🎉Congratulations to our Interim Director Ian Thompson, who has been conferred the title of Professor in this year's Recognition of Distinction exercise! Named Professor of Inclusive Education, Ian has led numerous projects on the vital issue in education of inclusion.

👏 Research from the Rees Centre is already making a tangible difference to national policy for care-experienced young people. Its evaluation of the DfE's Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 programme provides evidence on how targeted support can improve educational outcomes. ➡️ More: tinyurl.com/32jf23kk

📢 Join us for the Children’s Information Project End of Programme Event, where researchers, policymakers, practitioners and sector partners will come together to explore what ethical and effective use of children’s information means in practice. ➡️ Find out more and register: lnkd.in/dkY2YfJJ

Our researcher Sarah Gorin attended the SEND Assessment and Review Teams Conference, where she co-facilitated a workshop exploring insights from the What Works in SEND research. Sarah reflects on the discussions around the vital role of SEND Case Officers in her blog tinyurl.com/2jnm99d5

🙌 Congratulations to Dr Alun Rees on his appointment as our Department Honorary Norham Fellow. A valued collaborator with the Rees Centre, Alun has contributed to several reports and evaluations, including work on Virtual School Heads and the PP+ evaluation. Read more: lnkd.in/dP6eP_b7

Our researcher Bachar Alrouh reflects on the Centre’s Linked Administrative Data Seminar, highlighting Prof Lucy Griffiths’ insights into the potential of linked administrative data to advance research on children, families, and public services. ➡️ Read blog: shorturl.at/5wPrf

Join us for our workshop: "Trauma-informed Approaches to Research Design and Knowledge Production", led by Dr Lisa Cherry OBE. We will explore how trauma-informed principles can shape the way we design research, engage with participants, and produce knowledge. Register here: shorturl.at/BNWai

🎉We're very fortunate to work closely with Dr Lisa Cherry, who has been awarded an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours List. This is a fitting recognition of Lisa's outstanding contribution to trauma-informed practice, education & improving the lives of children and young people.👏 shorturl.at/lxk0F

📢 New publication: Our centre researcher Bachar Alrouh has contributed to a major study, aimed to improve understanding of the experiences of children whose mothers are involved in both the criminal and family justice systems. ➡️ Read more: shorturl.at/gqJ8t

📢 Join us next Tues (9 June) @ 12pm for our Lunchtime Webinar featuring Professor Lucy Griffiths. This presentation will explore the use of linked administrative data, with a particular focus on the research possibilities offered by SAIL Databank in Wales. Register here: shorturl.at/KoaDK

Our researchers Bachar Alrouh and Harriet Ward are contributing authors to a major new international publication examining the legal, ethical and social challenges surrounding the removal of babies into care at birth Read more: shorturl.at/RdnRG

📢 Upcoming event: The experiences of Black and Asian kinship carers in England This session explores the lived realities of kinship carers in Black and Asian communities across England. 👉 Join here: shorturl.at/jIhgS

The Belonging in Education Research Network led by the Rees Centre has published a new statement bringing together evidence on the importance of relational and inclusive approaches across education settings. ➡️ Read more: shorturl.at/dNHZe

✨ Thank you to Professor Karen Broadhurst for an insightful talk on data, evidence and trust in family justice. If you missed the session, you can catch up on the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLrE...

A new report by Prof Julie Selwyn highlights ongoing challenges in educational outcomes for children in long-term foster care. Children with a permanent long-term foster care decision are expected to remain with the same carer, but by age 16 only 51% were in the same placement. shorturl.at/bmmax

📢 Excited to share a new report on a national evaluation exploring early insights into Pupil Premium Plus Post-16 funding. The study provides a comprehensive picture of how this funding is being used to support young people in and leaving care across England. Read more: shorturl.at/i4E8R

📢 Call for Evidence: Information Use in Practice We’re inviting contributions to explore how information is used in real-world practice particularly in services supporting children and families. Deadline: 17 April ➡️ More: shorturl.at/FdKyp

🖊️ Our latest blog reflects on a webinar led by Caroline Spaas, focusing on the concept of relational poverty. This perspective considers the critical role of relationships, trust, and social connection in shaping people’s experiences and outcomes. Read the full blog: shorturl.at/Bth6q

As part of a short series of Coram events marking the centenary of the Adoption of Children Act (1926), Rees Centre Prof Harriet Ward will discuss the historical consequences of illegitimacy and share insights from her ongoing research into the history of adoption. More: ➡️ shorturl.at/6dQPR

👋 Join the upcoming ITALO lunchtime webinar: Creating address‑based linkages with our speakers Robin Linacre from the Ministry of Justice and Dr Mike Edwards from Secure eResearch Platform, SeRP. 📅 25 March 2026 | 🕐 13:00–14:00 | 💻 Online & Free to Attend 🔗 Register now! shorturl.at/jkGWz

👋 We're pleased to welcome Dr Clive Diaz who joins the Centre as senior academic leader for research in fostering and education. Clive’s research will focus on strengthening the evidence base on participation, voice and experiences of fairness in children’s social care and family justice systems.

👏Join our upcoming webinar hosted by the Children’s Information Project. This session will explore how children’s information can be used ethically & effectively to improve decision-making in policy & practice. The project's supported by the @nuffieldfoundation.org ➡️Register: shorturl.at/kxFtp

🌟 We’ve launched a new report from the Children’s Information Project on what ethical & effective use of children’s information looks like & how it can be improved. Funded by the @nuffieldfoundation.org , it introduces a practical framework & 8 essential practices. ➡️Read report: shorturl.at/HBllR

Thank you Assistant Professor Caroline Spaas for presenting at today’s Rees lunchtime webinar. If you missed her webinar on Relational Poverty Perspectives, the recording is now available to watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=heZx...

This year marks the centenary of the Adoption of Children Act 1926; the 1st legislation to enable the legal adoption of children in England & Wales. Rees Centre Emeritus Prof Harriet Ward discusses its significance on BBC's Woman’s Hour with Nuala McGovern. 🎧 Listen (at 27:06): lnkd.in/eErY2sMG

🎉 A big welcome to our 2 new Senior Research Fellows; Bachar Alrouh and Sarah Gorin. Bachar’s research explores how family justice and children’s social care shape educational pathways and life outcomes, while Sarah will work on the Children’s Information Project.

👏 A huge thank you to Emeritus Professor Julie Selwyn for presenting at our Rees lunchtime webinar on Tuesday, 'Family Routes – Growing Up in Adoptive and Special Guardianship Families'. 🔗 You can now watch Julie’s recorded session and access the slides here: shorturl.at/tOXrV

🎉 From 1 Jan 2026, Dr Ian Thompson will take up the role of interim Director of the Rees Centre. This follows the news that Prof Leon Feinstein will transition into his new position as Director of the Department of Education. 👉 Read more: shorturl.at/1bXLp @education.ox.ac.uk

👋 Join us next week for the Rees Centre's Lunchtime Webinar Series: Family Routes – Growing Up in Adoptive and Special Guardianship Families with Professor Julie Selwyn. 👉 Register: shorturl.at/NmNCe

👏 Congratulations to former Rees Centre researcher Dr Áine Kelly, whose Doctoral work has helped to inform the new Initial Health Assessment Delivery Standards from @corambaaf.bsky.social. Read more: shorturl.at/vaKV7