The Western Europe and North America launch of the PISA 2025 report
Join us for our launch event marking the release of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 results. PISA is the largest international comparative survey of 15-year-old students, assessing how well they can apply what they learn to real world problems. More than 760,000 students in 91 countries and economies took part in the 2025 assessment, which evaluates their skills and knowledge in science, mathematics, reading and computational problem solving. In addition, the test highlights the attitudes of 15-year-olds in areas such as curiosity, perseverance and learner agency, as well as how they use AI for schoolwork.
The event will include a presentation of the report’s key findings and recommendations, with a focus on the UK, Western Europe and North America, followed by discussion on country policy responses featuring contributions from experts and participating countries.
Event agenda (by registration)
PISA 2025 findings and discussion
8th September 2026 | Venue: UCL, London
Registration from 10am BST (for in person attendees).
Event begins at 11am BST, lasting one hour.
Session
- Welcome from Dr Michael Spence, President and Provost of UCL.
- Opening remarks from Professor Li Wei, Director and Dean of UCL Institute of Education (IOE).
- Opening remarks from the English Minister.
PISA 2025 results presentation
- Insights from OECD Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, including UK findings and comparisons with Western Europe and North America.
Expert panel discussion
- Exploring the key findings and their implications for education.
Audience Q&A
- Questions from both in-person and online attendees.
Closing remarks
Speakers
Andreas Schleicher
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.
He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth” (The Atlantic, July 11). Former UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France.
Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied Physics in Germany and received a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
Professor Mary Richardson
Mary is Professor of Educational Assessment at IOE, UCL. Mary is currently co-PI reporting on PISA 2025 for Wales, Northern Ireland and England. She has over 25 years’ teaching and research experience including education practice and policy, education history and testing and assessment practice. Her current research is anchored in assessment with specialist expertise in student experiences and how assessment shapes learner identity, public understanding of testing, the ethics of assessment and currently, what generative AI might mean to all our assessment futures.
She sits on several advisory boards including Qualifications Wales, AQA Exam Board's Research Department, NCFE Standards Committee and she is the co-convenor of the British Educational Research Association's Special Interest Group (SIG) for Curriculum and Assessment. She has worked on a range of international and national research projects in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Czech Republic and in Canada. She is the co-founder of IOE’s Educational Assessment research group and runs monthly seminars to promote understanding of assessment in education.
Professor Becky Francis
Professor Becky Francis CBE is CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). In 2024-25 she was seconded to lead the UK Government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which published its final report in November 2025. Prior to her EEF role, Becky was Director of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), which is ranked #1 in the world for education in the international QS rankings. Her prior roles include Professor of Education and Social Justice at King’s College London and Standing Advisor to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee.
Throughout her career, Becky has sought to maximise the impact of research by working closely with teachers and policymakers. She has spearheaded high-profile national policy and research programmes in the English school system, focused on system improvement and addressing educational inequalities. And she is sought out internationally as an advisor to Governments on education policy.
Becky was the inaugural Charles Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard University. Her academic expertise and extensive publications centre on social identities and inequalities in educational contexts.
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