SIFT Programme Reflections

SIFT Programme Reflections

Corina and Mayowa share their experiences from the first eight months of the SIFT programme.

The SIFT Programme is a two-year career development initiative designed lay the foundations for a meaningful career in the education sector. The programme focuses development in two critical areas: consultancy practices and programme evaluation. The programme offers the opportunity to work at the heart of the education system within a mission-driven organisation, to make a tangible difference while developing a future career.

The SIFT programme has provided us both with invaluable opportunities to dive deep into the UK education sector, each bringing our unique backgrounds and gaining distinct yet complementary experiences across ImpactEd Group’s practices.

Learning the UK Education Landscape

Corina: Coming from a background in economics, research, and public policy, with international education sector experience, my biggest learning curve was understanding how things work specifically in the UK education context. From the start at ImpactEd Evaluation, I was involved with a diverse range of projects and partners, including schools, charities, and other organisations across the sector.

Mayowa: With my delivery and operations background in education, I was curious to understand what consulting in this context really involves. Starting in the Consulting practice, I quickly discovered that whilst projects often sit within categories, the work itself is remarkably diverse. Every project brings different challenges, and support is tailored to help partners untangle their most complex problems.

Stretching Beyond Our Comfort Zones

Both of us found that our most rewarding projects were those that pushed us into new territories.

Corina's highlights: The projects I enjoyed most stretched me beyond my comfort zone. In the Careers and Enterprise Company's third wave of the Start Small Dream Big pilot on career-embedded learning in primary schools, I managed the qualitative side—conducting focus groups with pupils, parents, teachers, and career hubs, then analysing interviews thematically whilst supporting quantitative analysis and reporting. Contributing to a large-scale project with a partner that shapes education policy was particularly exciting.

Another standout was working with SHiFT on standardising their shortlisting process across regional practices to identify young people most in need of support. This was my first experience with a systems change intervention, which challenged me to think deeply about balancing standardisation with context, incorporating field voices in the design process, and evaluating such interventions effectively.

Mayowa's journey: One project I particularly enjoyed involved supporting research into the mental strength of secondary-aged pupils. This meant surveying young people and using their responses to create unique profiles capturing their characteristics. I analysed response data to track participation across schools and age groups, whilst also contributing creatively—drafting profile descriptions and visuals to give pupils advice, highlight focus areas, and showcase strengths they could build on.

I also led the organisation of four expert roundtables, which involved desk research to identify relevant discussion areas, finding and recruiting experts across different fields, and shaping research questions to guide conversations and write up findings. Since consulting partners are often larger organisations where junior team members don't always get to lead projects, owning this work from end to end was invaluable.

Skills Development and Technical Growth

Our experiences have allowed us to develop and apply both technical and soft skills in meaningful ways.

Corina: Leaning on my research and quantitative skills, I worked on projects involving cleaning and analysing survey and pupil attainment data, using propensity score matching to create synthetic control groups, and running difference-in-difference analyses. I also designed Theory of Change models, measure reviews, and evaluation frameworks for small charities and MATs.

Mayowa: One of the more challenging contexts was school trust governance, where I supported a governance strategy workshop for a multi-academy trust. I needed to grasp the trusts governance structures while summarising and shaping insights from the day. The write-up required thematic analysis and quick identification of themes most relevant for the group. This was a real stretch but provided valuable learning.

Looking Ahead

As we transition into our next phase, we're both excited about the opportunities ahead.

Corina: Moving into the ImpactEd Consulting team, I'm looking forward to supporting partners on the more strategic side. While partners usually come to IEE with an evaluation in mind, those approaching the consulting team often seek an external perspective to help co-design solutions for their needs. I'm excited to be part of those conversations and continue learning through them.

Mayowa: I'm now moving to the School Research Projects team within the Evaluation practice. What excites me most is the opportunity to work more closely with partners and dive deeper into a specialist project on attendance and inclusion. I'm also looking forward to continuing to grow my analytical skills and applying them in new ways.

Reflections on the SIFT Experience

The SIFT programme has given us both the chance to work across different aspects of the education sector, from large-scale policy-shaping projects to intimate governance workshops, from quantitative analysis to qualitative research, and from direct service delivery to strategic consulting. The diversity of experiences, combined with the opportunity to work with various partners and tackle complex challenges, has provided us with a comprehensive understanding of how research, evaluation, and consulting can drive positive change in education.

As we move forward into our new roles, we carry with us not just the technical skills we've developed, but also a deeper appreciation for the complexity and interconnectedness of the education sector, and the various ways we can contribute to supporting young people's outcomes.

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