James Zuccollo is Director for School Workforce at the Education Policy Institute, where he leads research into teacher supply, retention and professional development. Since joining EPI in 2018, his work has examined local pay variations, the effectiveness of professional development, school leadership, and teacher workforce policy. Before joining EPI, James led the economic research programme for the Higher Education Funding Council for England, where he advised on learning gain measurement, teaching intensity metrics for the Teaching Excellence Framework, and graduate wellbeing. He previously worked at the think tank Reform on macroeconomic research, and as a consulting economist in New Zealand.
Recent projects include a 2023 Nuffield Foundation study quantifying the causal effect of headteachers on pupil attainment using School Workforce Census data, a 2024 report for the Welsh government on recruitment and retention of senior school leaders, and a 2025 analysis of teacher pension preferences. Earlier work includes Wellcome Trust and Gatsby Foundation-funded research on professional development and local teacher labour markets. James has written for publications including The Financial Times, The Guardian, Schools Week and Prospect, and has discussed his work on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
