Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have proposed introducing a pupil premium in England, with the aim of narrowing the achievement gap between rich and poor by attaching greater levels of funding to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such a reform would mark a significant change to school funding and, without additional money from the public purse, risks creating winners and losers. At a time of fiscal restraint, it is essential that any such reform is grounded in both theory and evidence.

On 2 March, IFS will publish a commentary, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which provides rigorous and impartial assessment of the rationale behind a pupil premium, together with comprehensive empirical analysis of how it might operate in practice and how it would affect school finances. This report addresses a number of key questions:

• Is a pupil premium likely to reduce the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils?
• What are the options for a pupil premium, and how would they change the current school funding system?
• How much would disadvantaged schools benefit?
• How many schools would win or lose funding, and by how much?
• Can a single national funding formula be implemented in practice?

The report will be launched on Tuesday 2 March at the IFS offices in Ridgmount Street, London. The briefing will start at 10.30am and is expected to conclude by 12pm. Places at this briefing are free of charge and will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.