Rebecca Jane Francis,CBE, FAcSS, FBA (born 7 November 1969) is a Britisheducationalist and academic, who specialises ineducational inequalities. Since January 2020, she has been Chief Executive of theEducation Endowment Foundation (EEF).

Francis was born on 7 November 1969 inKeynsham, Somerset, England. She was educated at theRalph Allen School, acomprehensive school outside ofBath, Somerset. She studied English at theUniversity of Wales, Swansea, graduating with aBachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1992. She then undertook aDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree inwomen's studies and education at theUniversity of North London.^[1]

She taught and researched at theUniversity of Greenwich,London Metropolitan University, andRoehampton University. From 2012 to 2016, she was Professor of Education and Social Justice atKing's College London.^[2] She was then director of theUCL Institute of Education atUniversity College London.^[3][4][5][6] Since January 2020, she has been Chief Executive of theEducation Endowment Foundation (EEF).^[7]

She has also been Director of Education at theRoyal Society of Arts (2010–12) and an advisor to theEducation Select Committee of theHouse of Commons since 2015.^[3]

In July 2024, it was announced that she would be chairing a Curriculum and Assessment Review for the EnglishDepartment for Education.^[8]

In 2021, Francis was elected aFellow of the British Academy (FBA).^[9] She is also an electedFellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).^[10][1]

Francis was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2023 New Year Honours for services to education.^[11]

• Francis, Becky (1998).Power plays: primary school children's constructions of gender, power, and adult work. Staffordshire: Trentham Books.ISBN 978-1858560977.
• Francis, Becky (2000).Boys, girls and achievement: addressing the classroom issues. London: Routledge Falmer.ISBN 978-0415231626.
• Francis, Becky; Skelton, Christine, eds. (2001).Investigating gender: contemporary perspectives in education. Buckingham: Open University Press.ISBN 978-0335207886.
• Francis, Becky; Skelton, Christine, eds. (2003).Boys and girls in the primary classroom. Maidenhead: Open University Press.ISBN 978-0335211555.
• Francis, Becky; Skelton, Christine (2005).Reassessing gender and achievement: questioning contemporary key debates. London: Routledge.ISBN 978-0415333245.
• Skelton, Christine; Francis, Becky, eds. (2005).A feminist critique of education: fifteen years of gender education. London: Routledge.ISBN 978-0415363914.
• Leathwood, Carole; Francis, Becky, eds. (2006).Gender and lifelong learning: critical feminist engagements. London: Routledge.ISBN 978-0415374842.
• Skelton, Christine; Francis, Becky; Smulyan, Lisa, eds. (2006).The Sage Handbook of gender and education. London: SAGE.ISBN 978-1412907927.
• Archer, Louise; Francis, Becky (2006).Understanding minority ethnic achievement: race, gender, class and 'success'. London: Routledge.ISBN 978-0415372817.
• Skelton, Christine; Francis, Becky (2009).Feminism and 'the schooling scandal'. London: Routledge.ISBN 978-0415455091.
• Francis, Becky; Skelton, Christine; Read, Barbara (2012).The identities and practices of high-achieving pupils: negotiating achievement and peer cultures. London: Continuum.ISBN 978-1441157195.
• Francis, Becky; Taylor, Becky; Tereshchenko, Antonina (2020).Reassessing 'ability' grouping: improving practice for equity and attainment. Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge.ISBN 978-1138348837.

• UCL IRIS biography

• 1969 births
• Living people
• British educational theorists
• Academics of the University of Greenwich
• Academics of London Metropolitan University
• Academics of the University of Roehampton
• Academics of King's College London
• Academics of the UCL Institute of Education
• Academics of University College London
• British women academics
• British academic administrators
• Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences
• Fellows of the British Academy
• Scholars of socio-economic mobility
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

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