits of Sure Start and the political economy of keeping early childhood programmes going.
- NEW PODCAST: The policy that changed childhood in the UK @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social is joined by @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and @officialedballs.bsky.social to explore the impact and legacy of Sure Start. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/pol...
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson“This new guidance will damage the quality of government and public discourse.” Important new comment from me and @alexgathomas.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...
- Spending on the new childcare entitlements next year could be £1bn higher than initially forecast in March 2023 - a 25% increase. So what's going on? I break down the numbers that @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social and @maxwarner.bsky.social set out in @theifs.bsky.social post-Spending Review briefing.
- There are two issues here: 1) The big in-year revisions to spending we have already seen (for 2024-25) 2) What higher-than-expected take-up might mean for costs in future years, once entitlements are fully rolled out
- Forecasting demand for new childcare entitlements for working parents with kids under 3 was always going to be hard. Depends on: * how many families are eligible * how many families will move into paid work so they become eligible * take-up amongst eligible families Difficult!
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View full threadThanks to @nuffieldfoundation.org for supporting much of the work that made this analysis possible - not something you want to tackle from scratch on Spending Review night! ifs.org.uk/articles/pop...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonOne weird thing about the efficiency drive announced yesterday is that we got (1) a detailed, bottom-up piece of work from the Office for Value for Money on the scope for savings in each department (2) top-down plans for all departments to make the precise same % cut to admin budgets
- Super useful from @lukesibieta.bsky.social on school funding choices. Protecting the total core schools budget means real-terms spending per pupil will rise by around 3%. We don't know anything on colleges yet - reminder that real-terms per-pupil protection there needs an extra £300m in today's £.
- What does £4.5 billion extra for schools in England mean? My guess is that this is a real-terms freeze in the core schools budget plus some extra money for free school meals This thread explains why 🧵[1/6] observer.co.uk/news/nationa... @theifs.bsky.social @nuffieldfoundation.org
- The government has announced that, from next year, free school meals will be extended to all children whose families receive Universal Credit. Currently, families need an after-tax income below £7,400 to be eligible - removing the cap will bring 1.7m kids into eligibility in the long term.
- Why "in the long term"? Transitional protections introduced in 2018 have meant *lots* more kids currently get FSM - that's the main driver of the big rise in eligibility we've seen. More kids currently getting free lunches = lower costs from expanding eligibility, but also fewer day-one winners.
- The government reckons the new policy will bring another 500,000 or so kids into eligibility next year. That's a chunky increase compared to the 1.6m kids in Year 3-11 currently getting means-tested FSM - but most of the impact of the policy is yet to come.
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View full threadStill hungry for more? Check out our response to today's announcement here: ifs.org.uk/articles/ben... And our @theifs.bsky.social's report on all things free school meals, joint with Jonathan Cribb, @awmckendrick.bsky.social and Tom Waters: ifs.org.uk/publications...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonIFS Associate Director @ckfarquharson.bsky.social gives evidence to @commonshealth.bsky.social tomorrow at 9:30am on the provision of early years services and our recent report on the impact of Sure Start centres. Find out more here: committees.parliament.uk/event/24353/...
- Tomorrow, 9:30am We're continuing our inquiry into the first 1000 days of life and examining local authority provision of early years services through the Family Hubs model. We'll hear from @theifs.bsky.social @barnardos.org.uk @ihealthvisiting.bsky.social, and Hull City Council
- What a fantastic choice for us @theifs.bsky.social! @helenmiller.bsky.social is an incredible colleague, a terrific economist and an extraordinary communicator - I can't imagine anyone better to lead this new chapter at IFS.
- We are delighted to announce that @helenmiller.bsky.social has been appointed as the next IFS Director, following on from @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social in July 2025. Find out more:
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonIt is National Pizza Day, so this is your periodic reminder that Hawaiian Pizza was invented by a Greek-Canadian named Sam Panopoulos at his Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario in 1962. A True Canadian Hero 🫡
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonSchools Week have devised a quiz! Higher or Lower! Can you spot which statement in the Ofsted framework is for the higher grade?! schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-quiz-...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: Childcare funding rates largely protected in real terms - with a big uplift for disadvantage premium @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and Elaine Drayton respond to yesterday's government announcement of a £2bn injection of funding into England’s early years system. ifs.org.uk/articles/chi...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonJoin us tomorrow for our Summer students IFS recruitment event Monday 2 December | 5-6pm | Online We will explain what a day as an IFS Summer Student looks like, what projects IFS researchers work on and what areas of research we cover. Register here:
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonOne week left to apply to join IFS as a PhD Research Economist. We're looking for outstanding economists who have completed their PhD or students expecting to complete a PhD in 2025. Find out more and apply by 11:59pm Friday 22 November here: econjobmarket.org/positions/10964
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson🚨📜I am excited to share my Job Market Paper, where I study the effects of youth clubs on education and crime. The paper highlights the broader value of after-school activities and the potential benefits of public provision. 1/10
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonOn the economics job market? Opportunities for PhDs to join as Research Economists in labour/crime, public finance, and education/nutrition/health at the IFS @theifs.bsky.social econjobmarket.org/positions/10... #EconSky
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: Is NHS hospital productivity starting to rebound? Over the last few years, @benzaranko.bsky.social and I have written and talked a lot about the NHS productivity problem. In a new @theifs.bsky.social comment (with new colleague Olly Harvey-Rich) we look at productivity over the last year. 1/12
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonMy colleague @maxwarner.bsky.social is new to BlueSky- follow him for excellent research on the evolving state of the NHS!
- NEW: Is NHS hospital productivity starting to rebound? Over the last few years, @benzaranko.bsky.social and I have written and talked a lot about the NHS productivity problem. In a new @theifs.bsky.social comment (with new colleague Olly Harvey-Rich) we look at productivity over the last year. 1/12
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: The government’s decision to increase tuition fees in line with RPIX inflation forecasts from £9,250 to £9,535 from Autumn 2025 will prevent a £390 million cut to universities’ resources. THREAD on IFS Senior Research Economist Kate Ogden's response to yesterday's announcement: [1/6]
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonA £2.3-billion boost to the core schools budget in 2025-26 will see per-pupil spending in England rise by 1.6%, putting resources above their 2010 level for the first time. That follows a similar rise in per-pupil spending last year. [THREAD: 1/3]
- On its face, this looks like a big Budget for childcare. But that £1.8 billion is just a recommitment to the plans Chancellor Hunt announced in March 2023. Where this Budget really will change things is childcare settings’ bills: they face a triple whammy on pay. (1/8)
- We saw two big changes on National Insurance: raising the employer rate from 13.8% to 15%, and cutting the level at which NICs kick in. That will raise the employer NICs bill for an average full-time childcare worker from £2,200 a year to almost £3,000 – up more than a third. (2/8)
- Public organisations – like schools and colleges – will be compensated for these higher costs. But although we're on track for 80% of preschool childcare in England to be publicly funded, it’s largely delivered by the private sector – which won’t see similar protections. (3/8)
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View full threadFor more Budget day analysis, do check out my colleagues @theifs.bsky.social - we'll be beavering away overnight to break down one of the biggest Budgets in recent years. (8/8)
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: English colleges are facing severe financial challenges, with budget cuts, demographic pressures and teachers paid far less than schools. THREAD on why the government faces a pivotal choice about the future of colleges at next week’s Budget: buff.ly/4fbZPM3 [1/8]
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: Access to Sure Start as a child reduced the likelihood of ending up in youth custody by a fifth. THREAD on our new report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, on Sure Start’s impact on crime and social care outcomes: [1/9] ifs.org.uk/publications...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW: Free childcare for the under-2s will mean big savings for some parents – but wider impacts are anyone’s guess With new childcare entitlements coming into effect this month, @ckfarquharson.bsky.social discusses what impact they will have on families. Read here: ifs.org.uk/articles/fre...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonAs @juliangravatt.bsky.social says, this @ifs.bsky.social podcast is very illuminating, not least because @ckfarquharson.bsky.social has thought a lot about the (my!) Further Education sector.
- NEW PODCAST: Why are universities in financial trouble? Why are universities struggling? What happens if they go bust and can the government help? @benzaranko.bsky.social speaks to @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and Jack Britton. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/why...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonEnjoyed my first time hosting the IFS podcast - do have a listen for my colleagues' insights into the financial crunch facing universities and the options for a Labour government trying to deliver on its opportunity mission.
- NEW PODCAST: Why are universities in financial trouble? Why are universities struggling? What happens if they go bust and can the government help? @benzaranko.bsky.social speaks to @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and Jack Britton. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/why...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW PODCAST: Why are universities in financial trouble? Why are universities struggling? What happens if they go bust and can the government help? @benzaranko.bsky.social speaks to @ckfarquharson.bsky.social and Jack Britton. 🎧 Listen here: ifs.org.uk/articles/why...
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonEye-catching from the Institute for Fiscal Studies on today's stats on government finances. In the first third of the year the government spent more than a third (34.1%) of what was budgeted for the whole year. That has never happened since records began in 1997
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonNEW PODCAST: Can the new government fix the NHS? Our experts discuss the key challenges facing the NHS, and what the new government could do to tackle them. 🎧 Listen here: buff.ly/46QVWJF
- Reposted by Christine FarquharsonThere is overwhelming evidence that the education system in England leaves too many young people behind. Education inequalities | Christine Farquharson, Sandra McNally, Imran Tahir | IFS Deaton Review | academic.oup.com/ooec/article...
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson1/ Food and drink prices have risen by around a third since January 2021. 📈 That hit poorer households harder, because necessities take up more of their spending. But is that the end of the story? Our new paper does a deep dive into grocery prices over this period. tinyurl.com/2dm64wjv
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson10 Stata gotchas by Jonathan Shaw (pdf) ifs.org.uk/sites/defaul... #EconSky 📉📈
- Reposted by Christine Farquharson‘By next year, the real-terms value of spending per student will have fallen back to the levels of 2011, when tuition fees were just £3,375 a year and the government contributed much more in teaching grants.’ New IFS research www.theguardian.com/education/20...
- And if you want a different chart to look at, there are 53 more options in the full report... ifs.org.uk/publications...
Always hard to pick the chart from The IFS annual education spending report - this one is particularly eye-catching though. Distributional changes in spending due to change in funding formula, disproportionately impacting most disadvantaged schools ifs.org.uk/publications...
