Stephen Gorard is professor of education and public policy at Durham University, and director of the multi-disciplinary Durham University Evidence Centre for Education. He is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and lead editor for BERA’s Review of Education journal. His work concerns the robust evaluation of education as a lifelong process, focussed on issues of equity, especially regarding school intakes. He is author of around 30 books and over 1,000 other publications. He is funded by the ESRC to investigate measures of educational disadvantage and how such measures can be used for educational improvement.