Our Evaluation Approach

This comprehensive process evaluation represents an independent assessment of the Opportunity Areas (OA) programme, offering a broader perspective that previous studies, including the Department for Education’s (DfE) own evaluation published in 2022. While individual Opportunity Areas have carried out local impact assessments, our research takes a unique, sector-wide perspective that examines the programme holistically across all participating areas.

What We Will Do

Working collaboratively with the DfE, Local Government Association, and the 12 Local Authorities where the intervention was implemented, we are conducting a substantial programme of knowledge exchange and research activities.

Two-Stage Sequential Evaluation

Stage 1 – Quantitative Impact Assessment: Our initial phase isolates the programme’s impact using large-scale administrative and survey data. We utilise both the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset and the longitudinal household survey, Understanding Society, to capture:

Objective measures: educational choices, attainment, and earning (via LEO)
Subjective measures: educational values and career aspirations (via Understanding Society)

Through a robust quasi-experimental approach, we aim to identify the intervention’s impact beyond what occurred in comparable areas without the programme.

Stage 2 – Qualitative Mechanisms Exploration: We will collect qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with members of the partnership boards in each Opportunity Area. These interviews will provide deeper insights into governance structures and decision-making processes of the boards, such as how they were established, processes for recruiting personnel, and strategic decision-making across different levels.

Based on our quantitative findings, we will purposefully select six ‘paired’ fieldwork sites to conduct in-depth research with those who designed, delivered and received the intervention. This stage aims to uncover the mechanisms behind any observed impacts, including the sustainability and legacy of initiatives. We will gather perspectives from educational stakeholders—including senior leadership teams (SLTs), teachers, students, and parents—to better understand the programme’s implementation and perceived impact. This will involve semi-structured interviews and focus groups, as well as participatory activities with young people (e.g. mapping, visual prompts, and storytelling) to explore perceptions of aspiration, social mobility, and opportunity, and whether such opportunities are still seen to exist locally. These methods will help capture lived experiences and assess whether any changes have been sustained, adapted, or faded since the programme ended.

Policy Relevance and Timing

This evaluation comes at a pivotal moment to inform future policy development. Following the launch of the Priority Educational Investment Areas in 2022—building on the Opportunity Areas programme—our work will provide rigorous, timely evidence to support public policy debates and the design of future area-based interventions.

By identifying the mechanisms most effective in reducing educational and skills gaps, the evaluation will offer critical insights into how such programmes can be designed, implemented, and sustained to maximise their impact on educational equity and opportunity.