Philip’s research interests span the breadth of Ofsted’s inspection activities – covering education from early years to the end of compulsory education, and also encompassing children’s social care.  Although Philip currently works in Ofsted’s quantitative research team, he also has extensive experience carrying out qualitative research. 

Ofsted is in a period of change following the tragic death of Ruth Perry in 2023.  A listening process, enabling stakeholders to communicate their views to Ofsted was carried out in 2024, and, in addition, ‘one word judgements’ on to school quality were abolished in the summer of 2024. 

Philip has enduring interests in educational quasi-markets and educational disadvantage. While working at Ofsted since 2017, he has carried out research on the relationships between school inspection and pupil absence, school quality and imprisonment and school quality and early career labour market outcomes.  During the pandemic he was seconded from Ofsted to work at Ofqual where he collaborated on analysing the awards that had been made in 2020, amid much controversy, when students were unable to sit public examinations.

Prior to working at Ofsted, Philip was a researcher at LSE from 1996-2016, carrying out research on education, social policy and the family.  He originally studied philosophy, politics and economics at St Anne’s College, Oxford University and completed an ESRC studentship gaining a PhD from South Bank University.

Selected publications

Noden, P., Rutherford, E., Zanini, N., Stratton, T., and Bowsher-Murray, J. (2021) Grading gaps in summer 2020: who was affected by differences between centre assessment grades and calculated grades? Coventry: Ofqual

Stratton, T., Zanini, N. and Noden, P (2021) An evaluation of centre assessment grades from summer 2020, Coventry: Ofqual

Lewis, J., West, A., Roberts, J. and Noden, P. (2015) The experience of co-residence: young adults returning to the parental home after graduation in England, Families, Relationships and Societies

Challen, A., Noden, P., West, A. and Machin, S. (2011) UK Resilience Programme evaluation final report, RR-097, London: DFE

Noden, P. and West, A. (2009) Attainment gaps between the most deprived and advantaged schools, London: The Sutton Trust

Goldstein, H. and Noden, P (2003) Modelling social segregation, Oxford Review of Education, 29, 2, 225-237

Noden, P. (2000) Rediscovering the impact of marketisation: dimensions of social segregation in England’s secondary schools, 1994-99, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 21, 3, 371-391