Covid Social Mobility and Opportunities study (COSMO): Wave 2

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Learning and Leadership

Abstract

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected socioeconomic inequalities in life chances, in terms of short-term effects on educational attainment and well-being, and long-term educational and career outcomes? This study will provide immediate findings to this and related research questions about the impact of the pandemic on educational inequality by SES, gender and ethnicity by designing, analysing, reporting on, and archiving a second annual wave of a high-quality new cohort study of pupils in year 11 in academic year 2020-21 across England. This brand new resource will collect data from pupils, parents and schools, augmented with administrative data from DfE's NPD and other sources. Moreover, it will provide the start of a long-term resource for the research community to explore medium/long-term effects as participants move into further and higher education, and the labour market.

Led by Dr Jake Anders, with Professor Lindsey Macmillan and Dr Gill Wyness (UCL CEPEO), Professors Lisa Calderwood and Alissa Goodman (UCL CLS) and Carl Cullinane (Sutton Trust), with Kantar as lead fieldwork agency, the team combines world-leading expertise in educational inequalities, social mobility, analysis of longitudinal data, and the design and management of cohort studies. Our project is supported by key stakeholders, including DfE, ADR UK, EEF, TASO, OfS, and HEAT to ensure co-production of policy-relevant evidence. This study will fill an important gap in understanding the medium and long term effects of COVID-19 on young people completing their education and moving into the labour market at this unprecedented time.
 
Description Data from COSMO Wave 2 highlights the different paths 17-18 year olds were taking towards adulthood, and how young people and their families were handling new challenges, including the cost of living crisis.

MENTAL HEALTH: A quarter of young people had sought some form of mental health support over the past year. Of those who sought help, 35% said they were either on a waiting list or had otherwise yet to receive it. Those in the most deprived parts of the country were 11 percentage points more likely to say they are still waiting (39% v 28% in the most affluent areas). 47% of bisexual young people, 37% of gay/lesbian, and 44% of those with other sexualities reported having self-harmed, compared to 9% of heterosexuals. Those who reported having long COVID were more likely to be experiencing high psychological distress (58%) compared to those who have never had long COVID (43%) or COVID at all (37%).

COVID VACCINATION: Just under 1 in 5 (18%) young people said they had not yet had the COVID-19 vaccination. This was highest in the most deprived areas of the country (25% v 6% of those in the most affluent areas).

POST-18 OPPORTUNITIES AND ASPIRATIONS: The vast majority (68%) of young people say that they plan on studying at university. Those from families who used a food bank in the last year were 21 percentage points less likely to either have applied to or expect to apply to university (48% v 69% for those from families that had not used a food bank). A fifth of young people planned to live at home during term time, with a further 14% undecided on university accommodation. Those from urban areas were most likely to report that good opportunities available to them (48%), while those from rural areas are more pessimistic (37%). Those living in London are most likely to report there being opportunities to train/do the job they aspire to (52%), while those from the East Midlands are the least likely (32%). Looking at career-related information, advice and guidance provided in schools, private schools pupils were significantly more likely (93%) to have received such support compared to those at state schools (80%), sixth form colleges (79%) and FE colleges (66%). 6% of 17-18 year olds were in an apprenticeship scheme. At the time, 54% said that apprentice pay was either 'good' or 'very good', but this may change if pay does not keep pace with the cost of living. Those with parents in routine/manual occupations were twice as likely to have left education as those from professional/managerial households.

YOUNG CARERS: 37% of young carers experienced food poverty, compared to 16% of non-carers. 56% of young carers experienced psychological distress, compared to 43% of non-carers. For those caring for at least two years, the figure was even higher, at 60%. Nearly a third of all young carers said, 'people like me don't have much of a chance in life', double the rate of non-carers (29% v 16%).
Exploitation Route Findings from the COSMO study have been used to determine the differential effects of the pandemic on educational trajectories, particularly for those from disadvantaged groups. When the pandemic hit the UK in 2020, Year 11 pupils were beginning to make important decisions about their futures. They subsequently faced two years of serious disruption to their education, including the ultimate cancellation of their GCSEs. Evidence from COSMO informed the support given to secondary school pupils in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. But the upheaval was unprecedented, and the consequences are potentially long-lasting. COSMO Wave 2 data can continue to be used to understand this generation's transition to higher education and the labour market, and how they might be best supported.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy

Education

Healthcare
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/
 
Description Despite being relatively newly available datasets, COSMO Wave 1 and 2 data and evidence have had considerable use outside of academia, particularly in policy debates around ongoing support for the generation whose secondary education was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The study's impact is summarised here, with details recorded in the 'Influence on Policy, Practice, Patients and the Public'. Evidence from COSMO has fed into multiple UK parliamentary inquiries, including the APPG on Young Carers and Adult Carer's inquiry into the experience of young carers, the APPG for Youth Employment's inquiry into mental health, the House of Commons Education Select Committee inquiry into persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils, and the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee's inquiry into digital exclusion and the cost of living. COSMO evidence has also been cited by MPs in parliamentary debates on the educational attainment gap for the 'COVID' generation, young people's mental health, and students' rising cost of living. ONS published its own analysis of COSMO data on the experiences of GCSE students during the coronavirus pandemic in England, by income-related deprivation. Behind the scenes, Government has used COSMO evidence to inform their thinking and approach. For instance, Number 10 and Department for Education both indicated that COSMO evidence helped them make the case internally to reverse the proposed cut in National Tutoring Programme subsidies for the 2023-24 academic year. Think tanks are using COSMO evidence and data to inform their work. The Resolution Foundation, an influential UK think tank tackling inequalities in living standards, analysed COSMO data for their flagship investigation into the relationship between young people's mental health and their work outcomes. The Centre for Social Justice also cited COSMO findings on mental health in its flagship report, 'Two nations: the state of poverty in the UK'. The study's influence has reached beyond UK borders. The Flemish Government commissioned a review of the state of youth work in Europe on the occasion of Belgium's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which drew on COSMO findings on the post-18 opportunities and aspirations of this generation. The COSMO team is actively engaging with organisations outside of academia to further the use and impact of the study. The team have showcased the findings to Widening Participation professionals, and invited guest commentary on the findings from third sector organisations including Sport England and the Mental Health Foundation. Within academia, COSMO has become a vital part of the UK data infrastructure landscape, as a leading scientific resource for the investigation of the short-, medium- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing cost-of-living crisis on educational inequality, wellbeing and social mobility.
First Year Of Impact 2022
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal

Economic

Policy & public services
 
Description Evidence to House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee inquiry 'Digital exclusion and the cost of living'
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/event/17498/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
 
Description Use of COSMO data and evidence in the Resolution Foundation's report, We've only just begun: Action to improve young people's mental health, education and employment
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/publications/weve-only-just-begun/
 
Description Strengthening policy impact from the COVID Social Mobility & Opportunities study (COSMO)
Amount £8,000 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 07/2023
 
Title COSMO Wave 2 Questionnaires 
Description The questionnaires allow data users to get a better understanding of measurement via providing wording used to obtain responses, as well a better understanding of the data via showing routing for each question. Both the young person and parent questionnaires are available to those who download the data from UKDS, as well as on the study website. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact The questionnaires support researchers who wish to use the data, as well as other researchers who wish to design studies for the COSMO age group. 
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/about/study-design-and-data-collection
 
Title COSMO Wave 2 User Guide 
Description This is a document prepared to support researchers with the use of COSMO Wave 2 data. It is part of the documentation available on UKDS along with the research data, and also available on the COSMO study website. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This document covers a range of topics, including a summary of the methodology of the study, as well as detailed descriptions on data quality checks, and important information about the data (identifiers, weights, etc). 
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/assets/cosmo-w2-user-guide-v1.pdf
 
Title COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study: Wave 2, 2022-2023 
Description The COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO) is a longitudinal cohort study, a collaboration between the UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), and the Sutton Trust. The overarching aim of COSMO is to provide a representative data resource to support research into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the life chances of pupils with different characteristics, in terms of short-term effects on educational attainment, and long-term educational and career outcomes. The topics covered by COSMO include, but are not limited to, young people's education experiences during the pandemic, cancelled assessments and education and career aspirations. They have also been asked for consent for linking their survey data to their administrative data held by organisations such as the UK Department for Education (DfE). Linked data is planned to be made available to researchers through the ONS Secure Research Service.Young people who were in Year 11 in the 2020-2021 academic year were drawn as a clustered and stratified random sample from the National Pupil Database held by the DfE, as well as from a separate sample of independent schools from DfE's Get Information about Schools database. The parents/guardians of the sampled young people were also invited to take part in COSMO. Data from parents/guardians complement the data collected from young people.Further information about the study may be found on the  COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO) webpage. COSMO Wave 2, 2022-2023 All young people who took part in Wave 1 (see SN 9000) were invited to the second Wave of the study, along with their parents (whether or not they took part in Wave 1). Data collection in Wave 2 was carried out between October 2022 and April 2023 where young people and parents/guardians were first invited to a web survey. In addition to online reminders, some non-respondents were followed up via face-to-face visits or telephone calls over the winter and throughout spring. Online 'mop-up' fieldwork was also carried out to invite all nonrespondents into the survey one last time before the end of fieldwork. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Wave 2 of data collection achieved a representative sample of over 11,000 young people who were in Year 11 in the academic year 2020-21 across England, with fieldwork beginning in autumn 2022, when the cohort started Year 13 or equivalent, surveying these young people, along with their parents. Briefings have been produced focussing on Mental and physical health, Post 18 opportunities and aspirations, and Opportunities and University Plans. The data from Wave 2 are available for researchers to download from the UK Data Service website. Consent was collected to link the data to the Department for Education's National Pupil Database, among other administrative datasets that can enhance the value of the study data. 
URL https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/doi/?id=9158#0
 
Description ADR UK 
Organisation Administrative Data Research Network
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In COSMO Wave 1 we have included consent questions for data linkage to the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) datasets. This will, in the future, allow for the follow-up of COSMO participants in LEO, including employment and earnings data. This will allow for long-term follow-up of these outcomes of members of our cohort, making use of the linked administrative data environment supported by ADR UK.
Collaborator Contribution As part of this collaboration, ADR UK has provided advice and guidance on the consent questions used and has agreed to work with us and relevant data owners to facilitate data linkage.
Impact The consent questions regarding linkage to LEO's constituent datasets in COSMO were informed by advice and guidance from ADR UK staff in order to ensure that this consent will allow for data linkage.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Department for Education 
Organisation Department for Education
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We have liaised with civil servants at the Department for Education at key points throughout COSMO in order to ensure the design and analysis carried out in the study supported policy-relevant findings, insofar as this does not conflict with other scientific considerations.
Collaborator Contribution The Department for Education has provided letters of support for the continuation of COSMO and, through these letters of support, committed to engagement in our planning, analysis, and reporting of analyses and findings from COSMO. They are members of the project's advisory group, engaged extensively with feedback on questionnaire design, and further such activities. DfE's support has also meant we are able to mention this support on fieldwork documentation with an expectation that this is positive for respondent participation. The support was also crucial for attaining DfE approval to use the National Pupil Database as a sampling frame, with significant positive effects on the quality/representativeness of the study.
Impact Key outcomes from this collaboration have included significant co-design and co-production of elements of the study, notably the questionnaires. We anticipate this will increase the policy relevance of analyses and reporting from the study compare to what would have been possible without this collaboration.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Education Endowment Foundation 
Organisation Education Endowment Foundation
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution In COSMO Wave 1 we have included a consent question for data linkage to data held by the Education Endowment Foundation. This will, in the future, allow for the identification of COSMO participants who received support from National Tutoring Programme tuition partners, in order to allow for complementary evaluation of this programme to that which EEF are carrying out themselves. In particular, with more information regarding inequalities in uptake as well as on the impact of the programme.
Collaborator Contribution As part of this collaboration, the Education Endowment Foundation has provided advice and guidance on the consent question used and has agreed to work with us in the future to facilitate data linkage for the purposes of understanding NTP tuition partners participation among the COSMO cohort.
Impact The consent questions regarding linkage to EEF data in COSMO were informed by advice and guidance from EEF staff in order to ensure that this consent will allow for data linkage.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Sutton Trust 
Organisation The Sutton Trust
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We are working closely with Sutton Trust throughout the course of COSMO, including them in all relevant scientific, management and communication meetings. The project's full-time research fellow is also spending time on placement with Sutton Trust throughout the project in service of our collaborative aims.
Collaborator Contribution The Trust's staffing contribution includes Associate Director of Research and Policy Carl Cullinane as a Co-Investigator on the project, at no cost to UKRI. It also includes expertise from the Trust's team across research, communications and policy/public affairs. The Trust has a significant media profile, with a demonstrated record of impact and communicating complex research findings to wide audiences, including a track record of front-page newspaper coverage and high-profile broadcast news items. We have been particularly prominent since the beginning of the pandemic in drawing public attention to the impact of Covid-19 on education. As well as leading on communication, we are leading on the policy and advocacy implications of the study findings, leveraging our experience and relationships with parliamentarians, ministers and policymakers across the political spectrum to maximise the policy impact of the study. The Trust provides the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Mobility, and regularly meets ministers and advisers both within the Department for Education and the Number 10 policy unit. The Trust brings significant value-added to the study through its relationships and profile, through media coverage, events, links with schools, universities and employers, and policy advocacy. The Trust also intends to fund activities such as events, report design and printing costs from its own finances, along with other costs, where it is deemed that this would significantly benefit the impact of the study.
Impact The design and initial communications around the project have benefited from Sutton Trust expertise, including on policy relevance of questionnaire content, launch communications, design of participant- and researcher-facing branding for the study, among other aspects.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Broadcast - COSMO data provides new insights into the lives of young carers 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Data from wave 2 of the COSMO study featured in ITV Tonight's documentary Young Carers - A Hidden Crisis, providing unique insights into the lives of young carers and some of the challenges these young people face.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/cosmo-data-provides-new-insights-into-the-lives-of-young-carers
 
Description CEPEO Blog Post on persistent absenteeeism 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This blog post covers absenteeism among young people during the pandemic, indicating 10% of the COSMO study sample were persistent absentees (defined by DfE as "a pupil having 46 or more sessions of absence (authorised or unauthorised) during the academic year, around 15% of overall absence."). It's looked closely into this by eligibility to Free School Meals, household food poverty, food bank use, gender and ethnicity of young people, psychological distress, and SEN status.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/cepeo/2023/06/01/persistent-absenteeism-who-is-missing-school-since-the-pand...
 
Description CONSULTATION - COSMO Wave 2 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact From 1 February 2022 to 3 March 2022 CEPEO conducted an online consultation survey on the content and design of the second wave of the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) study in England. 48 responses were received from stakeholders in academia, the government and the third sector. Whilst the majority of submissions were from academia, a significant amount, (21%) of submissions were from government. Marketing the consultation included email and social media campaigns which have further promoted the study and led to several offers of collaboration and idea exchanges.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/departments-and-centres/centres/centre-education-policy-and-equalising-opp...
 
Description COSMO Blog - Inequalities in mental health and access to support services 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This blog by Erica Holt-White examined findings on mental health and wellbeing from wave 2 of the COSMO study. The article revealed that the proportion of students classified as experiencing high psychological distress was the same as it was in wave 1, at 44%. The blog also explored findings on the mental health support available to young people. A quarter of young people had sought some form of mental health support over the previous 12 months. Of those, 35% said they were either on a waiting list or had not received some of the support they had sought.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/inequalities-in-mental-health-and-access-to-support-services
 
Description COSMO Blog - Paying the price? Financial inequalities in the aftermath of the pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact COSMO researcher, James Yarde, discussed COSMO Wave 1 findings on the financial impacts of the pandemic. The research, which was issued as a press release found that 82% of parents and more than half (53%) of young people in families struggling financially reported poor mental health. Food bank use and long-term poverty was associated with lower GCSE attainment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/paying-the-price-financial-inequalities-in-the-aftermath-of-the-pandemi...
 
Description COSMO Blog: The first in person meeting of the Sutton Trust COSMO Youth Panel 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Alongside the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities (COSMO) Study, the Sutton Trust has recruited a panel of young people who are the same age as COSMO Study participants. The Sutton Trust COSMO Youth Panel, while separate from the study itself, gives us the opportunity to hear more detailed lived experiences from young people. All members of the panel are applicants to Sutton Trust programmes, who have faced disadvantages and barriers of various kinds. This blog summarises the first meeting of the COSMO Youth Panel.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/stories-behind-the-data-the-first-sutton-trust-cosmo-youth-panel-worksh...
 
Description COSMO blog: Time for change - insights from our COSMO Youth Panel 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This blog by Erica Holt-White summarises issues facing the COSMO Youth Panel in 2024, which will be the first full-year of their chosen post-secondary path. The reflections included in the blog focused mainly on financial challenges and responsibilities, and mental health challenges.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/time-for-change-insights-from-our-cosmo-youth-panel
 
Description COSMO social media (X and Linkedin) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The COSMO study shares findings, evidence and updates on the data via social media, namely X and Linkedin. On X, the study has 1,412 as of March 2024. In 2023, the channel has 2,231 link clicks, 561 retweets and 1,122 likes. On Linkedin, the study has 334 followers as of March 2024.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023,2024
 
Description COSMO website 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The COSMO website presents insights and learning from the study in an engaging and accessible way to a variety of audiences. It also provides resources for data users interested in analysing COSMO data. The website to date has had 25,000 visitors, 62,000 pageviews, and the reports have been viewed 26,000 times. The most viewed report was the briefing on mental health and wellbeing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022,2023,2024
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/
 
Description Discussion of COSMO findings and data availability with members of ifo Institute for Economic Research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Meetings with members of ifo, which is of one of Germany's largest economic think tanks, about findings from COSMO and the data available from it. Sparked discussions about potential future use of the data for comparative research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Discussion of findings with Department for Education civil servants 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Presentation and discussion of key findings from COSMO Wave 1 with analysts from UK Department for Education.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Evidence to House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee inquiry 'Digital exclusion and the cost of living' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Formal evidence to parliamental committee looking at digital exclusion, using findings from COSMO study to explain extent and consequences of digital exclusion for young people, as well as what can be done to tackle it.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/event/17498/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
 
Description Pre-initial findings analysis on Wave 2 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This analysis by the COSMO Research Fellow Dr. Xin Shao was posted on the COSMO study website, and formed the basis of the first press release from COSMO Wave 2 findings. The press release reached various media sources and audiences.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/publications/the-class-of-2023-opportunities-and-university-plans
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource as part of LSE Social Policy seminar series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation of COSMO findings and data resource to attendees at LSE Social Policy seminar series, which attract participants from beyond academia. Led to discussions about aspects of the findings and of the data available.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource as part of Oxford Department of Education seminar series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation of COSMO findings and data resource to attendees at Oxford Department of Education seminar series. Led to discussions about aspects of the findings and of the data available.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource as part of UCL/Beijing Normal University celebration event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource to large international audience as part of UCL/Beijing Normal University celebration event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/events/2022/sep/ioe-and-bnu-120th-anniversary
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource as part of workshop between UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities and ONS Analytical Hub 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact ONS Analytical Hub visited UCL to discuss various areas of shared interest, including findings from COSMO and potential future interest in using COSMO as part of further research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource as part of workshop between UCL Social Research Institute and IAB 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Presentation of findings and data available from COSMO as part of workshop with UCL colleagues and members of IAB (Germany's Institute for Employment Research), which has led to discussions about potential collaborative research in future.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource to OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Met with members of the OECD Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE; https://www.oecd.org/wise/) to discuss areas of mutual interest including presentation of COSMO findings and as data resource.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation to Scottish Government 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact We hosted a workshop on inequalities in education, inviting policy makers from Department for Education and Scottish Government. The findings from this research project were presented as part of the introduction to the problems that we were discussing throughout the day. We also had a session introducing the COSMO data set.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Press release: Almost half of young people in the most deprived areas struggling to get the mental health support they need 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact This press release, issued by project partner The Sutton Trust on 9 November 2023, showcased new findings from COSMO Wave 2, which indicated that a quarter of participants had sought some form of mental health support over the previous 12 months, yet many are struggling to access that support. Of those who sought help, 35% said they were either on a waiting list or had otherwise yet to receive it. Importantly, the research revealed that young people in the most deprived parts of the country are 11 percentage points more likely to say they are still waiting or have not received the support they applied for, at 39% compared to 28% of those in the most affluent areas. • The report received good coverage in The Telegraph, the I, The Independent, the Mail Online, The Daily Mirror, TES, FE News, and across hundreds of regional outlets using PA copy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/almost-half-of-young-people-in-the-most-deprived-areas
 
Description Press release: Class of 2023 more likely to be 'stay-at-home' students 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact COSMO study research revealed that university applicants in 2023 were more likely to stay at home during term time than previous cohorts. The findings showed 20% of the 'class of 2023' planned to live at home during term time if they were successful in getting into their preferred university, while a further 14% had not decided if they'd move to their university. • The press release received a great response, including coverage on the front page of the Guardian. It received broadcast coverage on Sky News, BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour and the Today Programme. The analysis was also covered across The Times, The Telegraph, the Independent, the Mail Online, the i, the Yorkshire Post, Tes, the Times Higher Education Supplement, and hundreds of regional outlets.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/class-of-2023-more-likely-to-be-stay-at-home-students
 
Description Press release: New research reveals worrying links between poverty, mental health and GCSE grades 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Research from the COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO) found that 82% of parents and more than half (53%) of young people in families struggling financially reported poor mental health. Food bank use and long-term poverty was associated with lower GCSE attainment. The study's findings were presented in a press release, which was picked up by a number of media outlets, including the Guardian and Times Educational Supplement (TES).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/new-research-reveals-worrying-links-between-poverty-mental-health-and-g...
 
Description Symposium on International Cohorts Showcase: New Longitudinal Studies in the UK at Society for Lifecourse and Longitudinal Studies 2022 conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact International Cohorts Showcase: New Longitudinal Studies in the UK: Symposium at Society for Lifecourse and Longitudinal Studies conference 2022.

Three presentations as below:

Children of the 2020s: A New Birth Cohort Study of the Early Environmental Influences on Children's Early
Educational and Socioemotional Outcomes
Presenter: Marialivia Bernardi, University College London
Co-authors: Pasco Fearon, Lisa Calderwood, Laurel Fish, Alissa Goodman, University College London;
Sandra Mathers, University of Oxford; Sarah Knibbs, Ipsos MORI

A Feasibility Study for a New UK-Wide Birth Cohort in the 2020s: The Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study (ELC-FS)
Presenter: Lisa Calderwood, University College London
Co-authors: Alissa Goodman, Pasco Fearon, University College London

A New Youth Cohort Study on the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young People's Education and
Wellbeing: The COVID Social Mobility and Opportunities Study (COSMO)
Presenter: Tugba Adali, University College London
Co-authors: Jake Anders, Lisa Calderwood, Xin Shao, University College London
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Webinar: Class of 2023: Supporting the new intake 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This webinar delves into how the cohort of young people who have just taken A levels have progressed since the pandemic. It provides useful context for admissions decisions this summer, and considers the best ways to support young people with their move into higher education.

Chaired by Dr Rebecca Montacute, you will hear from the researchers behind the study, including Dr Jake Anders, and from those working in the HE sector. You will also hear from members of the Sutton Trust COSMO Youth Panel, who share their lived experience and how the pandemic has affected them.

Throughout the webinar, we discuss topics such as attainment, education catch-up, financial impacts and the cost-of-living crisis, as well as mental health and wellbeing.

This event provides great insight into what these students have been facing and how to best support them in the future, so we encourage you to watch the session and share it with your networks.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://cosmostudy.uk/latest/class-of-2023-supporting-the-new-intake